How to Prevent Cat Scratching

How to Prevent Cat Scratching

Animal Hospital Wake Forest NC

 

At some point, every cat owner thinks about how they can prevent their cats from scratching and picking surfaces in their home. As owners, we think how nice it would be not to deal with our beloved kitties picking on our furniture and curtains. At Complete Pet Care Animal Hospital Wake Forest NC, we’re going to explore some healthy options for your cat and its scratching.

Why do cats scratch?

Scratching is absolutely normal! It’s an innate evolutionary trait that cats use to mark their territory, stretch their muscles, and remove the dead husks from their claws. The best thing to do when your cat starts scratching is not to stop them from doing so but to teach them what surfaces they can scratch. Cats usually start scratching when they’re around 8 weeks old. This is also the ideal time to train kittens to use a scratching post or pad and get used to nail trims. At Complete Pet Care Animal Hospital Wake Forest NC, we can trim your cat’s nails for you if you’re unsure how to do it.

Stopping Unwanted Scratching

If you’re still worried about your cat damaging surfaces in your home and want to avoid unwanted scratching, here are a few tips to start using:

  • Keeping claws trimmed to help minimize damage to household items
  • Have scratching posts and boards available in different areas around your home – having different materials like carpet, sisal, wood, and cardboard, as well as vertical and horizontal styles for your cat to use. You can also use catnip to help entice your cat to use the scratching posts and boards, so it knows this is a good place to scratch.
  • Ask us at Complete Pet Care Animal Hospital Wake Forest NC, about soft plastic caps that can be glued to your cat’s nails. These also need to be replaced about every 6 weeks.
  • Attach a special tape to your furniture to deter your cat from scratching certain surfaces.

Complete Pet Care Animal Hospital Wake Forest NC

At Complete Pet Care we are your trusted partner in ensuring your pets are healthy, happy, and a part of your family for as many years as possible. We have become one of the top animal hospitals in the region by continually committing to our purpose. Contact Complete Pet Care for your pet’s care whenever you need it – day or night.

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