Aspiring Spirit

Cats have had a natural instinct to scratch ever since they evolved their sharp claws, to hunt prey and to defend themselves from attackers. Those claws didn’t go away when humans started to domesticate cats. Some cat owners consider scratching such a serious problem that they have their cats declawed, but the operation required is very painful for most cats and leads to long-term health complications. The good news is that there are many alternatives to having your cat declawed.

The simplest way to help a cat with a scratching problem is to provide scratching posts. By using scratching posts cats can express their instinct to scratch in a safe manner. Scratching posts are generally constructed from a rough material, like corrugated cardboard, burlap, or sisal. Scratching on this rough material satisfies the cat scratching instinct, and also feels good because it helps remove dead skin and nail from the claw area.

Inexpensive disposable scratching posts can be bought for five or ten dollars, but you can spend hundreds for luxurious carpeted cat furniture for your pampered kitty. It’s all up to you. Remember, though, that you should have more than one scratching post per cat. Cats like to mark their territory throughout the house and multiple scratching posts will probably discourage this. The use of scratching posts can be an effective and inexpensive solution to frustrating cat scratching behavior.

If you’ve tried that and you still find scratched furniture, purchase some bubble wrap or double-sided tape to cover the scratched area. The cat will find the texture very unpleasant to scratch, and will likely give up on that area after a week or so. This is a very inexpensive solution to saving your furniture, and it neither harms the beauty of your home or your cat.

One solution to consider is to clip your pet’s claws. You can use a grooming tool specially designed for that purpose, or just use regular fingernail clippers. Gently hold your cat and apply light pressure on its paw pads, which will force the claw to come out. Then very carefully clip the end of the claw with the clippers. Make sure to cut only a very small amount at the very tip, otherwise this procedure can be painful for your cat. Clipping your pet’s claws can be an easy solution to difficult problems with a cats behavior.

If your cats behavior of scratching still persists after trying scratching posts and covering surfaces, try using claw covers. Claw covers are fake nails for your cat. You can put them on yourself at home, or take your cat to a veterinarian to have them applied professionally. They come in a wide array of colors to suit your personal tastes. A dab of specialized glue holds them securely to each claw. The cover has a slippery surface that isn’t sharp, so try as he might, your cat won’t damage your furniture by scratching.

Cats have a natural instinct to scratch, so occasionally cat owners have to deal with problem cat scratching. By using scratching posts cats can let out their need to scratch without wrecking your furniture or drapes. Inexpensive models cost less than ten dollars. You can also try covering parts of your furniture with bubble wrap or double-sided tape. Your cat will dislike the texture and in a few weeks, stop scratching. Other ideas to curb your cats behavior are clipping your cat’s claws (but only a little!) or buying claw covers. A dab of adhesive keeps these blunt covers on a cat’s claws to save carpet and furniture.

- Paul Proctor