If your reclining couch is a disaster from Kitty’s never ending scratching and you want to protect your new prized piece of furniture from the same fate, you need to know the reasons why your British shorthair scratches to begin with. Once you understand the reason behind, you’re on your way to a answer.
British shorthair cats are intelligent animals, and the majority of the time they manage to instruct their owners, rather than the other way around! If you’re cat continuously scratches on upholstered furniture, there are a number of reasons. The number one reason is that the cat simply delights it. Think of it one of Kitty’s games. Scratching makes a sound and gives them a sense of authority and that makes it a lot of fun.
Cats also mark their possession’s when they scratch. Besides the scent glands on either side of the rectum that cause so many problems for cat lovers, cats also have glands on the side of their face, the top of their head and on the bottom of their paws. Scratching anoints their scent onto the upholstered furniture and shows any invaders that the upholstered couch, chair or other prized piece of furniture you thought you possessed really belongs to them.
Scratching is part of a cat’s being. They have an itch to scratch. Your upholstered furniture also offers your cat hours of fun and a place to play. The stretching connected with scratching is an integral part of the cat yoga no one had to show Kitty, it just came naturally.
In addition~Finally}, some cats make scratching a game and love it when they hear you scream at them. These socio paths of the cat world love the thrill of you chasing them like a mad man around the house. You can identify these types of cats when they hang around until you can see them before they begin to scratch the furniture. Then it’s “let the games start” and “the chase is on.” While you might not find this game fun, some kitties can’t wait for it.
Finally, cats also “file their claws” when they scratch. Truth be told, they aren’t sharpening them but filing them. house cats don’t have the exposure to concrete and tree climbing. Their nails can grow really long, something that doesn’t occur if the cat is in the country. Scratching on your furniture is one way to eliminate those long nails.
How do you halt the cat from scratching? If you yell at your cat, sprinkle your cat with water and shoo it away from the couch, one of two things will happen. The cat will be mad at you or it simply will become a game. Since this is a natural activity of the cat, they don’t see any harm in doing it.
The fastest way is to prevent the problem by offering your cat an another option. Scratching posts or boards offer the perfect alternative to the upholstered couch. The majority of these have a scratchy facing made from either sisal or other substance your cat can claw into and eventually shred to pieces. Your cat will love it. Even if you don’t have a cause yet, you’ll find a scratching post or board prevents one from happening.
Make the scratching area seductive by adding a toy hanging down to grab the cat’s interest. You can also scent it with catnip to “seal the deal.” Emery Cat, one manufacturer of scratching boards has both a dangling toy and the alluring scent of catnip, so you don’t have to make any extra purchases. For most inside cats, it’s not a question of whether they’ll scratch something, it’s what will they scratch and when. Giving your cat with there own area halts many problems before they start and can stop cold the woes of shredded upholstered furniture.
