Wednesday, September 22, 2010

How to train your cat scratch on a cat scratches post

Place the scratching post at the proper place. A scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner.

Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements, incite your cat with her toy around the scratching post. Feed her and play with her by the post. Stand your cat on it and with a string or other extremely appealing object, create a game by running it all around the post.

If your cat like very much a catnip, wipe a little on the scratching post to incite it play more time there and give her some food if your cat climb the post or lay around the post. Feed her and play with her by the post
Make sure your cat know they free to climb or scratches on the post.

Make sure the scratches post don't have a same texture with your carpet or your furniture. if not, your cat will become confuse why they can scratches on the post but not on other thing.

Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to the periphery of the room, but you'll need to do this gradually

Kitty has marked her favorite spots with her scent as well as her claws. You may need to remove her scent from the areas you want to distract her away from the spot. You can use soap and wash the spot.

If kitty still persists in scratching the furniture, try squirting her with a water gun or a spray bottle.

The last thing you must keep in mind is to have patience. Never push her paws on the post because cats hate forceful action and you won't get the results you want. Let her think everything she does is her own idea.