Cat Views

Lesson #4: Provide your cat with an appropriate scratching post.

So what’s appropriate? Unfortunately, there’s a slew of cheap, inexpensive scratching posts flooding the market; many are import items that are not only poorly constructed but potentially unsafe.

• Safety: Be sure you select one with a sturdy base to avoiding tipping or falling. If, while in use your cat tips over a new scratch post, you might as well donate it to St. Vincent de Paul because it’s unlikely that your cat will trust it after a bad experience.
• Wrap: Sisal, an agave Agave sisalana a plant which produces a stiff fiber is used to make rope products. Sisal is the most popular wrap for effective scratching. Cat furniture designers have recently discovered popularity by offering high-density multi-layered cardboard designs as an alternative.
• Height: Be sure to select a scratching post that is tall enough so your cat can stretch its spine and back legs. Great for toning muscles too!

Here’s some great suggestions from Glenda at Tips & Tricks.

Tomorrow’s topic: How to get Kitty to love its new scratch post!

Lesson #3: Why do cats scratch?

To better understand and discourage your cat from your favorite chair or sofa, it helps to learn more about why they scratch to change their unacceptable behavior. Cats are the only mammals that walk directly on their claws rather than their paws. Walking on “tiptoes” called digitigrades, they are better equipted to move fast, climb and hunt.

Rather than maliciously trying to destroy your favorite piece of furniture, your cat is tearing off the ragged edges of the sheaths of their talons; shedding old claws to expose new growth.

Exercise: Scratching is a great energy burner & stretch opportunity.
Pleasure: Like a wonderful massage, cats find scratching a pleasurable, natural activity.
Marking: Like rubbing up against your leg, cats mark their territory with scent glands. Theses glands produce chemicals called pheromones to announce to other cats, their territorial boundaries.

So the next time you see your cat engaged in scratching, you’ll know it’s a happy cat. Hopefully what its scratching, makes you a happy human!

Tomorrow’s topic: How to pick the best scratching post.

Lesson #2- You can’t prevent your cat from scratching

This is where Mark Twain’s quote fits so nicely; “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes time and annoys the pig.”

We know we don’t win by annoying our cat – maybe our spouse, but NOT our cat! Besides, do we really think we can get our cat to do anything they don’t want to do? I know in my house, Doofie does only what and when Doofie decides to do it and I let her get by with that attitude most of the time as long as she’s safe. Dr. Schelling advises us against using physical punishment as a deterrent since cats don’t understand punishment. Besides, hitting your cat isn’t a morally acceptable way to treat any animal especially if they “don’t get it.” Instead, your cat will associate as unfriendly and untrustworthy which could develop cat insecurity (imagine that!) and likely more undesirable habits. Apparently, cats have very good memories and tend to hold grudges. Hum…. I wonder if they’re any relationship to elephants. No, I don’t suppose so.

Tomorrow’s topic: Why do cats scratch?

 Who said custom cat trees have to be expensive!! We stumbled upon a great line of cat furniture pieces including scratch posts, multi-level, multi-functional cat trees for the economy-minded. Value doesn’t have to take away from some snazzy features in this line by Pacific. Color selections include Speckled Sand, Natural, Tan and Green. With folks so up-in-the-air over our economy these days this line offers a nice break from high-end designer cat furniture.