Cork floors and cats?

[politicat]

Am I pipe-dreaming of a cork kitchen floor since I have the Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn of cats? (i.e. long-lived, cranky, set in their ways and utterly adorable...) Am I just asking for a ruined investment, a shredded floor and a lot of grief?

[wildeyed]

1. Are you worried that the kitties will sharpen their claws on the floor?

Cork floors are much harder than wine corks or cork board. I doubt the kitties could get their claws into the floor even if they wanted to. I have two medium/large dogs who tear around on my cork like a couple of maniacs, and they have not harmed the floor at all. It has actually worn better than newly refinished hardwood I have in another part of the house. The scratches on the wood are more obvious than on the cork.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Cork is remarkably durable. Better than hardwood, maybe.

Frank Lloyd Wright used a forest of it in his buildings done back in the teens through the thirties. This fact is cited on any pro-cork-flooring literature since that original cork, now appraoching 100 years old, is still there and still looks good.

Modern cork flooring has high tech finishes that would probably outlast that old stuff.

I wouldn't work a whit about two geriatric kitties. (Give 'Jessica' and 'Hume' a scratch for me! :) )

[Stinky The Clown]

3. OOPS! Too late to edit ......

"I wouldn't work a whit about two geriatric kitties." should read "I wouldn't ***worry*** a whit about two geriatric kitties."

Damned fat fingers .......