We have two senior cats, Marley and Joey. Cats, similar to humans, develop numerous chronic conditions as they age. Older animals develop arthritis, a condition that affects joint structure and function. Arthritis causes mobility issues and a cat’s ability to navigate your house and jump.
An older cat will have a hard time jumping on your bed. If you used to snuggle with your furry friend in bed at night, consider using specially designed pet stairs. The stairs will help your cat access the furniture and reduce stress in his joints.
We are continuously improving our house and making our place accessible for each family member. Sunny, the first cat in the family, is reaching his senior years, and we want to enrich his and other cats’ experiences.
Joey’s old climbing habits.
Historically, our oldest cat Joey climbs on his desk using a small house for cats as a step. Joey grabs the railing of the house with his front paws and pulls his body up. Once Joey climbs on top of the house, he steps up on the desk. On his way down, Joey puts his front paws on the side of the desk and carefully jumps down.
Joey’s rear paws need extra support, and we tried different ways to provide easy access to the desk and back down for Joey. We placed a cat tree next to the desk to help Joey. For some reason, Joey is not interested in the tree and doesn’t use it for climbing. Sometimes he comes and sniffs the attached rope, touches the base but walks away.
PetSafe Stairs introduction.
Our other idea to help Joey with climbing was to try pet steps. Today, we will review the stairs we recently purchased for our senior cat Joey. The stairs will help our boy climb up and down his favorite desk. The product we bought is called PetSafe CozyUp foldable cat and dog stairs. The steps are lightweight, easy to fold, store and come in two sizes, depending on your furniture height. The stairs can hold small and medium-size animals under 150 pounds.
Material.
The PetSafe stairs are made out of sturdy plastic. The clever design makes the structure stable, light, easy to fold and store. The steps work perfectly for Joey’s size, weight, and physical ability.
Dimensions.
The PetSafe stairs came in two sizes, large and extra-large. The large stairs have the following dimensions: 24 x 16 x 20 inches and is 5 pounds. They can hold an animal up to 120 pounds. Another option, extra-large, is 28 x 18 x 25 inches in size, weighs 9 pounds, and is designed for animals up to 200 pounds.
Color.
We liked the beige color of the steps. Our room has a white desk, chair, and cream color shelves. The light color of the PetSafe stairs flows well with the rest of the interior of the room.
Fabric covers on the steps.
Our favorite feature of the stairs is the fabric padding on each step. We removed the protective cover and applied the pads to each step. The padding provides a good grip for the paws and makes climbing more stable.
Rubber footing.
The PetSafe stairs have rubber on the bottom for extra stability of the floor. The stairs are perfect for Joey’s weight. For a medium-sized dog, such an element would add additional support.
Joey still uses his old method to navigate the furniture. We encourage him to explore the stairs and get familiar with a more convenient way of climbing. The PetSafe stairs are sturdy, light, and easy to store. Fabric padding provides a better grip for climbing paws. Variation in sizes allows using the stairs for small and medium-size animals. We believe that the steps work perfectly for cats and small dogs.