About Us

About Our Company

 HOW IT ALL BEGAN . . .

In the late 1990s Betsy Lipscomb–cat behaviorist, cat lover, and founder of SmartCat®–understood that people surrendered their cats to shelters because they didn’t know how to change unwanted behaviors. Cat owners were unhappy with cats using furniture and carpets to do what came naturally to them–scratching. Most thought declawing was the only answer, but it’s not! For Betsy, this was a call to action. She started Cats International, a free hotline to help people solve their cats’ behavior issues. For years, Betsy fielded thousands of calls from desperate cat owners looking for solutions. Her mission continues to this day; you can visit www.catsinternational.org to learn more about humane solutions for cat behavior problems. 

Early on Betsy began gathering wooden fence posts from her farm in Wisconsin. She wrapped them in sisal rope and mounted them on sturdy wood bases. Her guiding motivation was to send them to pet parents who needed help addressing their cats’ scratching behaviors. People were amazed to learn that the scratching post solved their problems. These posts became vastly popular and soon Betsy was making as many as 50 a month by hand.

Betsy decided to start a company whose sole mission was to enhance our pets’ quality of life by providing for their behavioral needs. She especially wanted to deter pet parents from declawing their cats, as this is a cruel procedure. She convinced her husband, John, to manufacture a larger version of her homemade scratching post. The result was our flagship product, the Ultimate Scratching Post. 

In 1999 our company branched out to become Pioneer Pet Products® to expand our quality designs and construction into a wider range of products. In 2012 we acquired the brand Sticky Paws®, a tactile tape that deters cats from scratching inappropriate surfaces. Sticky Paws® aligns perfectly with the Pioneer Pet Products® brand by helping cat owners tame behaviors in the home without taking away cats’ natural instincts.

In 2014 we launched our flagship litter, SmartCat All-Natural Litter; Our goal was to create a truly all-natural litter that worked. Our SmartCat All Natural Litter is made from 100% grass–it is renewable, biodegradable, 99.9% dust free, fragrance free, and non-GMO. We then expanded our line by offering a healthy alternative clay litter, SmartCat Lightweight Litter. Most recently we launched another option in the all-natural litter category, SmartCat Corn + Wheat Litter.

Our hardgoods product line continues to grow as well. Since 2020 we have introduced the Swan Fountain, Vortex Fountain, Mini Vortex Fountain and Drawstring Pick-Up Bags.

What was once a farmhouse operation is now a mission and dream come true. Our brands are ones that pet parents have come to love and trust. Our mission, however,  has never changed – to provide superior products that will improve the quality of life for pets and their guardians. All our products are designed by behavior experts, and each one is thoroughly tested and approved before reaching the market.

Cats International

Knowing that behavioral problems are the number one reason why people surrender their pets, Betsy started a free animal behavior counseling service known as Cats International.  The site is a reliable resource for intelligent and practical solutions that address and prevent difficult behavior and training problems. Visit www.catsinternational.org, to learn about humane solutions for cat behavioral problems.