TIPS FOR SHAPING YOUR RIPPLE RUG:
Watch our video and get some ideas to help you make your own exciting Ripple Rug configurations.
Yoda our cat, can’t meow about this enough: ***AVOID STRETCHING THE TOP RUG OUT FULLY, DO NOT LAY THE TOP RUG OUT FLAT*** i.e. don’t try to match the four corners of the top rug with the four corners of the bottom rug. Don’t be afraid to model the top carpet into a 3d-shape. The ripples work better when there is base rug exposed! Aim to expose at least 20% of the bottom rug.
The large Ripple Rug base is designed to provide your kitty with a safe boundary, as well as a stable foundation, making it a great launch pad for your cat.
FOR BEST KITTY INTERACTIONS:
Regular changing-up of the top rug, by moving the touch-points to different locations, or rolling the touch-points on themselves to form reinforced arches, increases your kitty’s curiosity. The use of wands, treats, and other toys hidden in ripples, will help increase the interaction between you and your fur-ball.
- Playing with a wand-toy, while your cat is hiding under the rug, helps build a bond with you and kitty, initiating future play-times together.
- Kitties love when you throw their toys into the holes, encouraging them to use their search and locating skills, creating activity for couch-potato behaving fur-balls.
- Hiding treats in the folds brings out your kitty’s natural instincts, helping slower eating and weight loss management.
SOFT or STIFF? YOU DECIDE
CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT WHY YOUR KITTY MIGHT PREFER THEIR RUG SOFTER or STIFFER!
HOW TO GET YOUR 4-LEGGED FRIEND USED TO THEIR RIPPLE RUG
Some fur babies just can’t wait for the Ripple Rug to be removed from the bag. However, getting the sniff of approval from your furry friend may be challenging for some. Here are a few tips to help:
Re-shaping the ‘ripples’ helps build curiosity.
The Ripple Rug is an interactive space. Your inquisitive friend will be more likely to ‘hang-out’ in their new place-space if they notice participation from their parent. (It’s always a good idea to use a new toy under supervision. This is to help ensure that your cat uses the product safely).
Some cats do anything for treats.
Hiding treats inside the ripples may help your cat get familiar with the Ripple Rug more easily.
A little squirt of catnip can go a long way.
Apparently approx. 50% of the cat population love catnip. If your kitty goes crazy for this essential oil, then we suggest that you spritz your Ripple Rug to entice your kitty.
Throw your cat’s favorite toy into the holes.
Cats love sticking their paws into holes, especially when their favorite toy is lurking inside. We’ve seen great posts from pet parents who have placed vibrating toys inside, their cats go nuts to reach them!
Put the Ripple Rug in your cat’s favorite spot.
Your cat probably has a preferred spot. Perhaps: close to a warm radiator; near a window flooded with warm sunlight; a safe corner of a room away from doors and walkways; near your desk etc.
Be patient.
Cats are intelligent, curious, and yet mysterious at times. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why our furry friends do what they do. It can take a few days or even weeks for a cat to become ‘acquainted’ with new stuff. It may take patience and continual interaction on the Ripple Rug to win your kitty over.
OH! The great outdoors.
Which cat doesn’t love the great outdoors? Let’s face it; nothing beats the wind blowing through your fur, the sound of real birds chirping, chipmunks scratching around, or the opportunity to nibble real green stuff. If your kitty lives 99% of the time outside (and we don’t recommend it, as we have so many scary predators around e.g. cars, coyotes and bears), introducing a Ripple Rug is a good substitute when the thermometer hits those chilly temperatures and your kitty decides that being inside is probably warmer. For any outdoor kitty, a Ripple Rug near a window with a view can help.
HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR RIPPLE RUG
CLEANING TIPS FOR YOUR RIPPLE RUG
Your new Ripple Rug may last for years. With the right care and maintenance, you can help extend its life.
We recommend vacuuming the tops of your Ripple Rug when first unfolded. Ensure that you vacuum the rug thoroughly to remove any fine cut carpet fibers that may have been knocked loose during transit. Do not run a vacuum over the Touch-Points, motorized heads may loosen the Touch-Points or pull them off completely. We recommend a sticky roller to clean a Touch-Point. Any creases from folding will disappear over time, however, you may wish to iron away the creases. Please look at section below: “How-to remove creases”.
