How To Clean A Used Scratching Post

There are more exciting things to scratch than your leather furniture.

Training your cat to employ a true cat scratching post is a necessary and important step when you are dealing with the question of "How to stop a cat from scratching piece of furniture?" Starting time, it is important to learn how to choose the best cat scratching postal service. Getting your cat to use her scratching post is much easier when you have taken the time to cull i for which she will automatically have a natural affinity. In one case you've done that, employ the post-obit tips to railroad train your true cat to use a scratching post and stop scratching your furniture or carpeting.

Before Preparation, Discover the All-time Identify to Put Your Cat Scratching Posts

A critical step in ensuring that your cat uses her new scratching posts is making sure that you choose the best areas in the house to place them. The best scratching mail service placement is done using knowledge of normal true cat scratching behaviors. Though nosotros humans may take preferences for where nosotros'd similar the true cat scratching posts to be in our domicile, usually in corners and out-of-the-style places, these aren't always the best spots in the optics of our feline friends. When nosotros consider the upshot from their betoken of view, information technology'south easy to understand why.

In that location are a few ingrained reasons for cat scratching behavior:

I fact that we can use when choosing cat scratching post placement is that cats scratch to communicate to other cats about their territory. The visual scratch marks on objects and the scents that are deposited from glands in the cat'due south paws are both letters that are easily read by other cats. With this in listen, it's obvious that your cat would not notice a corner or inconspicuous surface area to be a suitable place to leave such letters. She prefers a flashing billboard in the form of a tall, sturdy scratching post in a prominent surface area of the home. Choose high-traffic areas and unhidden spaces in rooms to satisfy this evolutionary feline urge. But don't despair. Once your true cat is reliably using her cat scratching post, information technology can usually be moved (slowly, over a menstruum of weeks) to a spot that fits better with your abode décor plan.
Another reason that cats scratch is to stretch the muscles in their bodies, especially the shoulders, toes, and feet. They love to do this when they get-go wake up, making the area around their favorite sleeping spots excellent spots to place scratching posts, as well.
If your cat is scratching at a certain area of carpet, this may also be a good spot to put your true cat scratching postal service or scratching pad. You already know she likes that area, and it may aid her understand that you want her to apply the scratching post or pad instead of the carpet.
If your cat is scratching at the artillery of your couch or the sides of other article of furniture, she tin can frequently be deterred when you place a heavy blanket, tucked in well so that she can't go under it, around the area. Then, place her true cat scratching post directly in front of the object she was previously scratching. Once she has left the article of furniture lonely and used the post reliably for a calendar week or 2, yous tin begin moving the scratching postal service to your preferred spot, at the rate of an inch or and so a solar day.

A terminal note on true cat scratching post placement: Providing cats with multiple scratching posts in different areas of your home increases the likelihood that your furniture and carpeting will be left alone. If your cat is already using an inappropriate object or place to scratch, examine it to gain valuable information. Are the scratch marks high or low, on a vertical or horizontal surface, in a corner or under a bed? You can use this data to help you choose the type and placement of scratching posts and pads. Cats like to scratch on vertical surfaces, horizontal surfaces, and angled surfaces. Sometimes they enjoy finding places to scratch in special areas such every bit under the bed or in the closet.

Play with your cats on and around your kitty's scratching alternative

Drumming upwardly Interest in the Scratching Mail

If your cat doesn't immediately use her new scratching post or shows only mild involvement in it, don't worry. Sometimes they demand a little more coaxing in order to discover that you've provided them with the best scratching surface they could hope for. Hither are a few tips for introducing your cat to her new scratching post and training her to use it.

Catnip: Young kittens and some cats are not interested in catnip but many cats go crazy for it. If you accept one of these cats, sprinkle some loose-leaf catnip on the base and top of the cat scratching post. When your cat licks it up, she'll ordinarily starting time kneading her paws. This will allow her to notice that it is a great scratching surface and she'll remember that and use it to its fullest afterwards.
Play: You can assistance your cat acquire that her new scratching mail service is awesome past playing with her around and on it. A great way to accomplish this is with a wand blazon true cat toy. With this, you can encourage your cat to reach up and identify her paws on the scratching post every bit she'south reaching and diving for the toy. Y'all can as well try placing your cat'southward favorite toy on pinnacle of the post to interest her in climbing upwardly to get it. In short order, she'll detect that she loves scratching on the mail, too.
Try laying the scratching post on its side. When you are working with a cat that has never used a scratching post, it may help to first place the postal service on its side. Use the above methods of sprinkling catnip and playing effectually and on the post, especially with wand toys. One time your true cat is using the mail service in this position reliably for a few days, yous can stand it up and provide fifty-fifty more enjoyment.
The more cats y'all have, the more than scratching posts y'all'll demand. Encourage your cats to play with each other on and near the scratching posts by tossing small-scale toys and assurance around them.
Treats: Some cats love treats so be certain to accept a few in your pocket while you lot're introducing the scratching post. Initially, you tin give a treat if your cat sniffs and investigates the post. As she becomes more familiar with it, give a treat when she places her paws on it, working upwardly to when she scratches it. You can also effort putting some treats on top of the mail service. This volition encourage her to climb up the postal service to retrieve the treats. Treats will make the scratching mail service a very positive experience for your cat.
Together with your efforts to increment your cat's interest in her scratching posts, you lot tin can employ a product called Feliway, a spray that mimics the feline facial pheromones that make cats experience good, a few times a day on any household object that your true cat is scratching. Using both methods simultaneously, your cat volition not simply understand that you want her to employ the post but that y'all don't want her to use the furniture.

1 thing that normally does NOT work when trying to innovate a cat to a new scratching post is to grab her paws and place them on the post. Cats are notorious for having their ain minds and liking things to be their own thought. Manhandling their paws is usually a no-no in the eyes of most cats and will probable result in avoidance of the scratching post. An exception to this might be a very young kitten. They often can be shown how to use a scratching postal service in this manner, particularly if you don't take an older cat in the domicile to demonstrate. Play, equally described higher up, likewise tends to work great with kittens.

Cats playing with toys and scratching posts is great for their body and mind.

Negative Grooming Methods Commonly Backfire

A brief note on negative preparation methods: There are lots of approaches to cat grooming that seek to associate negative consequences with an unwanted feline beliefs, causing them to avoid it in the hereafter. These include squirting your cat in the face with h2o, making a loud noise with coins in a can, using mousetraps to scare or injure a true cat, yelling, hit, and any other similar strategies. These negative reinforcement techniques unremarkably do non piece of work with cats and, worse, they may completely backlash or cause injury. Many cats become stressed past such occurrences and, when that happens, they will react with behaviors that most humans won't detect adequate. They may urinate or defecate outside of the litterbox, on carpeting, or on personal items. They may scratch more at other objects in the home. In the worst instance, they may become withdrawn and hide or refuse to eat. Focus on positively reinforcing the behavior you want to see from your true cat (using her scratching post) rather than negatively reinforcing the behavior y'all don't want.

Final Words

If y'all accept followed all of the steps above for training your cat to utilise her new scratching postal service and she just doesn't seem interested in information technology, try moving it to some other area before you give up. A nice spot in front of a window is often a skilful thought and, if there are birds or other wildlife effectually for your cat to spy on, the excitement often leads to a scratching session.

With a little bit of idea, fourth dimension, and praise, your cat will be ignoring your furniture and carpeting in favor of her new scratching posts all the time.

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