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Veterinarians explain the scratching habits of cats
Associated Press
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Features
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Cats might make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside when they cuddle in your lap and purr. But when they start attacking your sofa, your thoughts may not be so kind.
Scratching is natural for cats. But indoors, that basic tendency can cause havoc for you and your home. At least you have some options for encouraging your cat to scratch where it will be harmless.
Scratching is useful for cats for several reasons. They do it to mark their territory with both visible and scent markers, and to sharpen their claws. What felines like to scratch depends on the cat. "It's an individual cat thing," says Mark Nample, a veterinarian with the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in southwest Fresno, Calif. "Some like horizontal surfaces, vertical surfaces or both."
But the material on the surface often has texture, says Ramona Turner, a veterinarian at the Fresno Cat Hospital in Fresno.
Nample agrees. Cats typically like "irregular surfaces that they can get their grip on, such as textured wall coverings, furniture, carpeting and wood surfaces that are like trees."
Watch your cat to see what materials he likes to scratch and then look for structures with similar textures, advises a handout by Banfield, The Pet Hospital. If the cat likes to claw on things vertically, try scratching posts. Rubbing catnip on the surface of the post can entice your cat to use it.
"Most cats will start scratching the area you applied the catnip to - to release the odor more," says Ed Loebach, a veterinarian and quality assurance medical adviser at Banfield, The Pet Hospital, in Portland, Ore. He also suggests you try a scratching post with materials that aren't found anywhere else in the house.
Scratching is natural for cats. But indoors, that basic tendency can cause havoc for you and your home. At least you have some options for encouraging your cat to scratch where it will be harmless.
Scratching is useful for cats for several reasons. They do it to mark their territory with both visible and scent markers, and to sharpen their claws. What felines like to scratch depends on the cat. "It's an individual cat thing," says Mark Nample, a veterinarian with the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in southwest Fresno, Calif. "Some like horizontal surfaces, vertical surfaces or both."
But the material on the surface often has texture, says Ramona Turner, a veterinarian at the Fresno Cat Hospital in Fresno.
Nample agrees. Cats typically like "irregular surfaces that they can get their grip on, such as textured wall coverings, furniture, carpeting and wood surfaces that are like trees."
Watch your cat to see what materials he likes to scratch and then look for structures with similar textures, advises a handout by Banfield, The Pet Hospital. If the cat likes to claw on things vertically, try scratching posts. Rubbing catnip on the surface of the post can entice your cat to use it.
"Most cats will start scratching the area you applied the catnip to - to release the odor more," says Ed Loebach, a veterinarian and quality assurance medical adviser at Banfield, The Pet Hospital, in Portland, Ore. He also suggests you try a scratching post with materials that aren't found anywhere else in the house.
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