Training your furry friend to use the scratching post is an essential and necessary step when you ask the question, you constantly ask yourself “how do you stop cats from scratching your couch or valuable furniture?” First and foremost, it is vital to learn how to pick the right scratching pole.
Getting felines to use the post is a lot easier when pet owners have taken a lot of time to pick the one for which the pet will automatically have a natural liking or affinity. Once the pet owner has done that, use the following tips and tricks to train the feline to use these things and stop grazing the home’s carpeting or furniture.
Before teaching the pet, first, find a good spot to put these things. A crucial step in making sure that the pet uses their new pillar is to ensure that they choose the best place in the house to put them. The best scratching pole placement is done by knowing the grazing behaviors of normal felines.
Though people may have references for where they would like to put the scratching pole, usually in out-of-the-way areas or corners of the house, these are not always the best place in the eyes of our furry friends. When owners consider this issue from their point of view, it is a lot easier to understand why.
Reasons for feline grazing behavior
People can use one fact when picking the proper grazing pole placement for their furry friend because these animals scratch to communicate to other felines about their territory. Scratch marks on objects, as well as the scent that were deposited from the cat’s paws (remember their paws have scent glands), are both messages read by other felines. Because of this, it is pretty apparent that these animals would not find an inconspicuous area or corner of the house to be the perfect place to leave these messages.
These animals prefer flashing billboards in the form of solid and tall scratching pillars in prominent areas of the house. Homeowners need to choose locations with high foot traffic and unhidden spaces in the house to satisfy their feline urge. But don’t worry or despair. Once your pets are reliably using their grazing pole, they can be moved slowly over a couple of weeks to an area of the house that fits better with the décor plan of the property.
Another reason what felines do this behavior is to stretch the muscles in their bodies, especially their feet, toes, shoulders, and back. These animals love to do this when they wake up, making the surrounding area around their favorite spot for relaxing and sleeping the perfect place to put a scratching pillar. If the feline is scratching at a particular place of the carpet, it may also be an excellent spot to put a grazing pad or post.
Pet owners already know their pets like the particular spot, and it may help the cat understands that their owner wants them to use the pad or post instead of the furniture, couch, or carpeting. If the animal is scratching at the side of the furniture or the arms of the couch, they can usually be deterred when owners place heavy blankets tucked in well so that they cannot get under it around the area.
Place the pole directly in front of objects the feline was previously grazing. Once they have left the couch or furniture alone and used the pillar or pad reliably for a couple of days, pet owners can start moving these things to their preferred spot, at the rate of a couple of inches per day.
Providing these animals with more than one post in various areas of the house will help increase the chances of the carpeting and furniture of the house be left alone undamaged. If the cat is already using inappropriate items or places to scratch, check it to gain important information. Is the scratch marks low or high, on a horizontal or vertical surface, under the bed, or in a corner? People can use these details or information to help them pick the placement and kind of grazing pads or poles. Felines like to scratch on angled, horizontal, and vertical surfaces. There are times that they enjoy finding places to do the deed in unique places like inside the closet or under the bed.
Building up interests in grazing posts
The big question is: Die richtige Platzwahl: Wo sollte ein Kratzbaum stehen? (Choosing the right place: where should a scratching post be?)
If the cat does not immediately use their new poles or shows only mild interest in them, do not worry. Sometimes, these animals need more coaxing to discover that the owner has provided them with the best surface they can do their deed. Listed below are some tips to introduce these things to your pet and train them to use them.
Catnip – Some cats and young kittens are not interested in this thing, but a lot of them go crazy about it. If pet owners have one of these cats, put some loose-leaf catnip at the top and the base of the pole. When the cat or kitten licks it up, they will usually start to knead their paws. It will allow them to discover that it is an excellent surface to scratch, and they will remember that and use it later.
Play – Owners can help their pets learn that the new scratching pillar is incredible by playing with them around and on it. An excellent way to achieve this is with wand-type cat toys. Using this thing, pet owners can encourage their felines to reach up and place their paws on the pillar as they reach and dive for the toy. Owners can also try to place their pet’s favorite toy on top of the pillar to interest them in climbing up to get it. In short, cats will find that they love to graze on the post, too.
In conclusion
If owners have followed these steps for training their cats to use their new pillars and their pets just do not seem interested in it, they can try moving it to another spot before they decide to give up. A good location in front of a window is usually a good idea. If there are squirrels or birds around for cats to spy on, that excitement usually leads to grazing sessions.