the basics
we've put together the following notes to make ordering your hicat® as straightforward & helpful as possible - please read through this information as there are some useful tips, which will help you with the specification, ordering & installation of your hicat® as well as some important information which forms our terms & conditions

our units come in 3 diameters, pole units are 180mm, tom & bob are 337mm, fat tom & fat bob are 432mm - pole, tom & fat tom units are floor-to-ceiling units made for climbing whereas bob & fat bob are low podium versions suited to perching & sleeping

pole units offer just external climbing whereas tom & fat tom tubes have access holes that allow internal-external climbing & come with a standard shelf in the middle of the unit - please refer to the dimensions sheet on the dimensions page for specific measurements & standard unit configurations 

additional features can be added to customise units at an addtional cost & include extra full shelves, cut away shelves for through climbing & small peep holes - the product sheet on the configuration page gives a summary of unit types & features   

units are finished with different end details as standard - pole, tom & bob are fitted with a clear acrylic end caps whilst fat tom & fat bob have a fabric wrap around end detail, which can be specifiied on pole, tom & bob units as a non-standard cost option

standard units come in bleached, natural & bark coir finishes, which is made from the fibres of coconut husks & is 100% natural - the finishes page gives an overview of available standard & non-standard coverings, which can be customised at an addtional cost 

orders are taken online & once your order has been checked an email order confirmation is sent with a payment request - orders that contain special requests, non-standard configurations or delivery outside of london & the home counties are priced as part of the order confirmation

non-standard specification or special instructions can be outlined & included as makers' notes when you order your unit - please contact us beforehand if you need advice on speciifying your hicat® & we will be happy to help

delivery is normally within 20 working days from receipt of payment - we send out an e-mail confirmation with an invoice when your order is ready for despatching

installing our floor-to-ceiling units is very simple & requires only one fixing hole to be made in the ceiling - installation instructions are despatched with your order & include information on setting up all of our units

pole, bob & fat bob come with non-adjustbale rubber feet whilst tom & fat tom units have adjustable plastic feet - all are suitable for use with hard & soft flooring

please remember that hicat® units are made-to-measure so we can't accept any returns or make refunds due to incorrect customer specification, delivery/access problems or misuse

contacting us
if you have any specific queries not covered in the following customer information, please feel free to contact us at our workshop:

hicat limited
studio 33
80-84 wallis road
london
E9 5LW

phone +44 (0)20 8986 2004
e-mail hi@hicat.co.uk
website http://www.hicat.co.uk

we are a limited company - registration number 6445491

pricing
our pricing including standard delivery to london & home counties is as follows:

pole (£104)

tom2 - 2 access holes (£224)
tom3 - 3 access holes & internal shelf (£264)
tom4 - 4 access holes & internal shelf (£300)*
+ extra shelf - additional internal shelf (£20)
+ crescent shelf - cut away internal shelf to allow through climbing (£32)
+ crescent shelf instead of standard shelf (£16)

bob - 1 access hole (£94

fat tom2 - 2 access holes (£300)**
fat tom3 - 3 access hole & internal shelf (£360)**
fat tom4 - 4 access hole & internal shelf (£400)**
+ extra shelf - additional internal shelf (£24)
+ worm hole shelf - cut-out internal shelf to allow through climbing (£40)
+ worm hole shelf instead of standard shelf (£20)

fat bob - 1 access hole (£120)

peep hole - small spy hole behind access hole (£12)
pad - cushion for tom & bob (£20)
fat pad - cushion for fat tom & fat bob (£24)
hicatch - velcro® band for pole + 2 sticky balls (£20)
hicatch - velcro® band for tom + 2 sticky balls (£26)
hicatch - velcro® band for fat tom + 2 sticky balls (£28)

