Teaching the Scratching Post explains why cats scratch things, how to choose a scratching post they want to use, and how to handle training in a way that meshes with their instincts.

Of course, all the cats helped. James Bond did a cameo, Reverend Jim displayed the wild enthusiasm that is his claim to fame, and Olwyn broke out with an extraordinary performance in “giving the sisal what-for.”

Yet, as always, our “Brad Pitt of cats,” Tristan, stole the spotlight.

One thing came up on this shoot that can explain why he is always so deeply involved in our videos. It’s not just that he’s an Alpha (though he is) or that he’s a natural ham (he’s that, too.) But I’ve figured out why the process of filming makes him so thrilled and, then, lively.

It’s my voice.

In the video, I explain how to use excitement in our voice to guide and train our cat to scratch in the right places. When we shoot a video, I talk and talk and talk. And it is my voice that revs Tristan up (and thankfully, wears him out) to new levels of interaction and activity. As he plays with the camera and ricochets off the cat tree right next to my head… I talk about him, too.

Just as I love the sight of him, he loves the sound of me.

Enjoy!

We rescued a tiny kitten, not knowing anything about him. See all my posts about Tristan.

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There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.

Among the uninformed, cats have a reputation as random shredding machines. This rests on two interlocking assumptions; that cats are not, in fact, expressing a need we should help fulfill; and that ignoring this need has no consequences. This entire line of thought is incredibly wrong.

My cats don’t destroy anything; because I understand why, and I understand what.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

“Scratching” is a powerful package of requirements that we ignore at our own, and especially our things, peril. Because if cats are thwarted from the free and complete expression of these dominating and irresistible instincts, it is going to bust out in ways, and on stuff, we don’t want it to. Then the fault is entirely our own.

Why is a part of our cat’s extraordinary hunting abilities. Cats have the urge to scratch things for far more reasons than just “sharpening their claws.”

What is about the things I need to provide for my cat to express their entire spectrum of hunting instincts. This behavior is actually the tip of an iceberg of needs involving how they hone that magnificent predatory machine they live in.

Here’s the urges we are messing with, and how we are supposed to take care of them:

Claw sharpening. When cats scratch things, it’s not like sharpening a knife, where tiny bits are sheared off to leave a thin edge. Cats scratch to pull off the old, dull, claw covering to reveal the sharper claws growing beneath it.

In nature, cats would find trees to scratch, and that’s the texture they seek in our homes. They need to dig in and let the substance “grab” the old claw sheath and peel it off.

One of the many reasons cats may avoid that post we bought them is that it might be a very hard substance overlaid with a very thin covering. This combination isn’t going to tell the cat’s instincts that they are scratching “the right thing.” So, they won’t scratch it.

Exercise. Cats in nature are highly arboreal creatures. They climb trees. A favorite hunting tactic of the big jungle cats is to sit up high over a game trail and do “death from above” on their prey.

This means their limbs need to support their whole weight. This means their limbs need to practice these moves. This means the little scratching post that flops around when the cat touches it will be ignored, and the couch chosen instead. Because the couch doesn’t move.

Any scratching post that is fastened down in some way will become a million times more attractive to our cat. Would we like to work out on an exercise machine made of rubber bands and paper clips? Neither does our cat.

Stress relief. Cats have strong instincts to keep their muscles toned. Completing the proper actions, such as using a sturdy scratching post with the right kind of surface, relieves both mental and physical tension.

It’s not only that our cat gets excellent feedback from properly toning their muscles. Our cat also gets mental relief from their instincts clamoring that they have to do this.

Territory signaling. Another common scratching post mistake is to put the post in the basement; when we don’t live in the basement, and our cat doesn’t either. Cats use their scratching posts to signal that they live here, and they own it; at least, this piece.

We can most easily persuade our cat to leave our furniture alone if we offer them some great furniture they can “own.” Cats need posts in rooms they spend time in; often, that’s rooms we spend a lot of time in, too.

Energy expenditure. When I had two laidback cats, I had a Cosmic Alpine Scratcher and they each got a rag rug. When Tristan got into adolescence, we invested in six feet of cat tree and Mr WayofCats admitted we should have done it sooner.

Some cats are happy with occasional use of something inexpensive, but if our cat has greater needs, we must meet them. Good cat furniture lasts and lasts, offering many care advantages. It’s also a fraction of the cost of the people furniture; which it protects. Not to mention the tremendous advantage in training that comes from offering our cat a post they can’t wait to use.

Kill! Kill! My toilet paper and paper towels are safe; because I give my cats their own stuffed animals. It doesn’t always work, but it’s certainly worth trying. Many cats know they aren’t supposed to indulge; but when the energy overflows or stress sends them over the edge, there’s nothing more satisfying than tearing into some yielding substance.

Once again, this is our cat’s instincts, which cannot be argued with. Our cats can wrestle with other cats, or a stuffed animal, or sink their claws into the posts and shelves of their cat tree; whatever it is, they do need something. If the best thing that is available is a fresh new roll of paper towels, that’s fine too!

