Why Cat Like Scratching at Things

Why cats scratch at things: Cats by nature need to scratch at things, and most of them do so when they are outside. Usually this is done on trees or wooden posts, but as some cat owners may have experienced, sometimes they use our furniture, carpets, etc to sharpen their nails. There are two main reasons that cats scratch. One is because their nails are always growing, and as this happens the exterior part of the nail falls off and they scratch to take it off entirely. Sometimes however, a cat will scratch at things to send odor messages to other cats. Cats have glands on their paws that let off odors, and when they scratch something, they impregnate it with their smell. Humans are not able to smell this odor, but other cats that pass by your house can and they will immediately know that a cat has been or lives in that place.

What to do with a cat that scratches things: If you own a cat that is constantly scratching at your furniture and carpet, it might be because the cat is not getting out enough. There are also some toys available for feline scratchers that are covered in sisal rope or natural bark from a tree. Make sure when getting a scratching post, that it is tall enough for the cat, and that it will continue to be so as your cat goes growing. It's best not to get the kind of scratching post that is made of carpet type of material as it might confuse your cat, and it might think that scratching at your carpet is something acceptable.

If your cat prefers scratching at your wooden floor, you could just give it a piece of wood and leave it on the floor for the cat to scratch at. Make sure though, to pick out a piece of wood that does not break into small pieces easily, since these pieces might get stuck into your cats paws. If your cat has a problem with scratching at your furniture and carpet, try to distract it and cover what it was scratching at to avoid the cat from continuing. Make sure that your cat feels safe and secure in your house. Sometimes a nervous and scared cat will scratch at things to mark its territory. So the best is to just make the cat feel at home.

Did you know? Some cats really enjoy watching television. Cats of course, do not understand what is going on in the movies, but they do like to watch stuff moving, especially if there are birds or animals that fly and make noise. You may have seen how sometimes cats jump at the television and even look behind the television to find out if that's where the animals are coming from!

There are special videos available for cats that are made to attract their attention and keep them entertained. These movies usually have birds, mice and fish in them and they also have very fine sounds in them that attract cats but these noises don't bother the human ear.