*only available for ceiling height 2300mm & above 
**only available for ceiling height 2400mm & above

before ordering
sample requests - if you would like samples of our finishes please email us & we will be happy to send out swatches

more options - as well as the options on the configuration page we are always experimenting with new features - these include re-posiitoning access & peep holes, two piece units to help with access or shipping, units that fit under sloping ceilings & taller bob & fat bob units so it's always best to check with us before ordering if you have a special request 

suggested hicat® unit combinations - for tom & fat tom units with 3 or 4 access holes you may want to think about ordering a bob1, fat bob1 or pole as well - apart from looking great it will give your cat a podium to land on or a pole to grab when climbing out & down from the higher access holes, alternatively you could position you hicat® next to a sofa or armchair to act as a landing pad

suggested hicat® options & features - in addition to the standard full shelf specifying a crescent or worm hole shelf in the fourth access hole on tom4 & fat tom4 units means that your cat can reach this higher access hole by climbing up & through this shelf as well as climbing back down inside the unit - specifying a climb through shelf below the second access hole is a nice to have as is adding a peep hole behind the third access hole but again, not essential but it does give add lots of opportunity for you & your cats to interact

rough guide to sizing - tom units will suit most average size or small cats & allow them to sleep comfortably on the standard full shelf but not on the optional crescent shelf - larger cats will struggle to lay down on a standard tom full shelf so the bigger fat tom unit with either a full or worm hole shelf is a better option if you want to let your cats settle down & sleep in their hicat®

viewing our products - we do have a few sample units on display at our workshop in hackney wick, east london - if you want to visit us to have a look at what we do & how we do please get in touch & we can arrange a convenient time for a viewing 

customer references - we've compiled some of the customer feedback we've recieved on the home page but are happy to arrange personal references on request

home visit service - if you would like some help with the specification, measuring, installation & access arrangements for your Hicat® we can visit you if you live in london & home counties - please email us & we can confirm our pricing & availability

discounts - we offer discounts to individuals working within animal welfare organisations, associations & institutions as well as veterinary practices so please enquire before placing your order

questions-questions - we do get queries on specific points not covered in our customer information so thought that it would be worth noting the most common ones below:

- can we purchase a hicat® if we live outside the eu? 
- yes, we can export to any country but there will be additional freight charges, tax & import duties levied by the authorities on top of our standard pricing & these can double the cost of the order!

- can the access & peep hole positions be changed?
- because of the fabrication methods used we can't rotate access holes in different positions around the unit (they have to face in one direction only, one above the other) but they can be positioned at different heights at an additional cost - peep holes are positioned directly behind the access holes as standard but can be re-positioned both vertically & horizontally again, for an additional charge

- can hicat® units be re-used if we move home?
- because our units are made-to-measure it's unlikely that you will be able to re-use your floor-to-ceiling hicat® unless the ceiling heights are within a cm or so of each other, however, just like other types of bespoke or built-in items you may have the option of adapting your unit to make it shorter (access hole positions permitting) or extending the ceiling connector to make it taller

- do overseas customers have to pay using paypal/google?
- yes, unless they can arrange for all bank charges associated with making an international transfer to be paid by themselves otherwise, a credit card payment via paypal or google is the best bet  

- do you make an outdoor hicat®?
- not at the moment but we are keeping our eyes open for suitable core & covering materials that are weatherproof so that we can offer this option - the main problem is finding something that is waterproof but easy to climb like coir!

measuring up
positioning your hicat® - it's best to place your units away from other tall furniture, cupboards, windows etc as your cat will probably want to attempt a leap to a nearby observation point or ledge if available

proposed location - once you've settled on the position for your hicat® take the measurement at that spot as ceiling heights aren't always consistent across a single room

measuring technique - place the body of the tape measure on the floor & extend the tape to the ceiling making sure that you keep a vertical line when taking the measurement, not forgetting to add the size of the tape measure body to the dimension taken (the body dimension to add will normally be noted on the side of the tape measure for reference)

measuring on carpeted floors - to help get a more accurate measurement place a large thick hardback book on the floor & whilst someone stands on the book measure from the upper face of book to the ceiling as described above then add the thickness of the book to the dimension

carpeted floors with underlay - foam underlay normally compresses down to almost nothing after a hicat® has has time to settle so add the thickness of any underlay on to the overall ceiling height

production tolerances - we build in a height reduction on our floor-to-ceiling units to allow for ceiling clearance & have some adjustment for installation (normally ±5-20mm) but your supplied ceiling measurement needs to accurate to within half a centimetre i.e 5mm

access arrangements - while you've got your tape measure to hand check your access making sure that you have a enough height & turning space to manoeuvre your hicat® from your front door to its proposed location in your home 

ordering
placing your order - please use the online form in the order section of the website to submit your personal & order details - if you are specifying extra shelves &/or peep holes their proposed positions need to be confirmed in the makers notes section   

non-standard specification - you can also note any special requests in the makers notes section on the order form - some of the most common customer requests include access hole, shelf & peep hole positioning adjustments & special height bob & fat bob units 

