The noise of tearing material is something numerous cat owners are all too acquainted with. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed as the legs of your preferred arm chair ended up being shaggy with ripped threads, or invested hours attempting to enthusiast claw marks from a wood flooring.
Scratching includes the area of cat ownership. But it doesn’t imply you need to compromise your furnishings to their greatly weaponed impulses.
You can’t stop a cat from scratching—nor ought to you. “It’s an instinctual need. Their claws are a main form of defense, and they let them catch prey,” Dr. Marci Koski, a feline behavioral expert and creator of Feline Behavior Solutions, informs Mental Floss. “They need to keep that weaponry finely tuned.”
Scratching does more than simply keep their claws in good shape. It’s a method for cats to mark their area: Not just do the scratches reveal visual proof of their existence, however they likewise leave the animal’s fragrance. It’s why you’ll frequently observe your cat clawing at products in extremely trafficked locations of your home like the living room or an entrance.
There are other factors cats scratch, too. It’s a fantastic method to stretch, and it likewise lets them exercise excess energy after an interesting or tense interaction. If your family pet’s in an actually spirited state of mind or is very thrilled to see you after you’ve been away throughout the day, don’t be amazed if they disrupt their zoomies to claw at something.
You might not have the ability to stop your cat from scratching, however you can attempt to avoid them from shredding your sofa to bits or gouging the door frames so terribly you need to surrender your apartment or condo’s down payment.
When you’re attempting to persuade your cat to scratch something aside from your furnishings, Koski recommends paying attention to what they choose to claw. If, for instance, your cat tends to target the leg of a couch, they most likely like to scratch vertically; if they frequently select the carpet, then search for something flat.
It’s clever to purchase a quality scratching post. A scratcher’s product is essential, too, so attempt to observe if your family pet reveals a choice for anything like wood, carpet, or sisal.
The size of your scratcher matters too. “Small, cheap scratchers are for people, not cats,” Koski says. “They aren’t stable or big enough. I tell people to get a big post on a non-skid surface.” She advises the , as it’s made from an attractive sisal product, and is high and strong enough for cats to in fact delight in and feel secure utilizing.
Where you in fact put the scratching post is essential, too. Cats generally claw things in extremely trafficked locations, so tucking your scratching post into an unused corner of a seldom gone to space won’t be really attracting them.
Don’t force your family pet to utilize the scratching post if they’re neglecting it. “Cats are independent,” Koski says. “They do things on their own time.” Coercing them into utilizing a scratching post is most likely to produce an unfavorable association with the item. Instead, usage favorable support. Koski recommends holding a reward or dangly toy above the post to motivate your cat to touch it. Once they willingly put their paws on it, there’s a likelihood the texture will motivate them to start scratching it by themselves.
If a scratching post still isn’t sufficing, you might attempt remote control training, or rely on a short-lived service such as covering the edges of your furnishings with double-sided tape. The tape’s texture might deter some cats from clawing, however it isn’t an irreversible service, and it won’t work for every family pet. “You have to be careful,” Koski warns. “Some cats will try to eat the tape and some won’t care that it’s there.”
It might go without stating, however never ever declaw your cat. No matter how irritating the furnishings scratching might be, it never ever validates putting your animal through an uncomfortable—and in some locations, illegal—treatment.
