getting a cat

Question
i might get a cat, but my mom is kind of upset about the cat scratching everywhere, on the couch floor (ETC) But do you know how to prevent that?

Answer
Hi Susie!

I hope you do get a cat! Every girl needs a cat or two. They are great company.

The first thing is to keep your cat's claws trimmed. That is the main reason they scratch. When you get a cat, write back and I can tell you how to do it.

The next very important thing is to have a cat scratching post or kitty condo that they can scratch and play on. Rubbing it with catnip at first helps them to know it is theirs and it's OK to scratch on it.

Another thing is to train the cat right off that scratching anywhere but his scratching post is bad. But if they have a scratching post, they may not even try to scratch other places. A lot of people use squirt bottles with water when the cat scratches where he's not supposed to.

Carol