We may have taken our cat from their hunting environment, but we haven’t taken the hunting instincts out of our cats.

We got our cat tree from Kitty Store Online.

They have an extraordinary selection, personal service, and they donate to cat causes!

Why go anywhere else?

Read more posts on cat furniture. Get our cat excited about their post by treating it with our most excellent catnip.

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It only took one day for our cats to congregate around their new piece of furniture and declare it a favorite focus point.

When they started leaving toys near the base, and running to the cat tree when we shook the bag of treats, we took their hint.

We started making it our focus point, too.

We put other favorite toys and games there. The cat tree’s levels allow our cats more options for their participation. It’s easier for them to observe and contribute when we have more than one plane to engage them on.

Cats tend to be arboreal creatures. They like climbing trees to enjoy the broad vista afforded by high outposts. They feel secure when they can observe activities from their own designated places.

We used vinyl coated cup hooks (hooks facing towards the solid side) to hang toys from. This adds interest and gives Tristan yet another reason to climb the tree.

We are always finding the toys on the floor and we hang them back on the tree.

It’s not like our cats do not engage with the tree on their own; it’s that they do.

They want their tree to be a part of their daily activities. The more we create spaces in, and around, it; the more they can enjoy it.

Cats are three-dimensional thinkers and actors. The modular design of this cat tree allows us to customize it to suit our particular cats.

We have large cats. They need enough space to comfortably climb and jump from one level to another. They need feedback from the structure that will fit with their instincts about how well it will hold their weight and allow them freedom of movement.

Originally, the cat tree had a furry tray on top. While this is fine for kittens, who are both flexible and light in weight, it did not offer a good path or ultimate destination for the double-digit weight of Reverend Jim.

Instead, Mr WayofCats fastened the largest of the hollow cylinders on top; this creates a space with sides to help a snoozing cat feel more secure.

We moved the smaller cylinder into a free space where it did not block any shelves. Smaller cats would be more likely to use it as a spot to sleep in; our cats love it as a place to find treats and toys.

We fastened the base to the floor with screws. Our apartment has carpet over sub-flooring; we are not doing any damage. Guy wires into the wall would also work. Most homes have sheetrock walls; we can use butterfly anchors and easily patch the holes they leave.

Our cats need to feel a solid base for both climbing and scratching.

This one does sway as a cat gets higher. They seem to be getting used to that. It is like a tree.

Every cat except our senior boy, James Bond, has climbed up to at least mid-level, and RJ and Tristan reliably go higher. Tristan, especially, enjoys the acrobatic possibilities.

He likes to climb all the way to the highest flat shelf with the continuous climbing post on the left side of the tree.

RJ likes to hang out on the middle, broad shelf and look out the window. Positioning our cat tree near a window or other point of interest helps our cat enjoy two favorite activities at once.

Why do I love the cat tree?

Even more germane, why does Mr WayofCats now agree that we needed a Vertical Cat Exercise Device?

Because nothing wears out an active cat more completely.

Ever since we’ve gotten it, Tristan has slept in, right up to the alarm. Even as we would complete a phase of training, he would get another growth spurt; and have more energy to burn.

This was what we had to do to keep ahead of him.

We got our new cat tree from Kitty Store Online.

They have an extraordinary selection, personal service, and they donate to cat causes!

Why go anywhere else?

Act quickly if this one appeals.

I don’t know how long the sale will last!

Consider Why a cat tree can be essential and how the cats first reacted in Announcing the new cat tree for more about this all-around cat scratching, sleeping, and training tool.

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There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.



]]> http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cat-tree-2-0-the-renovations/13620/feed 6 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/why-a-cat-tree-can-be-essential/13243 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/why-a-cat-tree-can-be-essential/13243#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 16:00:08 +0000 Pamela http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=13243 Continue reading →]]> Once upon a time, we had two adult cats; Smokepuff, who loved leaping after a wand toy and wore himself out in five minutes, and James Bond, who preferred mental activity to physical exertion.

But then, we started acquiring kittens. Ever since, I’ve been telling Mr WayofCats we needed a Vertical Cat Exercise Device.

Like a cat tree.

He’s been resisting for what he thought were good reasons; citing the tininess of both our apartment and our bank account.

Recent events (named Tristan) have vindicated my position, and given him a new outlook on the situation.

Because we can wear our cats out in all kinds of ways. It really is a matter of how efficient we need this process to be.

In our case, we need to ramp it up. Not only does Tristan have more Alpha tendencies than our other cats; he’s also eight months old, a time when any cat reaches their peak of lively energy.

Our first two cats were happy with the cardboard Alpine Scratchers and a rag rug apiece for their scratching needs. But this changed, too.

We wound up getting this scratching post at a local feed store when it went on super sale. The cats’ enthusiasm demonstrated to Mr WayofCats the importance cats place on being able to stretch up as far as they can when they scratch.

