So your indoor cat wants to destroy your furniture, walls, and curtains with their nails? Cats scratch for many different reasons. Sometimes they do it to mark their territory, sometimes to sharpen their claws, and sometimes just for fun. If you do not want your belongings destroyed by your kitty then the next step is to find another outlet for those natural feline impulses.
Get several scratching posts of various sizes and textures, and place them in various spots throughout the house. The best place to put them is near the areas they seem to enjoy scratching the most. If you want to draw your cat’s attention to these posts scent them with catnip, or hanging toys on them. Cover the items that you don’t want them to mess with so that their attention will be more on the posts.
The best kind of scratching posts to get are made of sisal fabric or rope. This kind of fabric or rope gives your kitty a pleasant feeling that they will enjoy while they scratch to their little heart’s content. Also make sure that the post is high enough or long enough that they can really stretch themselves out.
Photo by Jennifer C.
Don’t fret if the scratching post becomes a little worn out. Cats enjoy them even more because it is familiar to them, and because they can really dig their claws in the way they want to.
Talk to your veterinarian if you have any questions about what is the right post for your cat, or other behavioral techniques that you can use to get them used to the posts rather than your furniture.