|
 |
 |
|
|
|
Cat Health News Articles
Page: 1
| Posted: 7th August 2004 |
| How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever! |
|
by: Larry Chamberlain
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 behaviour. 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 catnip 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. |
|
Pages: 1 2 |
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
