I have a couple replacement scratching post inserts lying around in my bedroom. This morning out of boredom, I started reading the label on the package. Near the bottom, well, I’ll let you see for yourself.
I know kids can be both fragile and stupid, but how in the name of Og’s starched tighty-whities is a freakin’ piece of cardboard dangerous to children? What do you think they’re going to do, attempt to eat it? Bash each other in the head with it? Accidentally summon Klxthgolshz the Cardboard-Eating Fiend into the mortal realm, precipitating his dread reign of bloody terror?
Or maybe I’m reading it the wrong way. Maybe by “unsuitable for children”, they mean “not meant for children to sharpen their claws on”. In which case, sure! The very thought of a child crouched over a scratching post, fruitlessly scrabbling away, is heartbreaking-- or at least, the mental image brings tears to my eyes.
No but seriously. I have idea WTF they’re getting at here.
I can’t quite tell if this is true of yours, but the cardboard scratching inserts I’ve used had sand or something glued to it to help with the claw sharpening action. Chewing on cardboard won’t do much harm to an infant, but chewing on sand could damage teeth.
heh, have you read the warning on yard hoses? I think the last time I bought one for my dog I asked the sdmb if it was safe for me to give him water and bathe him with it cause the warning worried me … …
You know kids, they might do all sorts of stupid stuff like rubbing sandpaper against each other’s faces or trying to eat it. That’s probably what the manufacturer was getting at.
Hmm…personally I’d be immediately suspicious that there are chemicals used in the production of this product that border on unacceptable for exposure to children.
Like, they know it probably won’t hurt adults but maybe just don’t let the kids handle it?
Made in China? I’m going to guess less than strict adherence to fussy American safety standards explains the mystery.
It’s just a magic spell that essentially says, ‘if anything bad happens involving this product and a child, you can’t sue us, cause we done told ya!’. Because while there’s maybe nothing conceivable that this thing can do that harms a child, it’s always the inconceivable things that get you, and it costs the company about nothing-point-fuck-all to print that warning.
Well, of course you don’t want your kids sharpening their fingernails on a cat scratching post. You need to go to Kids Я Us and get an approved children’s scratching post. It’s got the right hardness so that they’ll gently abrade away their nails instead of breaking them on the harder cat scratch post.
And don’t go trying to save a few bucks by giving the kids Little Friskies treats. You need Kid Kibble like Cheerios.
And mostly to deter lawsuits from ever happening. Some kid eats that thing and turns into a cat or something there can still be a lawsuit and the company ends up taking it in the neck anyway. Such warnings are pretty easy to sidestep when they’re that vague.