For those cat lovers out there, you know that it’s important to have some sort of cat scratching equipment at home, otherwise they’re going to need to sharpen their claws somehow and it most likely will wind up being done on your furniture. If you spent more than $20 on your furniture, then you will probably be upset over your couch or chairs getting tore up within a matter of a month. So, to save your furniture, have the best cat scratching post that works for your feline friend.
I’ve had cats that have had their claws removed (not by my doing, they were adopted that way), as well as cats with claws. In all honesty, I prefer cats with claws, not because I like my furniture being tore up, or scratches on my arms, but because if my cats get outside for some reason, I like to know that they have some sort of protection against enemies outside.
Why Do Cats Scratch In The First Place?
Cats have an innate sense to scratch to both sharpen their claws as well as help keep them trimmed, but it’s also like a tick for them. They have to do it. If you’ve ever had a cat with no claws, they still scratch because it’s ingrained in their DNA basically to scratch.
Cats have been clawing on things since they were wild, and while some people think cats are domesticated, they still have that wild streak in them that will never allow them to be completely dependent on humans in the sense like dogs. Dogs can’t survive without humans, but cats can which is why there can be a problem in some areas where cats have too many babies and there’s too many strays. Hawaii had this issue when I lived there.
How Can You Keep Them Off Your Furniture?
Since cats have the inner desire to scratch, it’s important that you have some sort of cat scratching items in the house for them to get this itch out of their system. Will they continue to try on your furniture? Of course! There are some furniture sprays that you can buy that will kind of prevent them from going to the furniture. I say kind of, because they’re not always great and some cats are so stubborn, they could care less about some random smell that you put everywhere.
It is also possible to train cats to stay away from furniture. Every time your cat goes to scratch on something you care about, have a spray bottle handy so you can spray them. I wasn’t always too nice to mine, I had very large male cats that were the size of dogs, and spraying them didn’t work at all, so I used to jump up and pop their bottoms and that would deter them very well. They usually ran off in the opposite direction (typically towards my bedroom to sulk) and then eventually would come out to rub on me to apologize I suppose – or demand my apology by forcing me to pet them. Most likely the latter.
Finding The Best Cat Scratching Post.
There are so many styles of posts out there now, that it can be daunting to try to find “the best one.” Some people claim that they have to have places for your cat to lay in, hidey holes for them to play and hide, etc. In all honesty, if you don’t have a super needy cat – yes, they exist, I promise – then a simple post will suffice. It’s all about your budget and sometimes how big your cat is to begin with.
I had very large males, so they needed a very tall post since cats will stretch to their full height, reach up with both paws fully extended to scratch. If you have a small cat, then a small post is fine. But you want it to be something that they can stretch for to get the full potential out of it. If it’s something kind of lame, they’re going to ignore it.
Floor Style or Standing Style?
As mentioned above, cats like to stretch their whole body to scratch. There have been some pretty awesome floor style posts that allow cats to stretch fully on the floor to scratch versus having to have a very tall post. The thing with the ones on the floor is they can take up a lot of room, so it will really depend on the space you have available whether this is a good option for you.
Small spaces will allow for a simple tall post most likely in the corner of your home somewhere. If you have the floor space and don’t like the idea of an ugly post in the corner of a room, opt for the floor one behind a couch where you can’t see it. Just be sure to listen to whether your cat is scratching the back of your couch versus the floor scratcher instead. They can be sneaky!
In The End, It’s Up To You And Your Budget/Needs.
With so many options out there now, especially online, it’s really up to what you can afford with your budget and what your cat will need. The tall posts can be very spendy, so if you don’t have the budget for the big one you want, maybe get just a simple post. There are also a lot of DIY options out there for cat trees as well and they’re very easy to make. A 4×4 wood post, a large 2×2 block to attach the post to, get some rope and wrap the post so that they have something to really hook their claws in.
Back when I lived in a small condo with my 2 male cats, to keep them from tearing up my beautiful red couches, I had to build a cat post to put in the corner of my condo so they have something. It wasn’t pretty to look at, so I had a fake tree in front of it to hide it, but I made it with just the wood mentioned above, some glue and rope. It did the trick, they stayed away from my couches and were able to get their scratching needs attended to.
What works best for you at home for your cats? Leave a comment below!
