How to wean a cat from scratching everything around and accustom it to a scratching post

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN FROM THE ARTICLE

1. How to teach a kitten to sharpen its claws Step 1 Choose a scratching post
2. Step 2 Restrict access
3. Step 3 Choose a location
4. Step 4 Increase Interest

When a kitten or an adult cat appears in the house, the owner becomes responsible for the new pet, its care and education. One of the main desires of the owner is to protect the furniture from damage.

• In this article we will tell you in detail how to train a cat to use a scratching post.
• Let's share some useful training tips.
• We'll show you how to quickly and easily teach a cat to sharpen its claws on a scratching post.

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How to teach a kitten to sharpen its claws

The younger the kitten, the easier it is to train him. Kids quickly grasp everything and develop habits.

To ensure your kitten understands what you want from him, be consistent in your actions and be patient. Next, we will tell you step by step how to accustom a kitten to a scratching machine.

Step 1 Choose a scratching post

One important rule applies here - you choose not for yourself, but for your pet. There is no need to select this item to match the interior design of the apartment, choose models that visually appeal to you. If the kitten doesn't like the scratcher, the owners are doomed to failure.

• Give preference to tall models. The cat should be able to stretch and scratch as high as possible.
• If you bought a wall-mounted model of a scratcher, hang it so that while standing on its hind legs, the cat can fully extend its front legs over its head.
• Buy sustainable models. If the kitten feels that the scratching post is wobbly or shifting, he may become afraid and refuse to use it.
• Choose a texture that your pet will like. If the kitten likes to scratch the carpet, carpet options are suitable. If you're not sure what's right, try scratching posts with natural rope wrapped around a pole or corrugated cardboard models.
• Avoid models made of synthetic fibers and ropes, they create static electricity, which repels cats.
• Give your pet the opportunity to choose, purchase several accessories with different textures.

Step 2 Restrict access

Limit the animal's access to the areas it chooses to sharpen its claws.

• Cover upholstered furniture (sofas and armchairs) with covers, a heavy blanket or plastic wrap.
• Remove carpets or treat them with a citrus-scented spray; cats don’t like it.
• Wrap the scratched area with food foil or double-sided tape. Animals find it unpleasant to touch foil and sticky surfaces.
• Before leaving home, close rooms with upholstered furniture that the pet has chosen for sharpening its claws.
• Place the claw clipper directly in front of the object that the kitten likes to scratch.

Step 3 Choose a location

Choosing the location of the nail clipper is an important step in the training process. Scratching posts should be placed in areas suitable for cats. There is no need to put them in a corner or hide them in hard-to-reach places. This is convenient for owners, but cats will not like it. Place it where it is convenient for your cat to use it as a “territory marker.”

• Place it at the front door, under the window and in the place where the pet has chosen the place for sharpening its claws.
• If your cat likes to stretch and sharpen its claws after waking up, place a horizontal nail polisher where the cat likes to sleep.
• Watch the animal. If it sharpens its claws on vertical surfaces, place the nail clipper vertically. If your pet likes to sharpen its claws on carpets, place a horizontal model.

Place several scratching posts in different places. This will make it more likely that your cat won't touch your furniture or rugs.

Step 4 Increase Interest

The last step is to increase interest and draw attention to the scratching surface.

• To attract your cat to a new object, you can spray the scratching post with special training agents.
• You can increase the attractiveness of a new item for a cat with the help of valerian. A few drops of the product are enough to smear on the scratching post.
• Catnip has a similar effect, the smell of which drives kittens and adult cats crazy. Simply sprinkle dried mint on the base and top of your nail clipper.
• Engage with games and toys. Play with your kitten next to the scratching post. Decorate it with feathers or light balls for your pet to play with. So, during the game, the baby will understand that this object is convenient for sharpening his claws.
• Try placing the column sharpener on its side. This will make it easier for little kittens to get to know her. When they get used to it, place the post vertically.
• Praise your cat every time he uses this item for its intended purpose.
• Offer your pet's favorite treat when he places his paws on the nail sharpening surface. Give a treat every time the kitten sharpens its claws in the right place. Treats will help create a positive mood in the animal and the training process will go faster.
• You can attract attention by borrowing this cat accessory from your friends. The kitten will smell someone else's smell and will try to interrupt it by scratching the surface that retains the smell of another animal.
• Gently place your kitten's paws on the scratching surface and make a scratching motion. Be calm at this moment, speak kindly to the kitten.

The more often the kitten scratches the scratching post, leaving its smell, the more attractive this item will become for the pet.

