Why Your Cat Needs a Good Scratching Post

Any cat owner will tell you that cats love to scratch. This natural behavior, which most cats exhibit is generally not a problem unless it is directed towards your favorite living room chair, drapes, or other costly household possession. If this begins to happen, your best course is to take action immediately to limit the damage not only to your furniture, but also your relationship with your feline friend.

First, realize that this is an instinctual behavior which you have virtually no hope of stopping. Many cat owners believe a cat preforms this scratching behavior to sharpen its claws. While no one knows for sure why they scratch, it is more commonly believed that they scratch to mark their territory.

Cats have several scent glands and use them as a way of communicating with other cats. Besides having sent glands in their paws they also have sent glands at the corners of their mouths, in the thin hair between their eyes and ears, and at the base of their tails. By rubbing and scratching your cat is basically saying, this is mine, that over there is mine, and you belong to me.

Second, understand that cats do not understand physical punishment. Hitting or throwing things at your cat may only serve to reinforce the behavior, and as you may already know, cats have a long memory and are known to hold a grudge.

So whats a person to do when their cute kitty begins to shred their favorite Lazy Boy?

Your best solution is prevention. By understanding and acknowledging this to be normal behavior, you want to provide your cat with a more attractive surface than the arm of your chair.

Start early by introducing a good scratching post to your cat. The scratching post should be long enough that your cat can stretch out while scratching. Somewhere around 36 inches should be adequate. Scratching posts should also be sturdy. If the post continually fall over and startles your cat, they will quickly avoid going near it.

Putting out a few different posts may be a good idea, making sure to locate these posts in areas that the cat frequents most, such as sleeping and play areas. Cat trees or cat condos can be a good choice because they combine a good scratching surface along with a nice cat bed and play area. A good selection of cat trees can be found at Kitty Cat Beds.

When introducing your cat to a scratching post don't attempt to physically get your cat to use the post by grabbing its paw, they wont understand what your trying to convey. Instead, try playing with your kitty around the post, rub some catnip on it, or dangle some of its favorite toys from it. Feeding your cat around the post may also serve as positive reinforcement.

If your cat continues to scratch where you don't want, you might try covering that surface with something the cat may find undesirable. Materials such as aluminum foil, thick plastic, or double sided tape have been found to be effective. Trimming your cats nails is also a good idea to limit its ability to destroy objects until they learn the proper behavior.

Most of all, be patient, most cats can be taught to direct their scratching instinct toward desired objects with the proper training. More information on cats and cat behavior can also be found at the American Veterinary Medical Association.