Scratching Posts

Did you know that if you sprinkle your cat's scratching post with catnip a couple of times a month, your cat will be more interested in scratching in the right place?

Avoid turning your new leather furniture into a scratching post with these guidelines from The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:

• The scratching post should be at least 3 feet tall, so your cat can stretch completely while scratching.
• Scratching posts should set up in a stable position.
• Scratching posts should be covered with rough material like sisal, tree bark, or burlap.

Why do cats need to scratch?

According to experts, cats need to scratch in order to keep their bodies limber and their claws sharp. Many cats have scratching preferences, which you can learn by watching your pet's behavior around the house:

Does your cat go for the carpet or the sofa?

Is your cat more excited to scratch door frames, fabric, or cardboard boxes?

Does your cat scratch in several locations, or only one?

Take these cat scratching behaviors into consideration when buying a scratching post.

Scratching posts run the gamut from plain to complicated, and cheap to quite expensive.

Look for a design, plane and surface that most closely matches your cat's own preferences.