Training Your Cats to Use The Scratch Post

Using the Scratch Post

Cats really, really, really love to scratch and that is no exaggeration either. If you’re a first-time owner of a cat, you’ll find that out as soon as you see your new furniture full of claw marks and your sofa and the pillows are shredded and torn to pieces. Cats scratch for a variety of reasons. The obvious reason is for marking their territory. Cat’s paws leave their scent and every time they scratch something their scent stays there. Scratching is also an exercise for them; you’ll usually see their love for scratching every time they wake up from a nap.

The first response to this is confining your cat to some place where she can’t damage new furniture or scratch anything valuable. This can be seen as a temporary solution only and can’t be permanent as cats love to wander around too. The best solution is a scratch post.

A scratch post is something you can buy or create yourself. There are several scratch posts on the market and you are sure to find something suitable for your cat. Remember, though, that a cat’s idea of something good to scratch at is different from your idea.   Never ever make the mistake of buying something expensive just because you think it looks good or looks exactly like your sofa.

An excellent post is something where your cat can fully stretch her body and should be stable. Once your cat starts scratching on it and it topples over, you can be sure that she won’t return to it.

After buying one, the next step for you is to train your cat to scratch it. Never make the mistake of forcing her claws to scratch the post. Your cat is just like a child and showing her something she knows how to do is something that can make your cat behave aloof to you for a couple of days.

One suggestion is to put the post where your cat used to scratch. For example, if she loves scratching your wooden chair, then put it close to your chair. Other places include a place close to where your cat is sleeping so she’ll have some thing to scratch after her nap. This won’t work at all times, though, so you have to do something clever to entice her to scratch the post.

One of the best solutions is to rub catnip into it. This will have her happily digging at the post in no time. If this doesn’t really appeal to your cat, don’t lose hope because there are other ways. Some cats just don’t love catnip and won’t be fooled easily by this treat.

Another way is to associate the post with something fun. Put some food treats around it or dangle some toys that will entice her to reach out for the toy and inadvertently scratch the post. You must remember to praise your cat every time she scratches your post so she will remember that scratching the post is both fun and agreeable to you.

Another way to “fool” your cat into scratching the post is to play games with her running around the scratch post. Once she finds that scratching the post is better than playing your game, don’t feel bad as you have done your job of “fooling” your cat into using the scratch post.

Of course you can try to train them directly to scratch the post. You can give the order to “scratch” and point to the post while you give the order and every time your cat scratches the post give her a treat and praise her loudly so she can be proud of pleasing you.

Once your cat starts using the scratch post, the next step is to prevent her from scratching your furniture. You could do this by covering your furniture with aluminum foil or double-sided tape. These are surfaces that your cat will find not so good to scratch and she will soon realize not to scratch things other than her scratch post.

The only thing to remember is that to prevent your cat from scratching your furniture is to provide her with something better to scratch.

How to Crate-Train Your Cat

Pet Lovers: How to Crate-Train Your Cat

Taking care of a cat can both be a rewarding and frustrating experience.

The rewarding part is coming home to a cute, furry little creature whose antics can bring a smile to your face.

The frustrating part is trying to house-train and litter train them.

You can get over the frustrating part by starting them young.

Once you have a  kitten that you plan to take home as a pet, you may start house-training them.  Crate training is one of the most effective ways to do this.

Cats can be your best friend for life if you just care for them properly.

If you will train them at a young age, they will learn to follow "house rules" and not litter on your bed or scratch your furniture with their claws.

A cat needs proper care, time and attention.  Here are some tips on how you can use crate-training work to your advantage:

1. Remember that crate training will take some time.

You need all the time and patience that you can muster as a cat owner to fully train a cat. This is why you have to start out while they are young.

Familiarize them with what they can and cannot do using the crate.

If you take your cat along with you when you travel and you are in a place where pets are not allowed to roam around freely, put them in a crate.

This would let your cat know that being outside is not that safe, so your pet will be content to stay inside the crate.

2. Select the perfect crate for your feline friend.

There are some materials that cats love to scratch with their claws.  This would make the time that they spend in the crate more bearable despite being confined.

