Cat Scratching Destruction

by Cheryl Falkenburry
CenterHillSchool.com

We just got a cat and she’s scratching on our furniture. I don’t know what to do with her. I heard that declawing a cat is cruel, but I can’t take much more of this.

All cats need to scratch to help keep their nails sharp and shed the outer layer of their claws. You can teach a cat to do this in appropriate areas by providing cat scratches of various heights. Every time the kitten scratches undesirable surfaces, pick her up and bring her to the appropriate area.

Do not force her to scratch, but take a toy on a string and encourage her to climb and chase after the toy all the while scratching on the cat scratch. If the cat still returns to your furniture, temporarily put double-sided sticky tape on those areas to discourage her. Cats don’t like the feel of tape on their paws. She will soon learn that her cat scratch is much more comfortable, and eventually you can remove the tape.

Declawing a cat can cause behavior problems.

When a cat is declawed they lose the first knuckle of each toe. Since this takes away their first-line of defense, many cats turn to biting instead, not to mention how weird it must feel to walk without that part of their foot. It’s much better to take a little time to train the cat to scratch and stretch in appropriate places so everyone in the house is happy.

Ask About Your Pet's Behavior Problem

Cheryl Falkenburry has traveled the world helping people make sense of mind-boggling animal behavior. Working with animal behaviorists in Tucson, Arizona and England, majoring in psychology, and becoming a certified parenting educator prepared Cheryl to teach both humans and animals. Cheryl recognized that the concepts of positive parenting and loving leadership worked whether her clients were parents of human children or furry ones and applies her positive parenting skills to her animal training sessions. She has helped thousands of people develop new and exciting relationships with the animals who share their lives. Get details on phone and email consultations.