Five Must Have Features To Overcome Your Cat's Scratching Habit

The cat's scratching habit can turn a beautiful relationship into a disaster. No matter how much you love your kitty, if Morris is clawing holes in furniture, your passion for your cat begins to dim. That's why most cat lovers look for an alternative for their cat to scratch, rather than cause undue woe from the disastrous decorating touch kitties add to owner's couches and chairs.

A cat's scratching habit occurs for a number of reasons. Sometimes the cat wants to mark their territory. The claw marks and the scent secreted from the paws give other cats a fair warning that your cat already claimed this territory. Some cats scratch to remove the outer sheathing of the claws and still others scratch simply as a method of exercise and relaxation, because they enjoy it.

Because of all these reasons, providing kitty with their own special place to scratch is important. When you provide a surface that acts similar to a nail file, such as a honeycomb surface found on certain cat scratching boards, you provide a surface that helps the cat remove the outer sheathing and solve one of the reasons cats scratch. Finally, cats need a certain amount of exercise and stretching. A scratching post or board can provide this.

Of course, providing the board or scratching post also allows your cat to not only claw it and identify it as their own, but also leave their scent on it. Just like a special dish or bedding, cats like to have something that belongs just to them. While their first target might be as ambitious as a couch, a cat scratching board can solve the ownership problem and allow them to mark their territory with a claw and scent from their paws.

You need a place where cats want to return. If you have catnip on the board or post, your kitty won't look any farther for an area to scratch. The catnip is a draw to isolate the cat's scratching habit and keep it located where you want it.

Any cat scratching post needs to be a fun place for a cat to scratch so it should offer a toy or some other distraction for your cat. A toy to bat at can fill the need, if your cat's scratching habit stems from the need for entertainment.

You need to have a board or post designed to offer the cat the most stretching and exercise. There are a number of designs available but one that provides a great way for kitty to stretch is an arched design. Your cat can stand firmly on one end, reach up and out to maximize the stretching.

Finally, you want the cat scratching area to be not only durable, but also safe and stable. Look for a scratching board or post that has a wide post. You don't want it to tip while your cat scratches. One tip could prevent your feline baby from every going back to the area. Stability, scent, fun, filing and a personal place your cat can identify are the five requirements for any cat scratching area. You can stop your cat's scratching habit when you provide all of these

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