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The Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter encourages pet owners to provide a great scratching post for their cats. This will help prevent destruction of household furnishings and provides an enjoyable pastime for your cat. In addition to indicating ownership of the surrounding territory, scratching also serves to keep your cat in shape. The act of scratching stretches and pulls and works the muscles of a cat's front quarters--a cross between a feline gym workout and Kitty Yoga
Buy or make a scratching post that's tall enough so the cat can stretch completely when scratching, and stable enough so it won't wobble when being used. It should be covered with a heavy, rough fiber like the back side of carpeting or sisal roping. Place the post in an accessible area.
Some of the types that we have seen cats prefer include one that stands about 3 feet tall and has a “cup” on the top with sisal available for scratching. They use the post and sleep in the cup. Other taller more complex varieties also provide the cat with not only a sleeping area, but also an exercise “gym”. A less expensive, but effective model is the last one shown.
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If you're trying to discourage the cat from scratching a particular piece of furniture, try placing the post in front of the cat, gradually moving the post aside as the cat begins to use it regularly.
Train with a dual approach: discourage the cat from clawing the wrong things, encourage the cat to claw the right things. If the cat begins to scratch the furniture, call it by name, firmly telling it "NO," and move it to the scratching post. Put its front legs up on the post and make scratching motions with them. Or keep a squirt gun filled with plain water handy and squirt the cat on the back when it claws the furniture. Each time you bring it to the post or it goes on its own, praise your cat, pet it, and spend a minute playing at the post. Try rubbing the post with catnip; make it a fun place to be. At the same time, the favorite furniture scratching area can be made less attractive by attaching tape that is sticky on both sides or a piece of cotton scented with bath oil to the furniture.
Reviewed and Approved by: Dr. Cheryl Good, Burns Animal Hospital
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April 11, 2008
Copyright © Friends For the Dearborn Animal Shelter All
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2661 Greenfield, Dearborn, MI 49120, 313-943-2697,
friends@dearborn-animals.com,
www.dearborn-animals.com
