Training kitty to use a Scratching Post

One of a cats natural instincts is to stretch it's body to full length and exercise it's claws.  This promotes shedding of the external layer of the nail, plus exercise for the muscles.  Also, kitties mark their territory with scent glands located in the paws. This behavior is seen in all cats, from declawed house cats to large cats in the wild.  Research into the psychological development of kittens shows that they learn scratching do's and don'ts from their mothers at a young age.  If the mother cat has poor habits, or if the kittens go to new homes before they have had a chance to learn (12 weeks of age or older is best), you may have quite a problem on your hands.

It is necessary for a cat to have somewhere in your home where they may scratch.  If you don't provide some kind of a scratching post, they will chose a spot themselves, resulting in destruction to your furniture.  Many a sofa, chair, record collection, clothes hamper, etc. have met their untimely ends due to a cat's instinctual behavior.

Scratching posts come in an unlimited variety of fabrics and textures, colors and sizes.  Some cats prefer carpet or cardboard, some sisal rope, while others would like nothing more than a good old fashioned section of a tree with bark attached.  It is important to provide a post that is tall or long enough for your cat to fully extend it's body in a stretch.  It is equally important that the post is heavy enough not to be pulled over onto your kitty while he is using it.  For this reason, the smaller posts that you hang from a doorknob tend not to work as well.  There are "cat trees", some upwards of 6' tall; using natural wood, sisal rope, and different carpeted shelves and cubbie holes for those cat owners who want to go all out.

To encourage your cat to use a scratching post, sprinkle catnip on it. An alternative is to hold interactive play-time with a toy on a string on and around the scratching post in order to give kitty the idea.  If you catch your little angel using your leather sofa, squirt him with a squirt gun, collect him, and take him to the scratching post.  A squirt gun or water bottle is the best deterrent- as long as you don't shriek a warning "I'm going to GET you" ahead of time the cat does not associate you with the water, therefore you don't have to constantly monitor their behavior.  You can also cover the piece of furniture with wide, clear tape.  Its not very visible to your eye, and cats don't like the way it feels.  Aluminum foil works too, but doesn't blend with most decor.  There are also plastic pieces which fit over the corners of chairs and sofas available through many cat magazines and supply stores.

Clip your cats front nails every 2 weeks or so.  In time the quick (pink part containing blood vessels) actually recedes and you can clip the nails shorter and shorter, duller and duller.  Your veterinarian or groomer can demonstrate the proper technique for you.  This goes a long way towards saving your furniture.  Soft Paws (dull plastic nail covers) are another alternative available through your veterinarian.

It will take some time and effort on your part, but the vast majority of destructive scratcher can be re-trained to a scratching post.