What
Mr. Big Taught Me About Scratching
Mr. Big was my most troublesome cat
ever. He was probably more feral than tame when he showed up in our back yard.
But he was always getting into fights and getting beat up, so we took him inside
for good, along with the rest of our herd.
This
animal loved to scratch our sofas and chairs. And the poor cat had been frightened
to death by something (or someone) before he came to us, so it was really hard
to bring ourselves to discipline him too harshly. After all, he is just a little
cat (why we called him Mr. Big is another story) . And he meant no harm. A new
strategy was in order, one that we applied to all of our feline companions.
So,
as I started up my cat furniture company, and began testing models of scratching
posts in my own home, I learned a few things by trial and error. Here you will
find some of the things that Mr. Big taught me:
How to
Get Your Cat to Use a Scratching Post
1) LOCATION: Place
scratching posts where your cat scratches. Also, consider putting them between
rooms, at high cat traffic areas. I am not saying anything about a cat's IQ, but
it seems that my cats have always liked the surprise of seeing something tasty
to scratch each time they've entered a room. It's really not a reflection on a
cat's intelligence. I just think he'll be happy to put this in his routine if
you can make it easy for him to come upon a well-placed scratching post.
I
don't need to tell you that your cats want to be near you when you are sitting
and relaxing (so here I am telling you..heh, heh, heh). Make sure a post is convenient
to these places (where you like to relax) . Think in terms of more than one post
(just like you have more than one chair!). Yes, big surprise....we suggest you
purchase more than one scratching post in most cases.
2)
INTRODUCE & PLAY : The following method will seem remarkably simple
& obvious. But if you think about it from a cat's point of view, it is bound
to produce the desired result of helping your kitty discover her scratching post
on her own terms.
I will briefly
tell you what did NOT work with Mr. Big, or with any other cat we've come across
over the years, and that is MAKING the cat go through the act of scratching the
post. If you think about it for a moment, you'll agree that a cat must resist
this to retain his dignity and his independence ( and to frustrate and annoy you
you big bully! ). So, forget about putting his paws on the post and pretend with
him that he's scratching. It's just too heavy-handed for most cats, and will usually
fail to produce the desired result.
Instead,
get a magazine so you can sit and read while you do this next step. Also get a
long piece of string (about a yard or so) . So, even before the cat comes in the
room, drape the string over the length of the post, and just hang on to your end.
Now sit next to the scratching post, and patiently wait for your cat to come in
the room. Sit very naturally, and do not appear interested in the post. When your
cat comes to investigate, use the string to attract your cat to the post. Do this
by very slowly dragging it up the post to the very top. You can do this very smoothly
by "reeling" in the string around your index fingers. It's even possible
to fool your cat into thinking that the string is alive - and therefore some slithery
little prey that needs to be hunted down (or "hunted up" in this case).
As the cat notices the string's ascent up the pole, stop it for a moment, and
then restart it. I find that many cats will just climb right up the post after
the string. Once that's happened, the die is cast. Your cat has found the best
place to scratch all on his own. Well, not really... but it'll be our little secret!
Truly, your cat knows that
you've participated in this little hoax. But he also knows that your did this
with him, and you didn't make him scratch there. You helped
him see where to scratch, and you also spent some quality time with him. There
was no yelling, no punishment, no forcing of any kind, and best of all, no frustration.
It was a piece of cake!
Your
cat likes to play, and will appreciate the attention. And you could use a little
playtime with your cat, too. Enjoy it! Cats are really good at playing! Maybe
you are too serious to play? Oh I don't think so... heh, heh, heh... Just
give in to your inner cat (A note to the reluctant cat-owning member of
the family: Maybe you're not totally invested in this critter. I get that all
the time & believe me, I do understand. It took me forever to finally admit
that I owned Mr. Big. But when you succeed in getting your (wife's?) cat to use
this scratching post, you will have accomplished something really positive. And
you'll feel good about it).
3)
PRAISE: Praise your cat for using the post. Make happy, friendly sounds to
encourage your cat. If your cat has a favorite treat, you can even reward him
when he scratches. A little tender scratch behind his ears and a loving
stroke is always a nice reward, too. If only WE could get this kind of encouragement
when we do positive things!
It
really is just that simple, folks. Your cat obviously WANTS to scratch, and he
will prefer a great scratch post to anything else. Give this a try, OK? When it
works for you, pass it along to someone else who needs a little help. And by all
means, let us know if we've helped you solve this common cat problem.
