(This article appeared in the Oct. 2006 issue.)

Here Comes Trouble
These products keep cats out of harm's way and into good graces.
By Scott and Ann Springer

Boundaries aren't really a concept that most cats understand. But for a cat owner frustrated at his or her cat's free reign of the house, setting up boundaries in the home may mean Fifi continues to be a part of the family.

"Once a cat learns a really bad habit, it takes a lot to dissuade it from doing it," says Jamie Montgomery, the owner of Highwood Pet Emporium, a retail shop in Alberta, Canada.

Manufacturers have listened to the woes of cat owners and have created products to help combat these issues.

"We try to put ourselves in the homeowner's shoes," says Mark Grambart, the CEO of Contech Electronics, Inc., a Victoria, B.C.-based manufacturer. "We look at what their common concerns are, and say, ‘How can we come up with solutions to that?'"

Using a combination of methods, including speaking to retailers and consumers, Grambart says the best way to come up with products to deter cats from getting into trouble is by putting himself in his customers' shoes.

"We talk to consumers and we like to go and spend a day in the life with them," Grambart says. "We watch what they do to keep their cats out of the garden, or out from behind the computer and see what problems they are having."

When Mom's Away, Cats Play
Like many of Grambart's clientele, your customers have probably asked for your advice on how to keep their kitties out of danger.

Motion-sensor products that produce a blast of air, a high-frequency noise, or even a small shock can keep cats out of cribs, computer cords, and countertops. Other products deter cats with their scents.

"With these types of products, the owner creates a no-go area without associating it with the owner being upset with them," Grambart says. "Instead, the cat thinks there's a problem with the couch, or the kitchen table, or the hood of the car."

A mat, which gives off a shock similar to static electricity, can be placed on surfaces an owner wants to protect. This helps deter a cat from snuggling up for a nap on a couch or on the hood of a warm engine.

Some of these deterrent products, which are utilized most often when owners aren't home, can tally and display how many times the product was activated by the pet.

These high-tech products have been on the market for about five years. They replace home remedies such as squirt bottles filled with lemon water.

"It's more elegant to use something with technology to deter them," Grambart says.

Another product of note is an electrical cord protector manufactured by D&W Innovations LLC in Elm Grove, Wis. Company coowner Justin White created the product almost three years ago to help deter pets from chewing on cords and to protect animals from the hazards associated with cord chewing.

White and his business partner invented the products when both had girlfriends whose cats routinely munched on electrical cords. "We tried every remedy possible, but nothing deterred them," White says. "We did our research and found a citrus that makes a great deterrent."

The citrus scent is infused into the product so it doesn't wear off over time.

The cord protector has found a market with other animals besides cats and dogs, too. Approximately 40 percent of the product's users are owners of ferrets and rabbits.

Be Part of the Solution
Finding a deterrent product that works can be to a frustrated cat owner like finding gold. But customers may not be aware that these products exist or know that you carry them in your shop.

Grambart suggests creating a solution center. For example, you could create an area called, ‘Pet Training,' which combines products to help train the pet, remove odors and deter the pet.

"Present a strong product statement and have various solutions to the problem so you can say, ‘For this problem, this is the right application,' or ‘If this is your problem, this is the solution," Grambart says.

These products can also be displayed on an endcap seasonally, Montgomery suggests.

For example, during the holidays you can display products that keep cats out of Christmas trees or holiday lights and cords. Or, in the spring and summer you can showcase products that keep cats from leaving feces in the vegetable garden.

White recommends that products such as his cord protector be placed in several parts of the store. That way it can be found by owners of various types of animals, not just cat owners.

Recommendations Create Repeat Customers
While you likely won't have customers asking for these products daily, your staff members should be as well trained on the ins and outs of these products as they are on more commonly purchased items such as food, toys, and treats.

Montgomery says his customers usually come to him with their cat problem instead of buying deterrent products impulsively.

You and your staff should be familiar enough to demonstrate how these products work when your customers come in looking for help.

"Some of these products require a battery, and electronic products can be intimidating to consumers," Grambart says.

Let your staff become familiar with the products through personal use. "Have them try it out so they can be familiar with it to offer it as a solution."

Montgomery always tests every product at home before it lines her shelves. "We have a very small store and my customers take me at my word," Montgomery says.

Remember that any time you successfully solve a consumer's problem with a product, you have likely gained a repeat customer.

"They're much more inclined to buy other products from you if that product you recommended works for them," Grambart says.