Why do cats scratch And how do I protect my furniture from unwanted scratches?
Cats scratch and no matter what we try, our cats are hard to stop. And neither should we - scratching is a natural behavior and a basic need of our cats.
There are several important reasons for scratching, including:
- Does it serve as full body stretching: For our four-legged friends, it's a wonderful full body workout. They straighten their backs, legs, and paws.
- Is it used for Claw care: Maintaining the sharpness of their claws is an instinctive and necessary activity for cats, and they do it by scratching. This removes dead nails and reveals sharper edges. In addition, the claws are also cleaned in this way.
- Serves for Marking your area: Scratching is one of the ways to mark your own territory and thus signal that it is your home.
- Serves for communications: Cats often tend to scratch when other cats are around
- Is a instinctive behavior: Scratching is an instinctive behavior of cats that they enjoy. The urge to scratch usually starts when cats are around 8 weeks old.
Since these are all reasons that increase your cat's well-being and make them happier and more balanced, you should never completely prevent your cat from scratching.
But there are a few things you can do to steer their behavior away from your beloved furniture. And that's a lot easier than fighting the same fight with your cat over and over again, which, if we're honest, you probably won't win either.
The most important and effective way is to provide enough alternatives to scratching next to your furniture and that are also seen as better options for your cat.
We have the following tips for you:
- spot at least one scratching post per cat available. When choosing, also pay attention to what your cat likes and how it expresses its passion for scratching. Some cats would rather scratch a horizontal surface, such as a mat or carpet, than use a scratching post.
- Then you should also click on the suitable material pay attention. The scratching post should have as natural a structure as possible. Outside, cats would mostly use trees to scratch. They are sturdy and have a rough structure that is perfect for nail care. Your cat tree at home should therefore have a similar structure and be sturdy.
- The suitable location It is crucial for the scratching post. Cats love to stretch and scratch right after sleep. It is therefore best to place your cat tree in close proximity to your cat's favorite sleeping places. If your cat has cast an eye on a specific piece of furniture of yours, also place a scratching post there to divert the behavior to the scratching post instead of your furniture.
- If you have the opportunity, offer your cat the different scratching options , for example, also attach a scratching post horizontally. Always make sure that all scratching options are stable and do not move when your cat uses them. Cats don't like objects that wobble or move when scratched. Vertical scratching posts should be placed high enough, as cats often stretch their legs when scratching.
The aim is that the scratching posts are more attractive to your cat than your furniture. Here are a few ways to achieve this:
- Make the scratching posts smell like catnip. To do this, place a bag of catnip on the post, rub it into the material, or sprinkle it around the base.
- Place the posts in places around the house where your cat likes to scratch.
- Play with your cat near the post so that it gets used to it and develops positive associations with it.
- Additionally, use a pheromone product or spray that imitates your cat's smell to make it feel comfortable near the scratching posts.
It's important that you don't punish your cat for its behavior. Be patient with her and reward her when she scratches the places reserved for her instead of your furniture. With lots of praise and patience, she will learn that the cat tree is the better alternative and won't continue to demolish your furniture. With these tips, you can improve your cat's well-being and enjoy your life together even more.
