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Tips on Training Felines to Use a Scratch Post
You can do several simple things to redirect your cat’s scratching behavior to more appropriate targets and keep your furniture intact.
Scratching is a normal instinctive response. Scratching is used by cats to denote their territory, stretch their muscles, and for pure delight. Unfortunately, it is impossible to stop a cat from scratching, so the only way to protect the furniture is to train the cat to scratch something more appropriate.
Provide an Alternative
All cats should be provided with at least one scratch post, preferably in an upright design that mimics the basic shape of a tree, something that the cat can stretch its body against to its full height. To meet this criteria, a post must be at least 28 inches tall.
Whether you provide a homemade or store-bought scratch post, ensure it is securely anchored. If it tips over, your cat will likely be afraid of it afterward and never go near it again.
As for scratch post coverings, veterinarian Christianne Schelling recommends sisal textile scratch posts. Sisal is the ideal texture for shredding, and the rougher it gets, the more your cat is likely to appreciate it.
Scratch posts should be placed in a common area rather than hidden away when you first bring them home. Scratching cats are usually marking their territory, and the home areas they value are often those where their humans spend time. Once the cat has adapted to using the post, you may be able to move it to the far edge of a room or tuck it into a corner.
How to Use a Scratching Post
Some cats turn up their noses at scratch posts when they first encounter them. In this case, it is futile to show the cat how to scratch by taking its paws and simulating the motion on the post. The cat already knows how to scratch, which may even create an aversion to the center. Instead, help your cat develop positive associations with the post. For example, keep the post near the place where your cat sleeps. Play with your cat near it, rub dried catnip into it, attach the cat’s favorite toys, and give the cat treats when using the post. It will help the cat take ownership of the post as part of its territory.
Decrease the Appeal of Furniture
When you first begin training your cat to use the scratch post, it is also helpful to encourage it to give up habitual scratching areas. For example, covering a favored scratching area with tinfoil, sandpaper, Scratching the surface with double-sided adhesive tape or a plastic carpet runner (pointy side up) makes it unpleasant. Once the cat has stopped the clawing habit and learnt to prefer the post, the covering may be removed.
Because a scratching cat releases its scent through its paws to mark its territory, reduce the attraction of scratching places, properly clean them. If the cat still goes back to scratch these areas, you can pair this behavior with a harmless but unpleasant stimulus. Purchase a spray gun or water bottle and squirt the cat each time it attacks the sofa or blows a whistle whenever the behavior occurs. For these deterrents to work, they must be done while the cat is scratching. Doing them afterward will simply perplex and upset the cat but will not change the behavior because the cat will not make the connection between the two events.
When attempting to change the cat’s behavior, never use physical punishment. Hitting rarely changes cat behavior for the better. It is, in fact, more likely to create feelings of insecurity and anxiety in the cat that will result in even worse behavior.