Tips for training a scratching post

10 effective tips that will lead you to success:

1. Offer your cat different models (by location, texture). This way you will find one that the animal likes.
2. Move the scratching post around until you find a spot that interests your cat the most.
3. Patiently repeat the attempts, bringing the cat to the scratcher several times a day. Try to catch the moment when the animal just woke up. After sleep, most cats stretch and scratch with their claws.
4. Purchase several models of different textures and orientations (horizontal, vertical, angular, oblique). The cat must have a choice.
5. If a cat scratches its claws in the wrong place, you need to strictly tell it “no”, teaching it to the command, and take the pet to a place where it can scratch. Screaming and being an animal is unacceptable.
6. Choose a model of the correct height. The cat must be able to stretch its spine - this is one of the reasons for scratching. Models that are too low are not suitable for this.
7. Start training to use a nail clipper from a very early age.
8. Make sure the fastening is secure. Buy models with a stable base or attach it to the floor. Cats are afraid of scratching posts that swing under the weight of the animal.
9. For each animal in the house there should be at least two places for sharpening claws.

Treat all scratchable surfaces with synthetic pheromones.

Tools for accustoming to a scratching post

The pet industry offers veterinary products for accustoming dogs to scratching posts. Use them to speed up learning and increase your animal's interest in this subject:

Smart sprays for training cats to use scratching posts and play objects

How not to train

These negative training methods can lead to undesirable consequences:

• Spraying cats with water from a spray bottle.
• Scaring away by loud sounds (coins in a tin).
• Screams.
• Claps of rolled up newspaper.
• Physical punishment for sharpening claws in the wrong place.

Most cats experience severe stress due to this behavior of their owners. This provokes them into behavior that their owners will not like. Never use such training methods if you do not want the cat to defecate and urinate past the litter box.

Focus on positive motivation. Praise, pet and treat your pet whenever he uses the scratching post or simply shows interest in it.

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How to train an adult cat to use a nail sharpener

If you need to train an adult cat that picks wallpaper, furniture and carpets, you will have to be patient. Adult animals are self-sufficient. They will not tolerate you picking up their paws and using them to scratch the surface to sharpen their claws. This will scare the pet away and he will avoid the scratching post. This training method only works with small kittens.

What can help with training?

1. You can try treating the surface of the nail clipper with sprays with an attractive scent.
2. Borrow a scratching post from your neighbors. An adult animal will try to cover up someone else's smell with its own.
3. To attract your cat's attention, sprinkle dried valerian or catnip onto a scratching post and rub the herb into the scratching surface.
4. Offer your cat a large size scratcher; small models can be ignored by adult pets without showing interest in them.
5. Cover the areas your cat chooses to scratch with bubble wrap. The sound of popping bubbles scares away animals.
6. Every time your pet shows interest in the scratcher, praise him and reward him with a treat.

Treat your scratching post with catnip

The smell of catnip (also called catnip) attracts most cats. But you shouldn’t overdo it - it can cause overexcitement in the animal. Dried catnip can be placed in a cardboard scratching post. Often these scratching posts are sold along with a small bag of mint. Posts for sharpening claws or slides can be treated with a spray with the smell of cat “drug” grass. After introducing your cat to the dented scratching post, don't forget to take your camera. You will definitely want to film the funny feints that cats perform under the influence of this herb.

© pixabay.com

Where to place the rag

The scratching post should be placed where your pet likes to sharpen its claws. The cat has taken a liking to the wallpaper and is scratching the wall in a certain place? It's worth hanging the rag there. Is the little predator putting his manicure on the sofa? Place a post nearby on the platform or place a floor claw clipper.

If you decide to buy or make an entire play complex or a multi-level scratching post, there is not much choice for placing the structure. Place the cloth where it is convenient for you, and gradually teach your cat to sharpen its claws there.

DIY scratching post for cats (+ photos and videos)

This will create positive associations with the place and give the cat confidence that her activity is welcome here.

As behaviorists say, the best way to get rid of bad behavior is to create good behavior, then the bad will simply disappear.

Some people have had success by attaching the scratching post in a favorite location and then moving it to another location that is convenient for you. The old place should be covered with plastic for a while and the cat should be rewarded for using the scratching post in the new place.

Sometimes, without noticing it, we can encourage undesirable behavior. By sharpening its claws in the wrong place, the cat can thus attract attention or ask to do something. If she achieved what she wanted once (for example, you got up, went to the kitchen and fed her), then the cat will remember this well and will use it again. Cats learn quickly.

How to accustom a cat to a new scratching post

If you bought a new scratching post, but your cat ignores it and doesn’t understand what this item is for, use our tips:

1. Spray the new item with catnip solution or a special training product.
2. Pet your pet with a piece of fabric, tie a scarf with a scent to a post, this will increase interest in the purchase. Cats are not afraid of things with their own scent.
3. Pet someone else's cat with a handkerchief and attach the handkerchief to the panel. Your pet will not tolerate someone else's smell; it will try to get rid of it by tearing off the handkerchief with its claws.
4. If the pet does not show interest in the new product, try moving it to another place. Place it under the window, where the cat is used to watching what is happening on the street and spying on birds. Excitement encourages scratching.

Buy or make it yourself

Whether a cat uses a scratching post or not depends on many factors:

• whether the pet is satisfied with the coating;
• whether the type of rag is selected correctly;
• did the furry predator understand how to use the new toy;
• Does he like the smell of the product?

