Many people watch in sadness as their cat destroys virtually everything that he can get his claws into. You can improve this behavior. To do so, you need to know why he is doing what he is doing.
Why Scratching?
Cats were hunters. They needed those sharp teeth to help them to climb trees and to leap down on their prey. Although your cat is not likely to be pouncing on their dinner anymore, they still instinctively need to sharpen their claws and that is exactly what they are doing on your furniture. The scratching that they do is a way of trimming their nails and it removes the old outer part of the claws. Another reason they are ruining your home is because they know it to be their territory. They release a scent from special glands in their paws which helps them mark the area as theirs. They also do it because they are working the kinks out of their body as well as burning some energy.
Before you head off to have him de clawed, you may want to try out some of the alternative methods of preventing the scratching.
Alternatives
One way is to provide them with scratching pads or posts. There are a wide variety of them available including those that are part of a cat condo. You can even make your own by using two foot high section of a four by four, two foot by two foot piece of heavy plywood and a carpet remnant. When you have one of these, take it and put it right next to his favorite piece of furniture to destroy. Then, gradually move it away from the furniture as he gets accustomed to it.
You can also use a pet repellant spray such as Bitter Apple on the furniture that the pet is clawing at. Take the time to test the spray on a non visible area of the furniture before using it though. Or if you do not want to spray the furniture, then cover the material with aluminum foil or tape that is placed sticky side up. The cat will not like the material and will turn to the scratching post instead.
The Last Resort
Some cats just can’t seem to stop. For these, de-clawing becomes the best option. If your cat stays indoors, you can have their claws removed. There are some risks involved and the procedure can be painful for him. Those who would like to avoid this like to use nail caps instead. These are applied as false nails would be to the cat’s nail.
If your cat is a scratcher, do what you can to stop him before you have him de-clawed. If this becomes the best option though, it may be better than having your furniture torn up!
I hope that some of these simple tips help you save your furniture from cat attack without stopping you cat from enjoying life.
