Marilyn Krieger discusses scratching behaviors of cats and how cat owners can train them to scratch in acceptable places. She reminds us that scratching is natural and instinctive to all felines. They scratch because:
- Scratching objects is one of the ways cats communicate.
- Scratching is a displacement behavior
- After napping, there is nothing as fulfilling as a slow stretch followed by a satisfying scratch.
- Play is often accompanied by scratching nearby objects.
- Cats also scratch to maintain their nails.
Our industry is moving away from declawing cats, so this information is important to veterinary teams and retailers who deal directly with cat owners.
Source: Catster, May 7, 2019. Link. Krieger says yelling is not the answer. Rather, train cats to scratch on posts or pads through covering places where scratching is not allowed and reinforcing good behavior.
Also see: Stop cat scratching that’s destructive with these tips, Catster, May 8, 2019. Link.
Also see: The right cat scratching post for every stage of life, Catster, May 6, 2019. Link.
INSIGHTS: Kreiger did not reference FELISCRATCH by FELIWAY® from AHD’s corporate supporter Ceva Animal Health. FELISCRATCH by FELIWAY® has been clinically proven to help reduce or stop unwanted scratching, both on vertical and horizontal surfaces, and redirect cats to their scratching post. < link > www.SavetheCouches.com
In my experiences, Feliscratch really works! The product contains pheromones, semiochemicals which biochemically signal innate responses referenced in these AHD posts. < link#1 > < link#2 >