
SmartCat had its beginnings twenty years ago when Betsy Lipscomb, the founder and president of Cats International, gathered old wooden fence posts from her farm in Wisconsin and gave them to cat owners to use for scratching posts. The posts were very popular and over the years were improved with the addition of sisal rope and a sturdy base. After several years of volunteering for a local humane society and caring for hundreds of cats, Betsy realized that the popular practice of declawing (partial digital amputation) was detrimental to cats, both physically and psychologically. In many cases declawing resulted in more serious behavior problems such as inappropriate elimination and biting problems.