Scratching helps peel off those layers and leave behind a shiny, sharp, new claw. Sharp claws help your kitty catch and kill prey. No one wants their custom-made leather club chairs to become a scratching post. When they scratch your favorite furniture, they leave their scent and physical mark behind. This is a sign to other animals. If you have multiple pets, some cats want to scratch even more.
Some kitties will appreciate a special napping spot next to you or a catnip -infused toy with an excellent scratching surface. The Humane Society of the United States suggests putting double-sided sticky tape either on the furniture itself or on the floor nearby to deter your kitty.
You can also offer your cat a scratching post toy as an alternative. If your cat is stubborn, you can also try vinyl nail caps. If you have a new cat , you can start them off right with a cat tree or other scratching pad. Some cat scratching posts are cat toys with balls and feathers for kitty playtime. If you have a kitten, you can train them from kittenhood to use their scratching pad and let you trim their nails.
If you have a grown cat, you may need to use additional techniques such as double-sided sticky tape or sandpaper on your furniture to retrain them to use a cat tree. Bullock also recommends offering your cat both a horizontal and vertical scratching post because every kitty has different preferences.
They also like leather, wool, and all fabric types, as you may have noticed if they scratch furniture. Help them mark territory with a scratching pad and not your furniture. Most cats need claw trimming every four weeks or so. SmartCat The Ultimate Scratching Post is covered in durable woven sisal and allows for a full-body stretch. Putting the scratchers in the right places is the next step. Try choosing scratchers of a similar material to things they tend to scratch, and place them right next to the object as an attractive alternative.
A sprinkle of catnip on the scratchers does wonders for luring cats to the right scratching spot. Taking good care of your cat means caring for her paws and claws, in addition to understanding cat behavior. You have to find a treat that motivates your cat. Aside from the normal cat behavior of scratching to stretch, mark territory, file nails or just to feel good, there are times when a cat might take a swipe at you or someone else. This can be a warning or defensive tactic when cats feel threatened.
In this case, stop what you are doing— kitty wants to be left alone. They could also catch your hand now and again during a biting and bunny-kicking frenzy if they think you are playing with them.
Touching their tummies could lead to this, so beware of the belly. Conrad recommends always using a toy to play rather than your hand to avoid getting hurt. These behaviors can be trained out of a cat. Nikki Naser, BeChewy Senior Editor Instead of owning 30 cats, Nikki has an impressive collection of 30 cat-themed T-shirts, and just 4 pets—a ginger-haired senior cat, a senior Maine Coon, a middle-aged Choodle, and a young kitty who showed up one day on the back steps.
A former Orlando resident, Nikki worked on several tourism publications before moving to South Beach. Published: June 28, By: Chewy Editorial Updated: January 20, This page may contain affiliate links. We earn a commission for qualifying purchases — at no cost to you. To help us create more veterinarian- and trainer-approved content, please consider buying one of our web-books for yourself or as a gift.
For many people, their gut reaction is to yell at the cat, shoo them away, or maybe even give a few squirts of water from a spray bottle. In fact, yelling at your cat for scratching can seriously confuse them, stress them out, and may even cause them to act out in different ways and grow to be afraid of you. You can teach an old cat new tricks and take steps to redirect where your cat is scratching. Believe it or not, cats are highly trainable and there are surfaces and scents your cat would actually prefer to scratch, even more than your furniture.
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