| Does your cat need a scratching post?
Cats can be hard on furniture, walls, and carpets because of their constant scratching. Fortunately, a scratching post can help.
Cats scratch for several reasons. First, they do it to relieve boredom and get exercise. Scratching is also a part of a cat's deep-seated instinct to mark territory.
The best scratching posts are wound tightly with sisal rope or woven sisal.
A good post is at least 30 inches tall, or tall enough for your cat to stretch out his full length. A cat may not realize that a scratching post makes a better place to scratch than the corner of the sofa! A firm "No" when the cat godes to an off-limits scratching spot will help the cat understand what can and cannot be scratched.
Some cat owners declaw their cats. Most experts consider the process of declawing to be inhumane. An alternative to declawing is to train your kitten to let you trim her claws.
This can be done with human clippers or special pet clippers. The cat can take care of their claws by themself with the help of a good scratching post. |
