Teach Cats To Use Scratching Posts

 REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information (Resource Box) at the end. You may not use this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam).

You may retrieve this article by:

Autoresponder: stickypaws@getresponse.com
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/articles/stickypaws.txt

Words: 330
Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney

Please leave the resource box intact with an active link, and send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the article appears to: marilynp@nctc.net

Cats love and need to scratch. When they live in a house or apartment they will scratch whatever is available which usually turns out to be their owners best piece of furniture.

Here are some tips to help teach your cat to use a scratching post instead of your favorite couch.

Cats don't understand physical punishment. Punishment only breaks the trust that your cat has with you.

It feels good to cats to scratch. Scratching serves as exercise to keep your cats muscles in shape.

Don't try to show your cat how to scratch the post. The cat knows how to scratch and will do so when they want to.

A good scratching post should be tall enough for your Kitty to fully stretch the body, usually around 3 feet tall and should be very stable. If it falls over, even once, the cat won't go back to it. A resting place on top is even more attractive.

Cats like rough surfaces that they can shred to pieces. Choose material as close as possible to the item that the cat is now scratching on. The reverse side of rugs provides a good texture for clawing.

Cat's mark their territory by scratching. The paws also have scent glands that leave their own special scent on their territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family.

Encourage the cat to use the post by feeding and playing by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder onto it. Attach toys to it, such as a catnip mouse, which causes the cat to grab the post attempting to catch the toy.

Put a post near where the cat sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If possible, place a scratching post in every room of the house.

For more information on how to prevent cats from scratching furniture visit:

http://www.apluswriting.net/petcare/stickypaws.htm

About the Author

Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

 Marilyn Pokorney

More Articles 

Train Your Cat for Vacations - Tony Robinson
When you are going on a vacation or taking your cat out for a length of time you will want to have the cat trained to ride in a car or vehicle so that the cat is not jumping all over and over the seats. Purchasing a pet carrier will be the...

How To Stop Your Cat Scratching - Get Rid Of Those Fleas - Niall Kennedy
You know how annoying it can be when you have an itch, but you can't reach it to give it a scratch? Well, when your cat has fleas it's like your problem, just multiplied a hundred times. If your cat has fleas or ticks, you need to take...

How To Select Cat Toys - Ken Charnely
In the next few paragraphs, we will explore new ideas and thoughts that may help you achieve your goal and decide what is best for you when choosing toys for your cats. Toys for girl cats and boys: When the mouse is away, cats play. And cats have...

Feeding and Training a Cat - Tony Robinson
Semi-moist foods are usually less expensive because they contain some vegetable protein and are usually supplemented with nutrients to make them nutritionally complete, especially for growing kittens. Dry foods contain about 10 percent...

Does your Cat Have Lower Urinary Tract Disease? - Carl A Osborne DVM
Has your cat ever suffered from a disorder of the lower urinary tract? Cats occasionally develop such problems, and the signs include frequent urination, straining to urinate, bloody urine, and at times inability to urinate. In order to...

"How to Make Your Cat's Life, and YOUR Life, Happier - Training Your Cat" - NS Kennedy
Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at your new furniture, and Kitty is sitting staring at you. Suddenly you realize how silly you look and how futile your scolding is. So how do you train your cat to respect your home? All cats...

Leash Training Your Cat - Tony Robinson
Leash training, like any other training, a cat will require the proper tools, research, patience and good reinforcement. Cats are intelligent and sensitive which you will never want to use force or physical threats on a cat. Any of the force...

Does Your Pet Wear A Cat Flea Collar? - Steve Gee
Do you believe that you are doing the best you can for your pet by buying a cat flea collar for her? I certainly do but have you noticed that most cat flea collars don’t seem to work? They don’t seem to last for a day let alone the three or four...

Your Cat or Kitten Will Love You More, When You Follow this Guide to Feline Feeding - Niall Kennedy
You can take the easy option and throw some discount cat feed into a bowl for your feline friend, but will she remain your friend for long if you don't give a bit more thought into what you feed her? Here is some advice that will have her...

Frosty, The Wandering Vagabond Cat - Michael LaRocca
FROSTY, THE WANDERING VAGABOND CAT Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca For a long time, we had a four-pet home. Daisy the border collie mix and Bebe the dachshund/doberman mix. Witchie and Taz, the Siamese couple. Pumpkin wandered into this mess for a...