There are metal and plastic crates that your cat can fit into.  Make sure that it can move freely when inside.  Also, you can put your cat's favorite toy in the crate, like a ball of yarn or a small stuffed toy.

3. Crate-train your pet cat slowly, but surely.

Start by spending time with them while inside the crate.  Then you can introduce your cat to eating food inside the crate.  Do not worry if they do not respond positively the first time, as they will get used to it eventually.

Later on, they will learn to spend time in the crate when you are not at home or during the night.

The key here is to not let your cat feel frustrated inside the crate and spend enough time with them to make them feel loved and cared for.

Selecting Cat Toys

Toys for girl cats and boys

When the mouse is away, cats play.  And cats have the tendency to both play hard and play soft.  Toys are to cats the same as toys are to dogs.  It helps fight the boredom experienced by these pets as well as gives our feline friends the opportunity to practice and use their natural inclination to chase and hunt for prey. It also gives the cat owner that great chance to play with their pets, an experience that will aid in bonding their relationship.

But what toys are best for cats?  The following are tips and helpful advice to get that perfect toy for the cat owners perfect pets.

Play safe

The good thing about cats is that they can play ball inside the house and the owners will never know it.  Still, there may be things inside the house that cats could find attractive yet might actually endanger their health and safety.  Houses must be cat-friendly.  As much as possible, take away any string, yarn, needles, rubber bands or other objects that could easily be swallowed by cats.  These things could be lethal to cats.  Do not let them play with these articles no matter how cute they may appear to be.

Play soft

Choose soft toys that can easily be machine-washed.  It is best that the toys chosen to be played with by cats are also the toys marked as safe to be played with by children below three years old.  Toys such as these usually contain fillings that are not hazardous.  Also, avoid giving cats toys that are hard and rigid, these types do not appeal to them that much.  

Know your cat, know their toy

It is best that one also familiarize themselves with your cat.  Doing so helps in ones selection of the kind of plaything that best serves the size of ones cat - the kind of activity the cat likes and its unique preferences.  Know the environment in which the cat likes to spend its time the most.  

Choose active toys

Toys that are great to play with for cats are usually the round plastic ones (such as rings from shower curtains, plastic balls, golf balls, balls used in ping-pong) as these give cats the opportunity to chase and paw around.  They could also carry these in their mouths, make sure though that these are big enough they cannot be swallowed but not so large that they cannot carry them in their mouths.  

Choose active play

Balls can be placed inside bath tubs filled with water.  Watch as cats frolic and play on and around the toy.  It is just as enjoyable to the cat as it is fun for the cat owner.  Another added feature that could be placed on balls are bells.  One not only sees how cats play, one could also listen and take pleasure in the playful sound.

Another simple yet effective plaything for cats is a paper bag.   Use paper bags that do not have handles.  These bags are good for pouncing around.  Cats hide in them too.  As much as possible, avoid the plastic ones as cats have the tendency to chew these and  they may eat the plastic.  This is not good.  

Toys with tails

Cats like playing with soft toy animals - specially the ones that have tails.  They either  bite them, paw them or chase these little stuffed toys around.   It is best if these toys are as big or as small as the cats playing them.  

Toys with catnip

Catnip is sometimes used as stuffing for toys that are soft.  Putting catnip in such playthings make the toys more enjoyable to carry, kick and throw around.  More importantly, it is safe for cats to chew on, roll around in, or eat.
It is okay for owners to place catnip on carpeted floors, or (to make clean-up easy) on towels.  There are now catnip oils that can be placed on carpets, and they usually stay there.  Cats detect these too.  Although small cats, specifically kittens who are younger than six months have shown a certain kind of immunity to catnip.

All in all, it is best that cat owners define what kind of toy should be played by their cats.  It is advisable that different kinds of toys be given on certain days, and that displaying all toys simultaneously may not be a good idea.  Cats can easily tire of seeing the same fluffy toy animal again and again.  Variety always works best.  However if cats show a certain liking to a specific toy, let them play with it, or sleep with it - whichever they like.