Importance of Scratching Posts
Cats have a natural instinct to scratch, and they will scratch what is available to them, even if it is your antique chair of brand new sofa. Scratching is an important part of their life and it is not just for sheer pleasure that they do it (although this is part of the reason.) They also scratch for exercise and even more importantly as a way to mark their territory through the visible claw marks and also because scratching stimulates the gland on their paws to secrete a smell.
Punishment never works with cats, they simply wouldn’t understand why you were angry and all that would happen is your cat would probably end up scratching more, the bond of trust would break between you and your cat would hold a large grudge against you for ever more. Furthermore, declawing is simply not an option – it is cruel, painful and leaves the cat without any means of defense. It also considerably affects their balance. Claws are an essential part of a cat’s anatomy and removing them leaves behind disability as well as emotional and mental scars. If you are considering this as an option, think again.
A far simpler and cheaper option is to invest in a scratching post for your cat. The main criteria are that it must have a good rough feel to it and be tall enough for your cat to extend its whole body against. It must be secure because if it falls just once, your cat will never go back to it. Posts with sisal material work well as the roughness and grain of it ensure maximum scratching satisfaction for your cat. If you are have a spare rug lying around, you could turn it over and tape it over the area of carpet that your cat has already been scratching, or even cut the rug up and staple bits to the wall or posts in your house.
Encourage your cat to use the new post by placing it in the centre of the room most used by the family and make sure it is firmly secure as even shaking will put your cat off. Feed your cat by the post and play with him there too so associations are positive with the post. Even offer rewards when he uses it. Eventually the cat will come to see the post as his own, and you can reclaim your sofa and stop the incessant shredding of your belongings.