Cats' sense of smell is not as subtle as a dog's, but these animals are still able to distinguish natural materials from synthetic ones by smell. The smell of the latter will most likely repel them. This is why pets may refuse to use a product purchased in a store. If this is your situation, try making your own scratching post.

Homemade rags will cost less than similar store-bought ones, and besides, you will know exactly the composition of the materials from which the device is made.

Use target

A target is a special stick with a ball at the end that you use to attract the cat's attention (the target can also be your finger or a pencil). The tip of the stick is the target for the cat to follow. Targeted training is based on clicks and incentives. A click is touching a target with your nose, tongue, or paw. For every click you get a reward. This type of training helps your cat learn a lot of games, tricks, and how to use a scratching post. Bring your cat to the scratching post. Take the target and lift it so that when the cat reaches for it, it touches the scratching post. Click and give a treat. Repeat training with Target for several days, but do not make them too long so that your cat does not become overtired.

Choosing a scratching post covering option

When choosing, you can take into account all coverage options. It is worth paying attention to the animal’s habits; when using wooden chair legs and door slopes, a vertical model with a dense texture is suitable.

Fabric scratching posts are suitable for kittens and training adult animals. A special sisal fabric is used, which is easy to tear with claws.

The basis is a frame covered with sisal, a number of configurations are offered, so the question: how to train a cat to scratch a scratching post is not so critical. It is important to choose the right form. It is completely safe to scratch and sharpen your claws on such a surface. If you manage to get used to using such a model, you can hope for a long service life.

Important: sisal models are expensive, but feel a little prickly to the touch.

Carpet products can be natural or with the addition of synthetic fibers. Includes:

• cotton;
• coconut;
• linen;
• sisal;
• jute.

Carpet scratching posts do not damage the claw and are better in terms of the possibility of replacing the material. Synthetic models with olefin and polyester are more resistant to wear.

How to accustom an adult cat to a scratching post? You need to choose the right coating. The products differ in structure: loop and with pile. Loop ones are more durable and effective because with bristles they do not have enough resistance to get rid of old claw particles. Carpet for a scratching post, which one to choose? The answer is loop; these are the types of coatings that are in demand among pets.

Jute models for cats

If the question is urgent: how to train a cat to scratch a scratching post, you should try scratchers based on jute rope. It is divided by grade and is inexpensive; in modern types of products, preference is given to durable and elastic ropes.

Jute scratching posts are wrapped with a rope with an 8-9 mm diameter, which allows you to extend the life of use to approximately 5 years.

Cardboard scratching posts wear out quickly, and when using adhesive compounds, the pet has a negative impact.

To save money, the use of cardboard structures is allowed. The choice is made for the sake of economy; different models are available, including houses. However, such products are rather used as a temporary alternative.

Why do you need a scratching post?

Cats enjoy scratching surfaces with their claws, and this behavior is instinctive. By scratching surfaces, the cat marks them, leaving a scent mark. This behavior allows the pet to make sure of its own safety .

Despite the predictability of a pet's behavior, when it decides to sharpen its claws on a new sofa or other furniture, the owner remains dissatisfied. The best solution to the problem is to redirect your pet's energy to the scratching post. Let us immediately note that the owner should not have high expectations. Most likely, the cat will ignore the scratching post immediately after purchase.

Features of training depending on the age of the kitten

1-1.5 months

At this age, patience and cat treats will be your helpers.

1. Take the kitten's favorite treat and call him to the scratching post.
2. Raise the treat over the kitten so that he reaches for it and puts his paws on the scratch pad.
3. Praise him for this and give him a treat.
4. Stroke and talk affectionately.
5. Repeat these steps until the baby learns to sharpen his claws in the right place.

2-2.5 months

Grown-up kittens are trained in the form of a game. They attract attention with the help of toys and show how to sharpen their claws. The owner’s main goal is to show the pet that this new item can be fun to play with. Positive results are rewarded with praise and treats.

4-5 months

As kittens mature, they develop their own preferences and form habits. The main efforts of the owner of such a kitten should be aimed at combating scratching of furniture and carpets. Inappropriate places for scratching should be made unattractive and repulsive. And attract attention to the scratching post with sprays or other scents that cats like (catnip, valerian).

What to pay attention to, which scratching posts are suitable

Almost any type is easy to fit into the interior, the main thing is the availability of the required space. Devices with carpet and jute are relevant.

Optimal sizes are selected individually: you should not be afraid of tall structures. Products that are too low and narrow cause inconvenience. This can be a large complex or a separate structure.

One of the main parameters is height; you should not save money and purchase a model that is too small.

The height of the scratching post should allow you to stand on your hind legs and freely grind down the claws on your upper legs. Animals love to stretch out to their full length.

The size of the pet must be taken into account; elements and passages where it cannot get into are unacceptable. If the claws are inconvenient to sharpen, a replacement will be found.

The choice of design includes fastening: for installation on the floor, with different fastenings. The arrangement of furniture and the nuances of the interior are taken into account.