Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave you out of pocket but also very frustrated and annoyed at your cat for being such a bad little kitty. Cats need to scratch, it is something that cats instinctively do, not as you may think, in order to sharpen their claws, but to remove the old layers of their nails.
Do not punish your cat for scratching, or for anything you see as bad cat behavior. Punishment is unlikely to have any beneficial effect whatsoever. Your cat simply will not understand if you try to punish her in any way for something she has done, cats do not relate punishment to the "crime", they are far more likely to relate the punishment to you!
Even cats that are allowed outdoors will sometimes scratch your furniture, although not as often as indoor only cats. Trees are the natural scratching surface for cats, and to a cat that is kept inside the arms and legs of chairs, and other furniture, sure seems like a suitable alternative!
The most common answer to this cat scratching problem is, of course, a scratching post, or even two. A great variety of posts are available from pet stores and online pet suppliers. They are fairly simple things to construct, but if you do make one yourself, be certain that there are no nails or other sharp things left sticking out to snag your kitty. And make sure that the base is heavy enough, if it falls over your cat will not want to use it again. Cover the post with rope rather than with carpet, the last thing that you want to do is give your cat the message that it is OK for her to scratch carpet!
Ensure that the scratching post is tall enough for your cat, cats like to stretch when they scratch it exercises their muscles. Spread cat nip on one of the platforms to make the post even more attractive to your cat, and attach a few toys to the post so that they hang down temptingly.
If you just put a scratching post down in front of your cat, what is she going to make of it? It may look like a good place to scratch and claw, but then she has been mildly admonished for scratching at things. You may have to teach your cat that it is OK to use the post, that it will not upset you, that scratching the post is what you want her to do.
Every time that you see your kitty about to scratch your furniture, pick her up and gently place her in front of the post. If she decides to use it give her plenty of praise and encouragement. Cover the furniture she scratches with some netting, or aluminum foil. Your cat should soon learn that it is unpleasant to scratch furniture, but great to scratch her post.
If your cat is in the habit of scratching wooden furniture, or doorjambs then strong smelling polish, or vinegar are often good deterrents, if you try the vinegar, check that it won't harm the surface of the wood. Some cat owners report that half an orange or lemon place by the problem has good results. Do not remove the disagreeable smells or covering from your furniture until your cat has been using her scratching post for about a month.
If your cat is a horizontal scratcher rather than vertical one, in other words she scratches up your carpet or expensive parquet flooring, try persuading her to use a piece of rush matting, tape the matting down to prevent the mat moving.
What ever you do to solve your cat scratching problem, do not even think of declawing, it is barbaric.
About The Author
Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong lover of cats and lives in London England. He is the webmaster and owner of http://www.best-cat-art.com. If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com.
rental limo Atlanta .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIf the "tweet, tweet" of little beaks is in your... Read More
Until a very recent period, dog worms were thought to... Read More
When we talk about hypoallergenic dogs, we mean that they... Read More
Problems with Commercial Flea Killers & TraditionalFlea Bite Treatments***Chemicals that... Read More
In part one we talked about forming good behavior traits... Read More
The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With... Read More
Understanding where horses come from has been a long road... Read More
Your dog's health is a very important part of overall... Read More
It is very important to decide whether to keep your... Read More
Who let the dogs out?Remember this song which gave birth... Read More
Part 2: Protecting your petIf you own a cat, then... Read More
Can Your Dog Stomach This?There's an old adage that says... Read More
You might think the most important bit of dog health... Read More
Oscar is kind of a funny name and it fit... Read More
1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently.... Read More
Ever had a hankering for a certain breed of dog?... Read More
Knowing how to feed your betta is fundamental, because doing... Read More
A former coworker has a dog that had begun itching... Read More
One of the most common causes of Feline Urinary Tract... Read More
Puppies and dogs, as mentioned, are social creatures. When they... Read More
Boxer dogs are an all around great breed, especially skilled... Read More
Buy or Adopt - That is the question.If you intend... Read More
I really do not hope your are eating something, but... Read More
Sure, you may be a master of human First Aid.... Read More
Nobody likes ticks.In fact, when it comes to ticks I... Read More
Bedford Park taxi to Midway ..Why paint your cat? After all cats are beautiful creatures... Read More
Yesterday we talked a little about the 6 Keys for... Read More
Our pets give us so much. They entertain us, listen... Read More
Aggression behavior in a dog is a normal form of... Read More
While excitement and anticipation will be at the top of... Read More
Adopting a dog is a lot of fun, but it... Read More
Internet Fraud, Classifieds Scams, Abuse and Suspicious Replies are world... Read More
If your life is so busy you literally only have... Read More
Kittens are and have always been adorable creatures. Of course,... Read More
If the "tweet, tweet" of little beaks is in your... Read More
These days, it's hard to know what decisions are the... Read More
Did you know that your goldfish can live for over... Read More
Nutrition and Your Dog's Behavior Proper nutrition is the fundamental... Read More
Just like when you bring home a new baby, you... Read More
As all cat owners know, a feline can be a... Read More
If you thought dog noses were just a source of... Read More
'I named all kittens, although they were all stillborn.' 'My... Read More
Vaccinations play an important part in the preventive healthcare of... Read More
When I carried him home, he was this tiny little... Read More
So you just loved that sweet little puppy that you... Read More
Dog arthritis is one of the most common diseases that... Read More
Just south of Snowdon, in the grey-stoned village of Beddgelert... Read More
Fleas are wingless, blood-sucking insects that feed on dog, cats,... Read More
The real apistogramma's come from southern America, they all have... Read More
Our Charlie's dog health was a very important issue to... Read More
Pet |