Cat Scratching Post - Give Kitty What She Wants
Stop Cat Scratching Furniture, Train Cat to Use Scratching Post
Sep 25, 2009
At least one cat scratching post is found in just about any household where a feline lives. However, most owners are frustrated because their kitties turn their little noses up at the wonderful sisal scratching posts provided for them, preferring instead to find a piece of furniture they can reduce to shreds.
Since a cat scratching furniture is precisely what the owner was trying to avoid, this often creates a battle of wills between feline and human.
Why Cats Scratch
When most people see a kitty scratching, they say the cat is "sharpening her claws," and this is true, to some extent. Actually, what Kitty is doing is removing the sheath from her claws as they grow.
Scratching is also good exercise for a feline. Not only does the act of scratching stretch those muscles out, but it also helps to keep them limber and flexible.
Kitties also scratch to mark territory with the scent glands located in their paws.
Obviously, nobody is going to get a cat to stop scratching, as this feline behavior is hard-wired into them. What an owner can do is to provide Kitty with an appropriate scratching post for cats. The problem arises when Kitty and her owner can't agree on what's appropriate.
How to Stop Cat Scratching Furniture
Cats seem to prefer a scratching surface with the grain running up and down, which is probably why sisal rope wound horizontally around a post isn't too popular among the feline set. Sisal fabric, on the other hand, is more interesting to a kitty, since she can really dig in with those claws.
Kitties like to mark their territory with vertical claw marks, shredding the material in an up-and-down direction. Don't make the mistake of replacing a shredded scratching post just when Kitty has it the way she wants it.
Another mistake is to provide a scratching post for cats that's too short. The post should be at least 28 inches tall, so the cat can really stretch out as she works those claws. It should be very stable, too, because if it falls over just once, it'll scare her, and she won't use it any more.
The cat scratching post most kitties prefer is a piece of a tree trunk. This isn't always an option in a small apartment, and can be messy, but if a person has access to something like this, and has the space, it can be an inexpensive solution the cat will love.
Just be sure there aren't any insect pests hitching a ride. Kitty will appreciate the owner's thoughtfulness in providing bugs to play with, but the owner probably won't be as happy.
Get Kitty to Use the Cat Scratching Post
Put the post where the cat is scratching. More than one post may be needed. Put one near her sleeping area, since many cats enjoy a good scratch and stretch when they wake up. The posts can be moved into more convenient locations once the feline is using them. But keep at least one post wherever the owner and kitty spend the most time. A kitty condo is a great place to include a scratching post.
Feed the kitty next to her scratching post. Play with her by the post, and attach toys to it to attract her attention. A little catnip spray may make it more enticing for her, too. Give her a favorite treat as a reward when she uses it.
Discourage attacks on the furniture by making it less appealing. Tape aluminum foil to the couch temporarily, or cover the area with double-sided tape. Use a lemony-scented spray on the area to mask her scent. Cats don't like citrus odors, so this often helps to redirect her.
It's a waste of time to try to fight a cat's instinct to scratch. However, with time and patience, it's possible to redirect the feline's urge to claw from that antique sofa to a surface that's agreeable to both Kitty and her owner.
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