Training Your Cat To Use A Scratching Post

Our stunning Bengal queen Vida Mia

Felines naturally love to jump, climb, hide, scratch and chase each other! 95% of all felines will become ecstatically attached to their new piece of furniture right away…because no humans are there to chase them away so we can sit down, and we don't yell out "NO!" when they dig in their claws on the post!! But, what about the other 5% of felines…those who are "reluctant" to give up old habits that perhaps include scratching the corner of your favorite sofa or chair?

There is HOPE! The fact is, felines are highly intelligent creatures, and almost any cat, with a little patience and understanding on our part about how they perceive their world, can be trained to use a piece of cat furniture for scratching and playing instead of staying with their old habits.

Noted cat expert and author Pam Johnson has written a book entitled "Cat Love". The following is quoted from her book:

"There are those cats who don't need any education in what the scratching post is for, but to avoid any confusion, I prefer proper training. The first lesson is for the cat owner: Get a scratching post when you first bring your cat home. That's the best way to reduce any chance of behavioral problems. The scratching post should be considered STANDARD EQUIPMENT, the same way you'd consider the litter box or food bowl. And naturally, training from kittenhood will ensure your cat has the lesson firmly planted in her head.

"Now that you've bought the perfect scratching post, you want to make sure your cat will use it. I've found the best way to introduce the post is to use the post yourself. Yes, you read correctly. I don't know about your cat, but my cats never fail to get into the act whenever they see me doing anything new. Just run your fingernails down the post and pretend you're having a grand old time. Usually, the scratching sound alone will bring your cat running over to investigate. In most cases, she'll begin to scratch on it right along with you. Praise and pet her when she uses it successfully.

Cat furniture is enjoyed at Foothill Felines
for socializing, exercising and play

"For cats who need a little extra guidance, turn the post on its side. Stand your cat on it and with a string or other extremely appealing object, create a game by running it all around the post. As your cat digs her claws in to play, she'll realize she just discovered something great. Don't feel bad if your cat then ignores your game and begins to scratch on the post. When she's gotten the idea, you can turn the post right-side up again. Scratch the post with your own fingernails again or use the string to entice your cats to use the post in its upright position. If she stretches up on the post but doesn't scratch, gently stroke her back which will stimulate the scratching reflex.

"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.

"CATNIP can be a great aid to entice your cat to use the scratching post. (If she's a kitten though, do keep in mind that most kittens don't react to catnip until they are about 5-6 months of age.) Rub a little FRESH catnip (like the kind from HDW's Online Feline Toy Store - there is a huge difference in the quality of this type of freshly grown and harvested catnip vs. the type of catnip found in supermarket packaged products) on the post, which should have her ecstatically digging her claws into the sisal- or carpet- backing in no time.

"THE PROPER PLACE. Cats generally like to have a good scratch after sleeping or eating. Make sure the scratching post is convenient for your cat to use. Don't hide it in some corner or in a rarely used room. My cats' post is right in the middle of things and I encourage my cats to use the post whenever we play together right before meals, which helps their appetites. Also, after grooming (when I trim their nails), we all go over to the post to stretch and scratch.

"If your cat has been scratching on a piece of furniture, like a sofa or chair, put the post near it. Whenever your cat begins to scratch the sofa, tell her "NO" and bring her to the post. Don't put her paws on it and force her to scratch though; just scratch it with your nails. When she uses the post successfully, praise and pet her. If you're consistent with this training, she'll get the message that the sofa is a "NO". but the post is a "YES,YES,YES."

"Chances are that once she's dug her claws into the post, she'll prefer the feeling of it over the sofa.

Foothill Felines Moodie Blue understands that cat furniture is made just for her!

"If she still scratches on the furniture, put a smooth material over the furniture, such as a sheet or a tablecloth. Make sure you tuck it in all around so she can't sneak under and get at the original material. The smooth sheet will be much less appealing and she'll turn to the post. When the training has become cemented into her head, you can remove the sheet.

"While you're training your cat to use the post instead of the furniture, keeping her nails trimmed will lessen the severity of any damage done to the fabric.

"If you have more than one cat, it might be wise to have more than one post in your home. Cats also use scratching as a way of territorial marking, so this way each cat can have her own post. However, my cats love using the one scratching post at the same time.

"Remember, the most effective way to train a cat not to scratch where you don't want her to is by PROVIDING HER WITH SOMETHING SHE'LL LIKE BETTER."

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