Start with the need
We define the household problem before recommending a product. Sometimes rearranging what you own is the better answer.
A legend leaves the woods
Built for the beast on your sofa.
Splintercat is a Canadian-built publication for indoor-cat households across North America: practical guides first, transparent gear testing next, and no patience for flimsy claims.
The namesake
A ferocious cat with a memorable testing method.
In North American lumbercamp folklore, the Splintercat was said to fly headfirst into trees with enough force to strip their branches and splinter their trunks. It was powerful, irritable, and hard on its surroundings.
Our version has moved indoors. It is curious, demanding, and skeptical of anything marketed as “indestructible.” The story gives the brand a useful standard: gear should meet the reality of the cat, not just the promise on the box.
Read William T. Cox’s 1910 accountWhy Splintercat exists
Cat gear is a home-design decision.
A product can be well made and still be wrong for a particular cat, room, routine, or budget. Useful guidance has to connect all four.
Show the work
Research sources, test conditions, measurements, drawbacks, material relationships, and uncertainty belong on the page.
Respect the budget
Price is part of suitability. We will distinguish useful improvements from upgrades whose main advantage is marketing.
Design for North America
Availability, electricity, housing constraints, CAD and USD pricing, and both metric and imperial dimensions matter.
The operating promise
Earn trust before earning commission.
Splintercat is being built as an editorial resource first. Affiliate links may eventually help fund the work, but they will be labelled, manufacturers will not be able to buy rankings, and a researched guide will never wear a hands-on badge.
The first field guide
Plan the habitat before buying gear.
Start with a practical framework for safe places, separated resources, vertical space, scratching, play, and sensory comfort.