One of the questions I hear most often is: "Why do you make PRASKA furniture from birch plywood and not from MDF board?"
That is a very good question.
I have been breeding pedigree cats for many years, and every day I observe how intensively cats use the furniture.
It is exactly this everyday experience that made me choose birch plywood from the very beginning. Not because it is trendy. Because over the years, it has simply proven to be the best material for the products I design for cats.
A home with a single cat looks completely different from a cattery. Here, the furniture is used practically non-stop.
Cats jump onto shelves. They climb. Scratch. Play. Sleep. Kittens learn to navigate vertical structures. Adult Maine Coons make dynamic jumps with tremendous force.
After years of such observations, I have learned one thing. The material truly matters.
For years, I searched for a material I could trust. One that withstands everyday use well and remains stable for a long time.
That is why I decided on birch plywood. It is a natural, lightweight, and at the same time highly durable material.
Thanks to its layered construction, it handles daily loads well and is perfectly suited for furniture that cats use every day.
It is exactly these properties that made it the primary material used in PRASKA products.
MDF board is a popular material used in the production of many types of furniture, and it works very well in many applications.
However, I design furniture for cats. And that means completely different requirements.
A cat does not sit gently on a shelf. It jumps onto it. Often with great momentum. Especially when we are talking about large breeds, such as Maine Coons.
That is why I looked for a material that best meets the demands placed on furniture used intensively by cats. After many years of daily observation, I concluded that for PRASKA products, birch plywood is a solution I can trust.
Even the best plywood is not enough if the furniture is poorly designed.
Construction is of immense importance. The thickness of the elements. The placement of mounting points. The method of connection. The stability of the entire structure.
Over the years, I have noticed that a cat quickly senses when a shelf wobbles. If it does not feel secure, it often simply stops using it.
That is why, during the design process, I attach as much importance to the construction as I do to the choice of material.
Every new material first goes to my cattery.
For many weeks, I observe how it behaves during daily use. I check its durability. Its resistance to intensive use. Its appearance after a long time.
Only then do I make a decision on whether it should be included in the PRASKA catalog.
One of the things I value most about birch plywood is its naturalness.
Each piece has its own grain pattern. There are no two identical shelves. Every product is unique.
I like materials that preserve the natural character of wood. They are what make the furniture not only look good, but also bring warmth and authenticity to the interior.
From the beginning, I knew that PRASKA would not be a brand that chooses the cheapest solutions.
I wanted to create products that will stay with cats for many years. That is why I choose materials that have proven themselves in everyday use. Materials that I have trusted myself.
Because I know that good cat furniture should not be a short-term purchase. It should serve for years.
After over 14 years of breeding cats, I know one thing. The best test of a material is not manufacturer catalogs. The best test is daily life with cats.
It is exactly this that confirmed my belief that choosing birch plywood was the right decision.
That is why, since the beginning of the PRASKA brand, it remains the primary material from which we make our furniture.
Through over 14 years of breeding, I have learned that the choice of material is one of the most important decisions when designing cat furniture.
That is why I am not guided solely by price. I am guided by experience.
Every material that makes its way into PRASKA products must first pass the most important exam. Daily life with cats.
Every day I observe how cats use the furniture while playing, resting, and climbing. It is this daily experience that convinced me that birch plywood best meets the standards I want to ensure for PRASKA products. Therefore, since the inception of the brand, it has remained the primary material used in our furniture.
Izabela Praska
Pedigree cat breeder, founder, and designer of the PRASKA brand
Because after over 14 years of daily observation and use in a cattery, birch plywood has proven to be the best material for manufacturing cat furniture. It is durable, stable, and perfectly handles intensive use.
No. MDF board is used in many types of furniture. At PRASKA, however, we decided on birch plywood because, for our products and during years of observation, it better met the requirements placed on cat furniture.
Yes. Every new material first goes to my cattery, where for many weeks I observe its behavior during daily use. Only after the tests are completed do I make a decision about using it.
Birch plywood is a natural material. Each sheet has an individual grain pattern, which is why there are no two identical products. This is one of the features that makes every piece of PRASKA furniture unique.
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