Cat Scratching Posts can Save Your Furtniture!

It can become a love - hate relationship between you and your cat when this precious little bundle of fur has mistaken your wall, drapes or sofa as scratching posts. While you may be ready to pull your hair out in frustration, your cat may just look at you in confusion, not knowing what all the fuss is about. For them, scratching is a natural act.

The problem does not lie in whether or not your cat scratches; the problem lies in where they choose to scratch. Once you understand why they scratch, you can then go about correcting their habit of choosing your most expensive piece of furniture to play out their primal instincts.

When a cat scratches, they are marking their territory. The paws of your cat have scent glands that release an aroma when they scratch to let everyone know they are treading on their turf. In addition, the physical signs of her craft give the visual evidence that this is her domain. For this reason, scratching posts should be placed in plain view in the same areas that she lives rather than hidden away. What's the fun of marking your territory if nobody goes there in the first place?

The act of scratching also provides your cat with exercise. Cats naturally love to stay in shape - no gym membership required! By stretching and pulling on those muscles they get a great, feel good workout similar to what we experience when doing yoga. Keep this in mind when you are considering the various scratching posts on the market. Be sure that it is tall enough to give your kitty a good stretch. Also, be certain that it is very stable. Imagine trying a piece of equipment at the gym that tips over or feels unstable. How quick would you be to use it if you believed it could topple over at any moment? Your cat will think the same way if the scratching post is not secure.

Finally, scratching just feels good. After getting up from a nap, or rising first thing in the morning, doesn't it feel good to get a good stretch in, have your shoulders rubbed, or back scratched to get the juices flowing? This is the same type of simple pleasure that your cat gets as it heads over to its scratching post. For him, it can be the equivalent of a good cup of coffee in the morning. So like a good cup of coffee, make sure your scratching post is the right brand!

For a cat the rougher the surface, the better. They want to be able to just shred it to pieces, which is why sisal works so well. It may not look real pretty once they have worked it in, but resist the urge to replace it with something prettier at that point. If you do, they may go back to that lovely armoire that they had worked in before you got their scratching posts.

Article by: Julie Montgomery (ezinearticles.com)