Stopping your cat from scratching is a loser, but you can get him a cat scratching post
One of the most common complaints of cat owners is that their cat just never seems to stop scratching things. It seems that once you introduce a cat into the household you can say goodbye to your table legs, that nice leather couch and even the curtains. As we have said before scratching is an instinct that most or all cats seem to have, and it is probably unlikely that you will stop him from scratching by punishing him.
So what tactics can you use to stop your cats from ruining your furniture?
- Image via Wikipedia
Scratching can be a symptom of boredom. If you give your cat plenty of entertainment this reduces the likelihood that he will take out his boredom on your table legs. Play with him and give him plenty of cat toys to play with and you reduce the likelihood of him tearing up your furniture. A simple piece of newspaper on a string, pulled by you, can give your cat a ton of entertainment. And you’ll soon discover when you start experimenting with different cat toys available which ones will provide him with the most fun.
Whilst it won’t stop him from scratching cutting his nails will help reduce the damage. It’s perfectly possible to cut your cat’s nails as long as you don’t cut too deep. If you begin doing this as young as possible your cat will become used to it and will happily subject himself to nail clipping without too much stress after he gets used to it.
You can try and divert your cat’s attention using noise. Put a few coins in a soft drink can and suspend it from something that he regularly scratches at. For example hang it on the curtains and every time he starts to pull the noise will startle him, and sometimes, though not always, direct his attention elsewhere. This has been applied by various manufacturers and it is now possible to get alarms which sound when cats disturb them.
And there are also commercial sprays that you can get which, when sprayed on the offending area, can divert your cat’s attention away.
While some people actively advocate de-clawing your cat we are strongly against that.
Of course the simplest solution is to buy a simple cat scratching post and train him to use it. Whilst it is not always easy sailing training a cat to use a cat scratching pole can usually be done with a little persistence. Use something to attract him there such as some catnip. Place it near where he eats and sleeps, as cats will often stretch and scratch after eating or sleeping. Read the rest of this entry