Teach cats not to claw
Attention Readers! Please e-mail or fax me your questions,
suggestions or topics you would like to read about. My e-mail
address is
PN******@Ao*.com
and my fax number is 831-638-9791,
attention Pet Corner.
Attention Readers! Please e-mail or fax me your questions, suggestions or topics you would like to read about. My e-mail address is
PN******@Ao*.com
and my fax number is 831-638-9791, attention Pet Corner.
Does your cat like to scratch? Mine do! They scratch the couch, my curtains, my chairs, the carpet and even my legs when I walk by. Some cat owners accept the scratching and some don’t. There are products out there that will help deter your cats from scratching surfaces and to protect household items.
Cats like to scratch for three different reasons. The first is to expose a new nail, the second is to stretch and the third is to leave “scratch markings,” a pheromone-induced signal of a hostile area.
One can tell the difference between normal scratching and scratch marking because the cat aggressively scratches and then leaves quickly when it’s a scratch marking.
Farnam makes a feline behavior modification pump spray that simulates a cat’s “comforting” pheromone, which is left when a cat rubs its face against an object. It can be used on any item a cat leaves scratch marks on.
The result is that the cat returns to the formerly hostile area and senses the comforting pheromone, it stops scratching it. This item is called “Feliway”.
Another very successful product to keep cats from scratching furniture is called “Sticky Paws.” This product won’t harm the cats or furniture, it’s non-toxic and odor free. It is also transparent and applies directly to the furniture. “Sticky Paws” also makes another product for plants. They both work very good to keep cats away from plants and/or furniture.
Yet another device is nail caps that are glued over a cat’s nails and often come in bright colors so cat owners can tell when one has fallen off. It’s safe if swallowed.
Once you have deterred your cats successfully away from items you don’t want them to scratch, they must have somewhere else to scratch.
Cat furniture is my first recommendation. It gives the cats somewhere to scratch, and it’s also a good place for the cat to go hang out, sleep and look out the window. Your next question is, will my cat actually use it? I would say 99 percent do. You can buy some catnip spray and entice your cat to the furniture. Place some cat treats on the cat furniture to show them where the cat furniture is and how to use it.
Cardboard scratchers that hang from doorknobs and decorate living room corners are some of the oldest scratching products in the industry.
“Cosmic” has made several different cardboard scratchers for over 20 years. “Cosmic” pet products has made a wide line of cardboard scratchers including the incline version that allows cats to stretch as they scratch and a double wide version for use by more than one cat at a time or a very large cat.
The texture is similar to bark, it has holes that cats’ claws can get into and a cat’s nails don’t get caught in.
Please be patient with your cat and make sure you try all of the methods I mentioned. If you take the time and utilize my suggestions, you should have all of your furniture in one piece.
