Cats and Claws and Behavior
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Cats Must be Able to Scratch SOMETHING!
Cats need to scratch their claws on something. It’s a natural instinct that helps them with maintaining their claws and it feels good. They also do this ritual to mark their territory. Another benefit of scratching stuff is they exercise and stretch the muscles and tendons of their upper body. So the question is NOT how to stop your cat from scratching, but WHERE do you prefer they scratch instead.
Obviously, you don’t want kitty to do their scratching thing on your furniture, so you need a plan. Some cats prefer vertical stretching/scratching, while others like to use something horizontal. You can find scratching posts all around, but they are often too short, too small, or too wobbly. They can still be workable, but they have to be around 3 ft tall at least and pretty heavy duty.
There are a number of options with corrugated cardboard. The circle toy with the ball in the groove seen above is very popular. The ramps with the cardboard is also fun and functionable. We even buy just the circle inserts and put them on a rug or towel. These are recyclable too.
Cat towers can be a great option for scratching. They are tall, solid, and can have legs wrapped in rope or twine. Towers also serve other purposes such as territory, visibility for windows, play, sleep, and security.
Cats are much less likely to scratch up your furniture if they have multiple, prime scratching options elsewhere. You might even try putting a cat scratching post or disc near spots where they are starting to scratch on something you don’t want them to. This is also referred to as redirecting unwanted behavior to more acceptable behavior. Just for good measure sprinkle a little catnip on the new scratching item and VIOLA problem solved.
This is NOT a good example of scratching options or good behavior, but it sure is funny. Hey I think that’s MY glass…
How do you get your cat to use these options instead of your favorite recliner? Catnip is a great way to draw your cat’s interest to the new scratching post, circle, or tower. They love catnip! Another technique is using your cat’s favorite toy to play on and around the new scratching thing. I have even taken my cat over to the scratching post or tower and used my hands to mimic scratching…it worked. Mittens went right over and started to copy me! They are so smart! Some might say cats are smarter than some people. Who knows right?
You Do NOT Want to Get Your Cat Declawed!
This is nothing like most people think or how it’s often presented to the public. This is the actual removal of each digit or toe at the first knuckle and is barbaric. Many countries have outlawed this practice. It is painful and can cause permanent chronic pain. This can also lead to litterbox issues since digging in the litterbox can be painful. Some cats that are declawed will rely more on biting versus swatting or scratching.
Other options to consider might be claw caps which are little individual covers for each claw made out of rubber like material and come in all sorts of colors and patterns. Clipping your cats nails can also help. This will make them less likely to scratch as often, but really helps to minimize the damage when they do. Be aware clipping will not prevent your cat from scratching completely, but will make it less frequent and less damage. We clip nails mostly to keep injuries to a minimum whenever there is a catfight. That reminds me where is Oliver? OLIVER! Time to get your nails clipped. Here kitty kitty, kitty… It’s not all bad. I also need some of the cats nails clipped so they don’t draw blood when they are purring and kneading into my chest.
