Why You Should Get A Cat Scratching Post For Your Cat

by Paulina Jenkins

For a cat owner, a scratching post is an absolute necessity. It is likely what will stand between the cat and the total destruction of your couch, chairs, rugs and drapes. It is a natural inclination for cats to stretch and scratch, many of them also like to knead their front paws on something as well.

Providing their cats with the right products to satisfy the need to scratch is not something that many cat owners know they should do. Instinctual behavior can’t be changed so the best thing to do is provide an acceptable object for the cat to scratch. Every comprehensive cat care regimen should include a scratching post to meet the cat’s need to scratch, stretch, clean and sharpen the claws and mark his territory.

A quality cat scratching post should have a solid base and a heavy duty carpet covered post that serves as the scratching surface. All exposed surfaces are covered in woven materials such as carpet. A scratching post can be vertical or horizontal on the floor or slanting at an angle. It is important that the whole frame and structure must be sturdy and stable so it does fall over when the cat does its scratching on it.

A cat scratching post can be of various colors, heights, designs some with lures such as toys. One type of cat scratching post has a flat or slanting scratching surface on a frame. Strips of corrugated cardboard are then placed vertically inside the frame so all the strips have one exposed side for the cat to scratch on.

Because cats love to shred them, the cardboard strips need to be replaced frequently. Another scratching post design has the scratching surface on an upright post secured to a base. As these posts are reminiscent of trees, many cats seem to like them better. Many of these posts have a scratching surface made of a tough fabric or rope for the cat to scratch.

Making your own cat scratching post is easy. You cover a piece of wood about the size of 6 inches wide and 2 feet long with carpet and screw it onto the wall. You can also make a hanging cat scratching post. Just hang a piece of 17 inches long carpet from the ceiling to a height that your pet can scratch on. A cat tree can serve as a cat scratching post provided that the base of the cat tree is strong and large enough so the structure will not fall over.

The most popular scratching post material is any tough or woven fabric, such as carpet or rope. The posts can be made from any material such as solid wood or moulded plastic. Usually there are nylon buttons on the underside of the vinyl and sisal bases to stop the scratching post from slipping on wooden or tiled floors. Sisal is a good material to use to wrap around your cat scratching post and cats love it. Rope made from sisal is very coarse, fibrous and durable, and great for sharpening claws.

As there are such a wide range of designs, prices and sizes to choose from finding the right scratching post that suits your cat’s preferences is easy. If you place the cat scratching post close to a window or a corner away from the drafts your pet will leave your furniture alone. In cases where your cat has already been scratching your furniture, place a scratching post at the spot where it has been scratching. Direct your cat to the new scratching post and show it where the scratching should be done.

 

About the Author:

About the Author: Paulina Jenkins has a website that is dedicated to all cat owners with informations on cat breeds, cat supplies and products. Why cat scratching post is a necessity if you own a cat? Do you know what is the purpose of a cat scratching post?

 

Tags: cats, cat scratching post