BALLASTED PET FURNITURE

1 . A furniture item for a house pet, the furniture item comprising:

a base configured to support the furniture item on a horizontal support surface; and

an upright portion coupled to the base and extending to a height above an upper surface of the base when the base is situated on the horizontal support surface;

wherein the upright portion comprises

a hollow inner portion defining a ballast cavity and an opening providing access to the ballast cavity,

a cap portion engageable with the hollow inner portion to close the opening, and

a removable scratch pad supported on an outside surface of the hollow inner portion,

wherein the cap portion covers an upper edge of the removable scratch pad when the cap portion is engaged with the hollow inner portion to close the opening.

2 . The furniture item of claim 1 , wherein the upright portion is in the form of a post, and the removable scratch pad is in the form of a sleeve fitted to the post.

3 . The furniture item of claim 2 , wherein both the post and the sleeve have circular shapes in cross-section taken perpendicular to the height, and wherein the cap portion has screw threads for engaging screw threads of the hollow inner portion.

4 . The furniture item of claim 3 , wherein the screw threads of the cap portion form a female threaded portion that receives a male threaded portion provided by the screw threads of the hollow inner portion.

5 . The furniture item of claim 1 , wherein the removable scratch pad is retained on the outside surface of the hollow inner portion solely by the cap portion.

6 . The furniture item of claim 1 , wherein the upright portion is positioned in the center of the base and extends orthogonal to a plane defined by an upper surface of the base.

7 . The furniture item of claim 1 , further comprising a mount secured to the base, the mount provided as a quick-disconnect bayonet mount into which a complementary projection at the bottom end of the upright portion is configured to be received.

8 . The furniture item of claim 1 , further comprising a second upright portion coupled to the base and extending above the upper surface of the base, the second upright portion including a second hollow inner portion defining a second ballast cavity.

9 . A furniture item for a house pet, the furniture item comprising:

a base configured to support the furniture item on a horizontal support surface;

a mount secured to the base; and

an upright portion coupled to the base via the mount, the upright portion extending to a height above an upper surface of the base when the base is situated on the horizontal support surface,

wherein the upright portion comprises

a hollow inner portion defining a ballast cavity and an opening providing access to the ballast cavity,

a cap portion engageable with the hollow inner portion to close the opening, and

a removable scratch pad supported on an outside surface of the hollow inner portion,

wherein the mount is provided as a quick-disconnect mount providing selective mounting and dismounting of a bottom end of the upright portion without the use of tools.

10 . The furniture item of claim 9 , wherein the upright portion is in the form of a post, and the removable scratch pad is in the form of a sleeve fitted to the post.

11 . The furniture item of claim 10 , wherein both the post and the sleeve have circular shapes in cross-section taken perpendicular to the height, and wherein the cap portion has screw threads for engaging screw threads of the hollow inner portion.

12 . The furniture item of claim 11 , wherein the screw threads of the cap portion form a female threaded portion that receives a male threaded portion provided by the screw threads of the hollow inner portion.

13 . The furniture item of claim 9 , wherein the removable scratch pad is retained on the outside surface of the hollow inner portion solely by the cap portion.

14 . The furniture item of claim 9 , wherein the upright portion is positioned in the center of the base and extends orthogonal to a plane defined by an upper surface of the base.

15 . The furniture item of claim 9 , wherein the cap portion covers an upper edge of the removable scratch pad when the cap portion is engaged with the hollow inner portion to close the opening.

16 . The furniture item of claim 9 , further comprising a second upright portion coupled to the base and extending above the upper surface of the base, the second upright portion including a second hollow inner portion defining a second ballast cavity.

17 . A furniture item for a house pet, the furniture item comprising:

a base configured to support the furniture item on a horizontal support surface;

a mount secured to the base; and

a post coupled to the base via the mount,

wherein the post comprises

a hollow inner portion defining a ballast cavity and an opening providing access to the ballast cavity,

a cap portion engageable with the hollow inner portion to close the opening, and

a removable scratch pad sleeve fitted to an outside surface of the hollow inner portion,

wherein the mount is provided as a quick-disconnect mount providing selective mounting and dismounting of a bottom end of the post without the use of tools, and

wherein the cap portion covers an upper edge of the removable scratch pad when the cap portion is engaged with the hollow inner portion to close the opening.

18 . The furniture item of claim 17 , wherein both the post and the sleeve have circular shapes in cross-section taken perpendicular to the height, and wherein the cap portion has screw threads for engaging screw threads of the hollow inner portion.

19 . The furniture item of claim 17 , wherein the removable scratch pad is retained on the outside surface of the hollow inner portion solely by the cap portion.

20 . The furniture item of claim 17 , wherein the post is positioned in the center of the base and extends orthogonal to a plane defined by an upper surface of the base.