RJ’s strong build and Olwyn’s assertive tendencies made them need something both taller and sturdier than previous options.

And then there’s Tristan. Who has both those attributes, and whose playing style resembles that of a gibbon ape.

But this is about more than scratching posts, as vital as that need is. This is also about wearing cats out.

While Tristan has willing playmates of both the human and the feline variety, and plenty of toys both manufactured and improvised, there’s one activity he doesn’t have.

That would be tree climbing.

The reason I’m so enamored of Vertical Cat Exercise Devices is that nothing else tires a kitty out so quickly and completely. Because cats have “fast twitch fibers” they are built for speed, not endurance. This means they need to be pushed to their maximum for both toning, and tiring out.

So we can reach a point of diminishing returns when we rely on our cat running around to get their exercise. If they need considerable activity, like Tristan does, the act of climbing lets him use his body weight to exercise his muscles. This is why so many cats love to climb.

Their instincts are always urging them in that direction.

We are getting our new cat tree from Kitty Store Online.

They have an extraordinary selection, personal service, and they donate to cat causes!

Why go anywhere else?

Act quickly if this one appeals.

I don’t know how long the sale will last!

We rescued a tiny kitten, not knowing anything about him. See all my posts about Tristan.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.



]]> http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/why-a-cat-tree-can-be-essential/13243/feed 3 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/scratching-redirect-the-need/156 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/scratching-redirect-the-need/156#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:29 +0000 Pamela http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=156 Continue reading →]]> Cat paws are marvels of engineering. Cats actually walk on their toes, and the retractable claws are hidden to keep them sharp and also to not betray their stealthy approach to prey. Claws are one of the cat’s special hunting tools, and so they will devote a certain amount of their time to their maintenance.


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Cats are sharpening their claws when they scratch things, but not in the way we might think. Cat’s claws actually consist of many nested sheaths, one inside the other. New sheaths are constantly being produced from the inside, and the cat pulls off the old, dull sheaths from the outside. It’s like those inexpensive plastic pencils which have a number of short leads in little cones stacked up in the pencil. One lead gets dull, and we pull off that cone and place it in the back of the pencil, pushing a sharp lead into place for writing.

The scratching ritual is also a stress reliever. A cat who is wound up from activity will often head for their scratching places to burn off some of that exuberance, and to use that energy to scratch higher and deeper than before. Cats use their scratch marks to let other cats know whose territory this is, and also how big and strong they are. That’s why cats need sturdy items to scratch, so they can dig in and exercise their whole body.

All cats are going to scratch. We just need to provide the right materials, and let them know what they can and can’t scratch. One scratching device all cats seem to like are the scratchers made from cardboard, such as the Alpine Scratcher (see below.) It’s slanted, so it accommodates cats both vertically and horizontally. This is the one my boys prefer, even though it does leave bits of cardboard around after they have gone to town on it. There’s also a cat toy inside the incline, which RJ likes. The cardboard inserts are replaceable, so it’s an economical way to fulfill a cat’s needs.

It’s crucial that the cat has a place to scratch where they get praise and approval. It’s also crucial that the cat like their scratching alternative. A lot of scratching post designs just don’t appeal to cats. The ones that hang over doorknobs don’t have the stability they need, and certain kinds of carpet that are low pile don’t let the cats dig in. Closepiled, dense carpets, like Berber, are cat favorites, and their remnants are great ways for handy cat people to make their own scratching posts.

The best way to keep cats from scratching our furniture is to give them their own stuff that they like better. Cats targeting the corner of the couch are asking for an upholstered, tall scratching post with a broad sturdy base. Cats who scratch on the throw rugs or carpet want large flat surfaces. These cats will often be happy with a cheap throw rug of their own to scratch on.

The steps to redirect cats to a post we know they like are these:

• Take the cat away from the wrong scratching spot, and take them to the scratching post they like. They will usually transfer their scratching to the post. Now praise with excitement.
• Scold the cat, and if they don’t run to their scratching post, take them there.
• Use a squirt bottle or blast of canned air to make the spot less appealing. We can also put aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or double sided sticky tape on the spot, or block it off for a while. If the cat can’t get at it, they can’t get pleasurable feedback from scratching it, and will then lose the urge.
• Be patient with kittens, who will often scratch the nearest object out of excitement when we play or talk to them. Pick them up and take them to their post.

If the cat is being stubborn, we will have to be more crafty. Clipping the cat’s claws is something many cat people do, which lessens any damage the cat might cause to animate or inanimate objects. If that sounds too daunting, there is a product called Soft Paws (see below) which are soft plastic caps that can be glued onto the tips of the cat’s claws to prevent them from damaging anything.

When it comes to cats scratching things, it really pays to be proactive. Have items available, be alert to the cat’s behavior, and be consistent about where we want them to scratch. Then we can shorten our training period, and maximize our enjoyment of the cat.

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There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.



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