Are you overwhelmed because you can't get your cat to stop scratching all the valuables in your home? Does your cat tear up the things you leave lying around? Did you know that scratching actually a natural thing for your cat? Well, before you get discourage, there are ways to get your feline friend to stop scratching your stuff, and the methods are easy. When getting your cat to stop scratching your things take this information into consideration.

The first thing that you need to keep in mind is that there are many different reasons that your cat wants to claw, and it has nothing to do with making your life difficult. In the first place, cats claw because they are marking there territory. While it is most males that will do this, females will do it to a certain extent as well, and you'll find that this behavior can get worse if there are disruptions in their home environment or if they are feeling stressed. You'll also find that cats will scratch to wear down their claws, or to exercise their muscles. Finally, keep in mind that scratching for a cat is relaxing and natural behavior; they might just do it because they're bored!

When you are looking at ideas as to how to make your cat stop scratching, remember that you will need to give them something else to scratch on. To keep them away from your furniture, make sure that you offer them something that they can really get their claws into. Some cats will be happy with a post with some carpet wrapped around it, while other cats will be more pleased with a rough log that they can shred to their heart's content. You'll find that providing them with this can give them a lot of pleasure and save you a lot of wear and tear on your home!

After, you get your cat these scratching elements, you will have to persuade your feline friend to use them. Since they scratch in part to mark their territory put the elements in high traffic areas and areas where the human household hangs around. Like in the tv room, or a busy hall way. You can also rub some catnip on them to make them that much more appealing to your cat. If you want to ensure that they get the idea. Put a citrus or minty freshener on the old cat scratching favorites. Cats are repelled by citrus and mint scents.

Many see declawing your cat as a quick fix. While it will fix your cat from scratching, it will also bring up a new batch of issues. While some try to convince you declawing is harmless, and is similar to getting your nails trimmed. It's NOT! Declawing is no a trip to the salon. The process of declawing your cat is extremely painful for them since they do cut of their fingers from the first joint of their paw, out. Never consider this horrible operation an option. No only will is it unnecessary but it also cause problems in their paws, and joints later in life.

If you are looking to make sure that your cat does not claw up your furniture, remember to give them some options. This can make all the difference when it comes to getting this problem taken care of.

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