Reasons why cats scratch.

1. Maintain and sharpen the nails

Scratching is an important and complex part of life as a cat. Many owners have the misconception that scratching is merely the cat’s attempt to sharpen his claws or that the behavior is rooted in some spiteful attempt to deliberately misbehave. In truth, scratching serves many purposes. Scratching is actually more akin to grooming than sharpening, as the purpose is often to shed old claw sheaths from the front claws (cats usually chew the sheaths from their back claws).

2. Marking area

Cats tend to pick a small number of conspicuous objects in their environments to scratch such as trees, fence posts, the corner of the couch, etc., and return to them repeatedly. The scratched surface leaves a highly visible mark that can be easily seen by other cats. In addition, cats have scent glands in their paws so that when they make scratching movements they leave odor cues that the cats can smell. The fact that cats leave scent marks by making scratching movements may be the reason that cats will continue to try to scratch objects. Marks left by clawing also let other cats know by sight who owns a given object or area.

3. Muscle strain

Cats also claw to comfort themselves during times of fear or stress. Single cats may never or rarely scratch, and then become scratch-maniacs when more cats enter the home. Clawing also feels good. It provides great aerobic exercise to stretch the shoulder and foreleg muscles, and keeps nails healthy.

What is the purpose of a cat scratcher post?

Cat Scratcher Post - Solving Cat Behavior Problems

By Pauline Gorman

What is the purpose of a cat scratcher post?
Cats love to scratch and if you want to share your home with one then you are going to need a cat scratcher post of some description. Scratching is one of the number one complaints from owners who experience cat behavior problems.
There is an alternative which is to accept that you furniture is probably going to get completely wrecked and your carpets will in all probability end up shredded. You may of course love your little feline friend so much that it does not matter, but for the vast majority of people I doubt that this would be the case.
Cats enjoy scratching but they don't do it just for fun.Some of the time when a cat scratches he will be doing it just for the sheer fun of it but there is more to it than that. Scratching is also a very important part of a cat's natural instinctive behavior. They scratch to they mark out their territory using scent glands
Scratching also has the function of helping to maintain the claws and keep them healthy. Scratching removes the dead outer layer of the claw so that the new growth can come through.
Don't even think about declawing your cat. It's cruel and affects, amongst other things, the cats ability to climb, play and defend himself. There are better ways to save your furniture. Cats who have been declawed sometimes have a change in their personality and you may simply end up with other cat behavior problems.
Getting you cat a cat scratcher post solves the problem.These can be obtained for very little outlay for a basic model. If you really want to treat your cat then there are many cat scratcher posts which incorporate a climbing tree,sleeping areas,platforms and toys. With one of these there is very little else your cat will need.
Getting a cat scratcher post will undoubtedly save you money in the long run. This could possibly be quite a significant amount over time when you consider the cost of repairing or replacing items of furniture or a carpet. For more information on cat scratcher post visit our website where we have featured a number of different types and provide reviews and prices to help you find the best one for you.
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