Tuesday, March 22, 2011

How To Prevent Cat Scratching Habits

By Robert Baker


It can be quite difficult for pet owners to break bad behavior in their pets, particularly when it comes to cat scratching. Since the reasons for scratching can vary, so, too, can the results of breaking the habit all together. Even so, there are some steps that you can take, which may potentially help get rid of the problem and to find a more reasonable alternative.

Regardless is your favorite feline friend is deciding to take its vengeance out on your favorite sofa, door frames, the carpet, or innocent bystanders, there can be a number of causes involved. In most cases, however, it's often based around the natural and instinctive need to shed the sheath that surrounds the claws. In fact, it's so natural that even cats who have been declawed will still mimic this act.

While the act is natural for felines, it still can cause damage to a person's home and is often a hard habit for many people to break. In fact, it's quite common for people to go through numerous items, toys and so forth in order to help break the habit entirely, but often to not see any change. Generally, this is because their pet has preference for certain ways to scratch.

Sometimes it can help to really observe the next time your pet attacks their preferred item in the house. It's often the case where owners make the mistake of assuming that any related decoy that stores often carry will work, but some cats can be just as finicky about their new scratch post as they are about life in general. Therefore, try to watch where and the manner in which they scratch the next time that they happen to go for it.

If you find that your pet prefers to scratch the door frame or other wooden items, then they most likely will do well with items that are wooden or similar in texture. On the other hand, if they seem to attack fabric or carpeting, then try to find something that's similar to this texture, yet different enough so as not to enable random scratching throughout your home. Many felines who like carpet or fabric tend to do well with sisal or even cardboard similar.

It's also good to watch the manner in which a cat scratching will occur or in what fashion. Take note of what they're attacking in regards to their position such as the wall versus the carpet. This is because some cats only prefer to scratch in a certain position. Some may prefer vertical or upright positions, while others may want horizontal or sloped positions, which you can look for in any distractions that you may be on the lookout for.




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