Pet Steps Suggestions

MoochNNoodles

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I am looking for some steps to help Mooch get on our new couch. The vet says she has some arthritis in her lower spine. Mooch is about 14/15 pounds and 15 years old. She jumps down off the couch; but uses a small kids chair or step stool to climb up. We are getting a new couch next week (ordered before all this corona mess started) and it reclines at both ends; so I need something that can go by the arm of the couch I think. Unfortunately I don't have a measurement for how high the arm of the couch is from the ground. I suppose I could call the furniture store to ask that though.

So far I like the Armarkat steps: Armarkat Pet Steps or something similar. I have an Armarkat tree that is well over 10 years old and in great shape. It comes in 3 and 4 steps but I don't know which is best; less steps but wider, or more steps but shorter rise for each step. :dunno:

Any advice or suggestions? I definitely need something sturdy. Some of the plastic steps are less expensive but they have an incline and I can't tell how sturdy they are.
 

Willowy

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Unfortunately I don't have a measurement for how high the arm of the couch is from the ground. I suppose I could call the furniture store to ask that though.
Don't you have a tape measure or a yardstick or something? Make it a math lesson :D.

I'm pretty sure the ones I have are Armarkat, or at least they look like that. I like them. Nice and sturdy, not tippy, easy to vacuum.

ETA: yep, just looked up my past orders and I have the Armarkat 3-step. But I paid less than $30 and they're currently around $60, so I don't know what's up with that.
 

Pjg8r

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I have the three step model. Every few months I have to take out the Allen wrench and retighten it but my five climb up and down all day long
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MoochNNoodles

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Don't you have a tape measure or a yardstick or something? Make it a math lesson :D.
I don't have it yet to do that. I'm hoping to at least order something before the couch gets here in a week. Stores just started opening here but most people still look at you like you have 5 eyeballs if you try to take a kid in a store. :rolleyes2:
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I just measured the chair she uses now and it is a 10" rise; so I think she can handle either one ok. I like the manuverability of the wider steps on the 3 step one. She tends to get all 4 feet on the chair before moving to the couch. But then with the stepstool to her chair I think she goes more step-like because it's lower to the ground.
 

Willowy

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Oh, haha, I missed the part where you said you don't have it yet, oops! I don't think the exact measurements matter too much; the steps will still get her pretty close to the cushions.

All the elderly cats I've had who used the steps had no trouble with the 3-step. The 4-step looks awkward.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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I need her to climb to the arm most likely because the seats at the ends recline.

But I just found an old 2 step stepstool in the garage. Each step is 6”. So I brought it in to test how she climbs with it. And I sent an email asking about the dimension. That should help me figure things out too.
 

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daftcat75

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I got those ArmarKat steps and Krista doesn't use them. She'll only use them to escape the vacuum.

What she does use is significantly more expensive. But she loves them!
Modular Cat Tree - KATRIS

You used to be able to buy the individual pieces. If you can find the individual pieces (about $50-60 a piece), a single L piece laying long side down is a good bed step.

This was her 15th birthday present. I built her stairs so she could easily get into her favorite tree.
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And this is her path up to the kitchen counter. I give her medicine meals on the kitchen counter. If she’s going to fling the pill, I’d rather pick it up from the counter or floor than hunt for it under/behind an appliance. Plus I just adore having her supurrvise meal prep. It’s a great way to assess her mood and body condition several times a day.
C5C34E19-4B97-4F95-BCD6-AB3D59DEDAD3.jpeg
 
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FeebysOwner

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Hi. I would strongly recommend you use cardboard boxes, and anything else you can, to test what she needs before you buy elaborate steps - unless you have other uses for them. Feeby (15+yo, just under 15 pounds) uses 12" small footstools than can be moved as needed to get from the ground to the couch/recliner. (She also uses my coffee table - LOL!) She has a few sturdy storage boxes (turned upside down) that I bought from Lowe's that are about 6" high to use as a transition from any places where she may need a bit more extra help. All of these options are big enough for her to "pause' on before she moves to the next level. Those particular boxes cost me about $12. Be creative until you find what works best for Mooch. If Feeby is any indication of older cats with arthritis, she has an uncanny knack of showing me what does and does not work for her. I wouldn't blow a lot of $$ until you test some 'Improvised' steps to see how she responds.
 

Neko-chan's mama

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I have those steps in the 4 step variety. Though Neko-chan doesn't need them, they're by the bed and she will sometimes sleep on the top step of I'm tossing and turning in bed too much.
 
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MoochNNoodles

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So far Mooch is doing well with the 2 step stepstool I found. Its not tall enough for the new couch but it does show me that she uses that size step comfortably. So I’m leaning that way; once I confirm how tall the arm of the couch is.

Thank you for all your help!
 
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