terms & conditions - part of the ordering process also requires you to confirm acceptance of our terms & conditions, which basically means that you've read & understood this customer information section of the website so again we would recommend that you read through all of the notes before ticking the box 

email confirmation - once you've submitted your order we will send an email summarising your order details - if you don't receive a mail straight away you may want to check your junk mail folder as it my have been treated as spam mail & quaratined by your email client

order confirmation - once we've checked your order we will send another email confirming your specification, any special request, makers' notes & pricing where applicable together with your preferred payment request
 
payment options - the easiest way to pay is by credit/debit card using google or paypal via their secure online payment process but this type of payment will incur a 4% fee - uk customers also have the option of paying by cheque or electronic transfer direct to our bank account:

lead times - production time is normally within 20 working days from receipt of payment

delivery
despatching your order - we will email you again to let you know when your order has been despatched & include an invoice for your records

standard delivery - normally within 3 days from despatch to uk & within 5 days to mainland europe

taking delivery - it's important that someone is at home to receive your delivery otherwise our freight company may apply a handling charge after a couple of failed delivery attempts

signing for your delivery - when your hicat® arrives you should sign for your delivery as "unchecked" even if it looks in perfect condition - this gives us the opportunity to claim for damages in the unlikley event that if after fully unpacking your unit you find that something isn't right

assisted deliveries - please note that unless you have arranged for an assisted 2-man delivery the driver will only handle your delivery to the main front door of your building - if you live in a residential block or have flights of stairs to climb with your delivery we would suggest that you have another pair of hands at the ready as the units can be tricky to handle

installation
installing your hicat® - floor-to-ceiling units come with an installation pack containing an instruction leaflet, ceiling connector & a mirror! 

install must haves - all you will need to install your hicat® is a stepladder & drill with a 10mm bit

two pairs of hands are better than one - manoeuvring tom & fat tom units in to place can be tricky if your on your own so we would recommend getting some help when installing these units
 
freestanding bob & fat bob - we strongly suggest that ballast is placed inside these unit to prevent it toppling over whilst in use - a couple of 5kg sandbags should do the job

lighter pole units - these units come with a rubber mat that can be placed under the unit to improve grip when installed on smooth hard floors

heavier tom & fat tom units - these units may need to be raised slightly after they've been installed if carpet compresses down &/or floorboards give so they come with adjustable feet that can be raised using using the spanner enclosed in the installation pack

safety first - it's important that you read the instruction leaflet paying careful attention to the safety notes & make sure that your hicat® is correctly located in the ceiling fixing & stable before you allow your cat/cats to play
 
playtime
cats only - our units are very strong however the access holes, shelf & the low freestanding units should not be used to stand, sit on or climb up by anyone but your cat

don't panic - if your cat does not make an immediate dash for the top of your hicat® they may need some enticing - if your normal arsenal of tricks are not enough to grab their attention then you may want to think about ordering one of our hicatch velcro® toys

supervision - we've made some suggestions on hicat® combinations & shelf options in the before ordering section above to help make things easy for your cat when using 3 & 4 access hole units - if you haven't followed these suggestions please make sure your cat is comfortble using the the higher access holes on these units before leaving them un-supervised

monthly inspections - just to be on the safe side we would suggest giving your hicat® unit a quick once over from time-to-time to make sure that the ceiling connector is correctly installed (the connector should extend at least 10mm in to the ceiling fixing hole), feet are in place & the unit is stable
 
coir care - the coir finishes are 100% natural & don't carry any preservatives or finishing treatments so the darker colours can fade over time especially if placed in direct sunlight - if a section becomes solied this is best treated by using a soft brush with a little warm water & mild detergent  

wear & tear - do expect to see some signs of use over time especially if the hicat® is being put through its paces in a home with more than one cat - surfaces can become marked if your cat has a favourite scratching spot & loose strands can appear around the access holes or seams but these are easily fixed with a touch of glue

pad & fat pad fabric care - cushion covers can be removed & either dry cleaned or washed at 40° then laid out flat to dry - you may see 3-5% shrinkage after cleaning, which is normal for this type of fabric

feedback - we've really enjoyed watching our cats play on their hicat® units & its always fantastic to hear & see how other cats get on - if you can drop us an e-mail (with a photo or two) to share your experience with our products it would be really great to hear from you