Caring for your Ripple Rug is easier than you think.
Vacuum your Ripple Rug when necessary to prevent nail shards, fur, and dander from embedding into the carpet pile. From our experience, cats are clean creatures and prefer a freshly maintained environment. (They’ll love you more for keeping their Ripple Rug fur-free).
The rug fibers will not fray, however, in the unlikely event of your ‘King-Kong-Cat’ going ape and destroying the carpet, use scissors to clip any sprouts and snags. The carpet will not unravel if you pull a fiber, do not pull on them unless necessary.
The carpet is mold and mildew resistant. If you decide to keep your rug in a tropical wetland or in puddles, because your ‘Manatee-Cat’ loves mooching in the Everglades, then there’s a good chance that your carpet will be soggy and will not appeal to your fur-baby.
Finally, the Ripple Rug carpet is stain-resistant. In the event of any liquids finding their way onto the rug, simply absorb the spills by blotting with white paper or a cloth towel. Use soap and water as needed to clean the stain.
The first step is to remove the fur. We recommend using a rubber glove to brush the rug and ball up the loose fur on the carpet. A sweeping motion with your hand will do the trick. it will collect a lot of fur, you might be amazed how well it hides loose fur :-)=
The second step is to vacuum the carpet, leaving it fairly fur free.
The third step is to remove the oils built up from play time, grooming or snacking with a washing.
Cleaning with soap and water helps to remove the natural kitty oils left on the rug during grooming and playtime. It is important to note that cleaning the Ripple Rug will maintain its stiffness and keep it performing like new for a long time.
We recommend three easy ways to wash it. A garden hose outside, in a bath tub or in the washing machine on cold cycle. Use basic cleaning products, no harsh chemicals, and especially no fabric softener as it makes the carpet limp. A clean, oil-free carpet is essential to making caves and high standing ripples.
To dry, simply hang flat/straight to dry. Do not use a clothes dryer, higher temperatures may cause the hook-tape Touch-Point to release. The Ripple Rug material dries very quickly.
If your cat plays or lays on the Ripple Rug often, keep an eye on the ripples. If it becomes difficult to maintain shapes, or the tunnels won’t stay up like it used to; it is time to wash it. The material is Polyester, so clean it like you would any t-shirt to keep it crisp and fresh feeling.
The long-term performance of your Ripple Rug will vary depending on the use and the carpet care applied. While Snuggly Cat and Friends have rigorously tested their own Ripple Rugs (and theirs have held-up to crazy-cat play), we can’t guarantee that determined Shere Khans (on rare occasions) won’t devour the carpet.
Cats love a clean place to relax. Proper cleaning will keep it functioning like new for a long time.
Most pet products can never be washed. We highly recommend regular cleaning after heavy use.
HOW DO I STIFFEN THE TOP RUG?
Please use these instructions to help stiffen your Ripple Rug. These instructions work very well when followed in order, last tested January 5, 2022 (results below). It is important to understand why the carpet becomes softer when used. The Ripple Rug is made from Polyester, similar to the polyester material found in clothing, such as t-shirts. After use, polyester t-shirts may feel ‘worn’ or ‘broken-in’. The same can be said of the Ripple Rug. Cat oils and fur left on carpet fibers may soften the carpet. Simply vacuuming (to remove fur and other pet dander), then washing the rug with soap and water to remove fur oils followed by hanging straight/flat to dry will help to bring much of the original springiness back.
Firstly, we recommend vacuuming the carpet, this will help remove any fur that has collected on the fibers. A sticky roller may be used all over or simply around the holes, (as fur gathers around the edges when cats squeeze through them). A rubber glove works excellent to gather fur collected on the carpet.
Cleaning with soap and water helps remove the natural kitty oils left on the rug. Washing in the bath tub, a laundry sink or even a garden hose works really well. We also recommend hanging the rug straight to dry (rather than putting it in a dryer). This will bring back much of the original stiffness; (Similar to washing a shirt, it helps make it feel crispier).
We do not recommend machine washing as the tumbling can soften the fibers. However, if you choose to machine wash (because your furry-baby decided to barf-up the blades of grass they chewed), it is important to protect the Touch-Points from pulling, while tumbling around the drum. This can be done by covering the Touch-Points or engaging them to the carpet. It is also important to wash the rug at cold to medium, lower-temperatures, e.g. delicate or hand-wash cycle. Do not wash at high temperatures.
