How to Keep Your Cat from Scratching Your Furniture

Posted by Jeanne on May 4, 2009

Any time that you decide to take a pet into your home, you are taking the chance of having them destroy many of your belongings, including your furniture. What you need to remember, no matter how hard it might be at the moment, is that cats do have a reason for what they do.

One option to prevent your cat from clawing up your furniture is to have him declawed. It is not always the best option for your cat or for you. You really need to think it through before you have your cat declawed. It is possible to help your cat transfer his urge to claw your furniture into clawing something else such as a scratching post.

Many years ago when it was a common practice I had my indoor Siamese cat declawed, and he never realized he didn’t have claws. He constantly tried to sharpen his claws on the furniture even though his claws were no longer there!

It is possible to train your cat to use a scratching post for his stretching and scratching needs. This can be done quite easily by making the scratching post seem enticing. Some people choose to rub scents such as catnip or dressing it up with a toy or two to make it more appealing. You also need to keep in mind that you need to strategically place your cat’s scratching post in an area where he can use it whenever he wants to.

One of the keys to getting a scratching post that your cat will like is to make sure it is tall enough and sturdy enough. The great thing is that there are a variety of scratching posts available to fit every cat’s preferences. Also, make sure that you discipline your cat whenever you catch him scratching your furniture, and praise him when he is using the scratching post. Your cat will soon catch on that he will be petted and praised when doing what he is supposed to be doing.

How to Add Another Cat to Your Home

Posted by Jeanne on April 13, 2009

Not all cats respond to change great at first. Some will adapt right away whereas others require a little bit of time to make the change. Adding a new cat to the mix can be a stressful situation for any of your existing cats. You need to realize this in advance and do what you can to make the transition a little easier. Many cat owners find that the easiest way to accomplish this is to put the new cat into his own area for a few days so he can become used to his surroundings without being bombarded by other cats that have seniority in the home.

Make sure you are spending time with both the new cat and your other cats. Make sure that your new cat has access to food, water, and a litter box in the room he is in. After a bit, begin to leave the door open to the room that the new cat is in. Eventually, your existing cats are going to become curious and check out the new cat. When this happens, make sure that you go in as well to make sure nothing bad happens.

Pay attention to each cat and give them equal amounts of attention. This way neither cat will feel like you are fonder of one over the other which is extremely important. After a while, the cats will work out the dynamics of their relationship. Just make sure to continue showing an equal amount of affection for each cat.