Posts Tagged ‘Cat Scratching Post’
Cat Scratch Fever
Anyone that has a cat is probably familiar with frayed couch corners, torn-up blinds and shredded carpets; these are all a result of a cat’s scratching. And, if you’re cat’s scratching is annoying you, don’t think you can change the behavior–because you can’t. Scratching is a natural behavior for cats and we all know cats aren’t the best at taking orders. But, what you can do is attempt to control where your cat scratches.
Cats don’t understand physical punishment, so hitting your cat when she scratches is one of the worst things you can do. Cats also have good memories and though they won’t associate you hitting them with their scratching behavior, they will remember that you hurt them and hold a grudge.
Cats scratch for many reasons including; marking their territory, exercise and because it simply feels good. The best option in preventing kitty from shredding your most prized possessions is to provide her with her own cat scratching post. Cats prefer scratching on rough surfaces, so picking a post made of wood is the best option. Also, make sure the post is tall enough so that your cat can stretch to her full height. Lastly, make sure the cat scratching posts are stable and cannot easily be tipped over.
Keeping the Claws
When I got my first cat last year, I wanted to let him be an outdoor cat. Although I realize that pets are supposed to be tame animals, I like the idea of maintaining some semblance of their wild nature. Since he was going to be spending a good deal of time outside, I decided against getting him declawed.
As you can probably imagine, his claws came in handy for climbing trees and thwarting the attacks of predators, but they also wreaked havoc around my house. I encouraged him to use his cat scratching post, but he was reluctant at first. After some coaxing with a spray bottle, he soon developed a habit of using the post instead of couch.