To dry, simply hang flat/straight to dry. Do not use a dryer, higher temperatures may cause the Touch-Point to release.
If you feel you need to add more carpet stiffness, please read on 😉
All that’s needed is a clothes iron and a minute per location. Set your clothes-iron to the polyester setting (around 300F). Place the hot iron on the underside of the Ripple Rug (the same side as the hook-tape). Do not move the iron as you would when ironing clothes. Place the iron in one spot at a time. Put the iron on the desired location for 60 seconds. After 60 seconds lift the iron and move to the next area. No pressure is needed – simply allow the weight of the iron to work its magic by heating the area for 60 seconds (note: soft pressure is okay, applying hard pressure will flatten out the rug like cardboard, irreversible damage).
Please ensure NOT to apply the hot iron to any of the Touch-Points, as it may cause the Touch-Points to release. Always remember, let the iron’s weight and heat do all the work, you need not apply pressure.
We have found these few simple steps help to increase the rigidness significantly. This method can take a soft and floppy carpet and make it stiff like new again. Of course, over time and with repeated use and kitty oils added to the mix, the rug will become softer again. It’s very scientific! You can follow this same process over and over to help re-stiffen the carpet. Just like your favorite t-shirt, it needs to be cleaned and pressed a little bit to remain in shape.
Test results January 5, 2022: We completed this process on the Oatmeal Ripple Rug you see on our current social media feeds (Jan 5, 2022). The rug was covered in a lot of hair, super floppy and could not stand up, it had been in use by our 3 cats for 6 months with NO washing, in short, pretty nasty looking. We acted as if we were customers, and washed it prior to fur removal, out of order as stated above. Bad move. lol. There was still a ton of fur left. We then used a rubber glove to remove a lot more fur, followed up by a last pass with vacuum. After washing, we used the iron as stated above. It worked perfectly. It took a while as the rug is large. Be patient, your kitty will love the clean and crisp rug. We also tried it a little hotter, it didn’t damage the rug, and it did make it a little more stiff. Bottom line, the process works, over and over, repeatedly. We test our own process to ensure our customers always have the same results. If you cannot make it work, call us, we will help you.
For extra stiffness, you may use a little steam (use steam sparingly), or a fine spray of water can help. As before don’t apply pressure when ironing, just glide the iron, floating it along the carpet!
We’re continually finding ways in which to improve the performance of the Ripple Rug. Believe it or not, it has taken many hours to find just the right ‘sweet spot’ between too rigid and too soft. (Yoda, our cat, personally prefers soft, meow). In testing, we have noted that the carpet stands up quite tall and holds shape, until of course, your fur-baby decides to dive onto it and make it into a nest-bed.
We are here to speak directly, so feel free to pick up the phone and talk to us – 212-949-7449
HOW-TO REMOVE FOLDING CREASES
Creases may form when items are folded for transport or storage. Imagine unpacking a t-shirt: creases that may have formed are quickly removed by ironing the t-shirt.
The same is true of the Ripple Rug. Ironing the rug just takes a few moments, and helps removes creases, just like that t-shirt.
The Bottom Rug (Lined With Non-Slip Backing).
• Place the rug flat, the carpet-side should face up. (Non-slip backing facing down).
• Set the iron at a low temperature. Use the Nylon setting. (Approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit or 120 degrees Celsius).
• Use Steam sparingly.
• Glide the iron over the crease. Keep moving the iron, (meow – similar to a fish, swimming around happily).
• Do not apply downward pressure to the iron. Let the iron slide gently across the carpet.
• Let the rug cool for a couple of minutes.
The Top Rug (Contains Holes and Touch-Points)
• Place the rug flat, make sure that the Touch-Points are facing up and visible.
• Next, select the Nylon setting on your iron.
• Slide the iron over the creases, without applying pressure.
• Let the iron move around freely.
• Do not iron the Touch-Points, iron around them as necessary.
• You may use a little steam if desired.
• Make sure the rug has cooled down before presenting it to your fur-baby.
These easy steps will help keep your rug looking new, especially if you decide to fold your rug away regularly, that is of course – if your cat lets you.
