I think this is quite a complicated question and I’ll try and tell you why. I’m mainly thinking of the full-time indoor cat scenario where there might be half a dozen cats living in the owner’s home. From the cats’ perspective, the house will be divided up into six ‘home ranges’ which overlap in a …
How many cat scratching posts do you need in a multi-cat home? Read More »
This is a short post because the answer to the question is, I believe, obvious. Although my reason might not be the correct one every time but it’ll be the most common reason. When a cat’s owner is away from their home it is often for quite a long time from the cat’s perspective, perhaps …
Why does my cat use the scratching post when I get home? Read More »
This is a hugely debated topic on the internet and has been for years so nothing new here except this is a free-to-use infographic covering the main points. For me the last point in the infographic is the most important. When the family cat destroys a favorite armchair, I understand the consternation. It is unpleasant …
Infographic on the reasons why cats scratch armchairs Read More »
A slightly isosteric topic but an important one nonetheless as you really want your cat to use the brand-new scratching post that has just been delivered from Amazon. One of the fears of cat owners is that their cat won’t use the scratching post that they have carefully selected. They will if it is of …
This is an infographic on a form of feline behaviour which is extensively discussed online and extensively carried out by cats! Cat scratching to ‘sharpen their claws’ is the cause of much consternation among a big section of the cat owning society leading on many occasions in North America to that barbaric veterinary operation misleadingly …
Infographic on cats ‘sharpening their claws’ (scratching) Read More »
The pictures on this page are before and after photographs. You see a black-and-white feral cat under a table. The snow is falling heavily. The cat is sleeping on an old cushion. The table barely protects the cat. It looks pretty brutal and distressing if you care for animal welfare. In the words of Ed …
Before and after photos of feral cat winter housing and facilities Read More »
You want your cat to scratch. It’s in their DNA. They need to do it to feel normal. It is absolutely part and parcel of the behaviour of a domestic cat. You want your cat to behave normally as it enhances their feeling of wellbeing. It is so deep-rooted in the domestic cat psyche that …
How to tell your cat NO to using your furniture as a scratching post Read More »
There are three points to make in response to the question in the title. The first point is that you want your cat to scratch something! This is because it is natural cat behaviour and you want your cat to express his or her natural behaviour because it makes them more content (feline mojo). The …
How do I stop my cat scratching the carpet and furniture? Read More »
The facetious answer is to get rid of your carpet. I am actually a believer that the best homes for domestic cats are those without carpets. There are other advantages namely winning the battle against fleas. In removing the carpet you remove a place for fleas to hide before jumping onto cats. I just feel …
It is useful to remind ourselves why domestic cats scratch things. A lot of people see it as an irritating characteristic of the domestic cat and simply try to stop it or even in the worst case scenario punished the cat for it. But scratching is a feline behaviour which is very important to them. …
In this compact post, I’ll explain why you want your cat to scratch. Firstly, I don’t mean to scratch you, the cat owner. I mean to scratch an object. The picture below is one of five scratching boards I have in my house… Domestic cats must scratch objects. It is absolutely a part of their …
This is a pole dancing tuxedo cat doing a demo for some visitors to her human companion’s home. The lady of the house called her over and said, “Darling Sasha would you mind doing a twirl on the pole for our guests. You’re so good at it and anyway you can earn your keep. I …
It is relatively straightforward to get your cat to use a scratching post. Your Cat Is Scratching the Carpet If your cat is scratching the carpet you should buy a horizontal scratching board. There are many examples of this sort of scratching ‘post’. The photograph on this page is one example. It is made of …
I’d like people’s input on this if you have ideas and time. We all know how important a scratching post is. It allows a domestic cat to express his/her natural desires to scratch without upsetting his owner who may be house proud and who may find it distressing to see her furniture scratched. One issue …
Training Your Cat To Use A Scratching Post And Where to Put It Read More »
Here are four photos. I have collected them over the past couple of weeks. I thought I’d bundle them together and publish them. The first photograph above is by Elena Shumilova who lives in Russia. She takes wonderful photos. For me they are a bit too engineered and slushy but they are superb. This is …
