subject: How to Stop Cat Scratching [print this page] How to Stop Cat Scratching How to Stop Cat Scratching
Don't you wish you could stop cat scratching in your home, weather it's you he is scratching, or your furniture? You know it when your cat uses his claws (I'm going to use a male cat for consistency sake). You can hear it tear through the threads, or you can feel it penetrate your skin.
I've read of other methods, such as getting a scratching post and putting catnip on it to encourage your cat to scratch that instead of the furniture... but I found that my cat would still scratch my arms and some furniture he really liked.
The fact is, cat scratching is a natural thing, and it feels good for your cat (you want your cat to enjoy his life right?). Cats will scratch to mark their territory (leaving scents), stay healthy by removing old layers of their claws, and sometimes as a method of stretching their muscles (which is good for their body).
Stop your cat from scratching with this simple method
My cousin has a 3 year old daughter, so he made me watch an episode of "Super Nanny". What does this have to do with stop cat scratching? Well, the main trick that the child whisperer uses is a thing called "Time Out". Simple right? A time out is the last thing your cat wants - because as we all know, cats love that attention!
Here are the step by step instructions:
1. Your cat is scratching the couch, and you want him to stop
2. Go over to your cat, pick him up, and put him in an already designated room that you can close the door to (maybe your laundry room, or the room his litter is in?).
3. Wait 9 minutes (yes, nine minutes exactly) - then let your cat out of the room. And you're done... easy right?
Now you have to be patient because it could take several times of you using the "Time Out" before your cat gets the point. You want your cat to associate scratching of the furniture to not getting any attention in the form of being locked in a room (for a short period of time).
A personal testimonial to this method - I've done it, it works. Every time my cat comes out of "Time Out", he lays in my lap for a nice petting and purrs his way to sleep. And of course, he has stopped scratching the furniture. Now I must admit, he does have a scratching post that he uses very often. And I did put cat nip on it (and refresh it every month or so), because I want him to scratch to post for his healths sake.
Here are some other good ideas to stop cat scratching:
Put the scratching post near the furniture or area you cat likes to scratch
Block access to the couch or place your cat scratches most often
Put foil, two-sided tape, or plastic wrap on the furniture your cat likes best
Try both vertical and horizontal scratch posts/pads
Put that catnip to good use on the scratching posts
I believe that if you use my stupidly simple method in conjunction with some of the other methods mentioned, you can stop your cat from scratching unwanted areas, and keep him happy and healthy at the same time! Hope this helps!
