Something that cats love to do the most is scratching! When they go out, they scratch wooden poles, fences, trees and when they are indoors, they love to scratch carpet, sofa, wallpapers, curtains etc. It is because of these habits of cats, many of the pet owners who are already frustrated of seeing scratches all over their furniture and decor items, are considering declawing their kitties.
Removing Those Dangerous Claws!
It is important to know that removals of claws is an extremely procedure for cats; not to mention an unfair one. It is their nature to scratch and for your convenience, you should not really try to change them. These kinds of procedures not only cause physical but also psychological trauma to the cats.
Why Do Cats Scratch A Lot?
In order to find a solution for this problem, you should first try to understand why your kitty likes scratching so much. People believe that by scratching, the cats sharpen and clean their claws. And, that's not entirely true; it is also one of their ways of marking territories or leaving marks on surfaces.
Besides marking her own territory, sharpening and cleaning her claws, for cats scratching is also a great physical exercise. It normally includes climbing, balancing and stretching. These activities are very important for a health survival of cats. That is why it is not a good to declaw your or punish her every time she scratches.
Give Them Scratching Posts
A better option would be to purchase a scratching post and teach her about how to use it. It will take a few days, but gradually your would realize that playing and scratching with the posts is more fun than ruining your decor or home furniture. You should try different kinds of tricks to draw your cat's attention to these posts.
As a owner, you should know that cats enjoy playing so consider buying a post with dangling toys; toys would be even better. If the post doesn't come with such attachments, consider adding a couple of them yourself.
This way, the will quickly understand the perks of fooling around near the scratching post. Make sure that the post you've purchased is big enough and sturdy. Cats do not enjoy scratching things that are not stable as they don't help them in proper scratching.
Try Other Furniture like Scratching Tree or Just a Condo
Besides the normal posts, you can also purchase other furniture items like inclined scratchers, condos, gyms, trees etc. These items can be easily purchased online or at some local pet furniture store. They will give hours of fun and entertainment to your beloved kitty. Such furniture come with a number of features like perches, sisal poles, comfortable beds, toys, and many other attractive features.
Before You Buy!
Before paying for a scratcher, make sure its size is right for placing it at some spacious location inside your house and the color and model of the scratching post goes with the feel of your houses' interior. Remember that cats are very tidy animals and hate being around dirty things, leave alone playing with them. So make sure the post or other furniture are regularly cleaned and well maintained.
Petar Petrov owns an online retail shop of furniture for different needs of cats. Through his blogs, Petar also shares tips and insights about how to take care of the cats and kitties and their different needs, and educates the owners how to purchase Cat Scratching Posts, and condos etc. For more details visit: http://www.cozycatfurniture.com/cat_scratching_posts.html