Scratching Post For Cats: How To Teach Him To Use It

Cats are fantastic animals and adoptions are constantly growing. The internet is full of videos and photos of adorable cats, but in terms of behavior and upbringing, we know very little about them. For this reason, when there is a conduct problem we do not know what to do or how to solve it. For example, if your pet does not use the cat scratching post.

So we give you some tips to teach your cat to use the scratching post and not to scratch your furniture.

Cat education

Unlike many other animals, cats do not learn through punishment or threats. A cat is unable to relate a scolding or punishment, even if verbal as a threat, with behavior that must be avoided. However, cats respond very well to positive reinforcement. They very easily relate their behaviors to pleasant situations, praise or rewards.

Scratching is an instinctive behavior in cats and is necessary for their well-being. By scratching they sharpen their nails, relax, express emotions and leave their smell. It is necessary for a cat to use its nails and we cannot prevent it from doing so.

If your cat does not use the scratching post, therefore, do not scold him and do not punish him. You have to think that he does not understand why he does this and will continue to scratch the furniture or the curtains. It is much easier to reward him every time he uses the scratching post correctly.

He will begin to associate this object with praise and will use it more and more often until he has got into the habit of using it to sharpen his nails.

Choose a cat scratching post

If your cat doesn’t use the scratching post, first of all, you need to ask yourself why. We must be careful and see if he does not use it because he does not like the chosen scratching post.

There are cats who like to scratch upright, others horizontally, still others tilted… Some have no preferences and are indifferent to how the scratching post is positioned.

Before letting him scratch the curtains, observe how and where he scratches your cat and look for a scratching post he will like. It must be stable, i.e. it must not move while the cat scratches itself. There must be no risk of it falling on them and it must be in good condition: a worn scratching post, broken or without large surfaces to scratch is not attractive to them at all.

What to do if the cat does not use the scratching post?

Let’s imagine that we already have several cat scratching posts in the house, but our pet still prefers the armrest of the sofa. Your cat has one or more excellent scratching posts, but seems to be ignoring them or not understanding that they are there for you to use. We can guide him to the scratching post by following these steps:

• Put the scratching post near his favorite place to sleep. Cats have a habit of getting their nails activated after sleeping. This way, by putting it there and not somewhere else in the house, the chances of using it will be greater.

• Place the object in a visible, accessible spot, but not in the middle of a room. The cat will not go through the house to get its nails and will not be able to relax them in a very crowded place either. For example, one of the corners of the living room or next to the sofa are suitable places.

• Reward him every time he uses the scratching post. The praise is fine, but the reinforcement will be greater if you reward it with some treats. He must receive the prize immediately after getting his nails done in the scratching post for him to grasp the association.

• Ignore it when it scratches elsewhere.  Paying attention to him, scolding him, or going to the cat when he scratches anywhere in the house can strengthen his behavior, even if we don’t want to.

• Leave treats near the scratching post. If you leave treats or treats around the scratching post, you will be rewarding the pet every time he uses it and he will associate the item with the prizes. He will pass several times where he is and, since he is there, he will use the scratching post. For him it will begin to be a curious, fun place where good things happen.  

Gradually she will stop getting her nails done in other areas of the house. It is essential to use positive reinforcement : our cats will not understand what we want to tell them by reproaching them. As long as they have a new scratching post, we won’t spend our days scolding them and changing the curtains.