Is Your New Cat Scratching Everything In Sight? 3 Ways To Reduce Or Even Put A Stop To The Problem
Posted on: 25 October 2018
After adopting a cat from the shelter and bringing the animal home, you may have started noticing that the cat has an issue with using its claws to scratch everything in sight, including your furniture. Most cats do enjoy scratching, but some do it more often than others. If you are not sure how to handle the issue because this is the first cat you have ever had, different options are available to help reduce the amount of scratching your cat is doing or even to put a stop to the behavior altogether.
Get a Scratching Post
Getting a large scratching post for your cat is a great way to deter the animal from clawing at the furniture because they'll be clawing at the scratching post instead. There are tons of different scratching posts available for cats, some of which are even referred to as cat trees because they come equipped with different spots for the animal to sit down or hide out when it does not want to be bothered. Putting a scratching post in your living room or in any other room where the cat likes hanging out is a great way to prevent the animal from scratching the furniture.
Try Cat Nail Caps
You can always attempt to put nail caps on the nails of your cat. These nail caps are completely harmless and pain-free, but they are designed to provide a protective covering over the nails so that the scratching does not do nearly as much damage as it could do. While the nail caps are an option, some cats hate them and will attempt to bite the caps off, so it all depends on the temperament of the cat you have adopted.
Have Your Cat Declawed
If the scratching post and nail caps are not working as well as you wanted them to, you can always make an appointment to have your cat declawed by a veterinarian. The declawing process requires a surgery, so it is something you will need to think about for some time. A laser or even a scalpel may be used to cut and remove the claw so that the cat will no longer be able to use it. The healing process can take some time. Most cats begin feeling better a week or two after the declawing procedure is performed.
If your new cat has a bit of a scratching problem, you can try a few different things to get the scratching under control. It may help to purchase a scratching post and to put nail caps on the nails of your cat. If these techniques do not work, you should think about having your cat declawed at the veterinarian's office.
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