Veterinary Behaviour Consultation Service – Hertfordshire

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Help my cat is scratching everything and ruining my house…..!!!

Help… my cat is ruining my sofa, bed, wicker laundry basket (insert prized furniture possession here)! This is a call I receive almost weekly. Why oh why are our furry feline friends so intent on destroying our belongings? Is it out of spite? Malice? Or something else?

Why do cats scratch?

cat scratching

 

Scratching is a normal feline behaviour and they do it for a number of reasons:

  1. Maintenance of claws –old claw coverings are shed when cats scratch. It also sharpens and shortens the claws.
  2. Stretching – ever notice that a cat will often scratch after it has woken up? It is our equivalent of a satisfying morning stretch!
  3. Muscle maintenance – scratching is a way of keeping their hunting leg muscles in tip top shape.
  4. Marking – scratching provides both a visual signal (the scratches themselves) and a pheromonal signal to other cats. Cats have lots of scent glands between their toes and scratching is a way of saying ‘come read my message over here!’ Scratching behaviour can sometimes increase in times of stress and be seen in ‘socially important’ areas to the cat. 

Picking a scratching post

 Many commercially available scratching posts are totally unsuitable for cats. When trying to stop your feline scratching your furniture, you need to make sure you have provided them somewhere appropriate to carry out this innate behaviour.

Things to look for:

  • Sufficient size – the scratching post should be 1.5 x the length of the cat when standing on their hind legs and stretching up.
  • Sufficiently sturdy – Many scratching posts are flimsy and will wobble when leant on by the cat, which will scare them! Make sure the scratching post can easily take 100% of your cat’s weight.
  • Consider a horizontal post – some cats prefer horizontal scratching posts – if your cat is scratching your rug think of getting one of these!
  • Look for a vertical weave – cats like to scratch in vertical motions. Lots of commercially available scratching posts are horizontal (e.g. rope wrapped around a post) – meaning cats can’t get a good grip and will be less likely to use it.
  • Consider the type of material your cat is enjoying scratching and try to provide this in another setting. Corrugated cardboard, wood, carpet and wicker can all make great scratching posts.
couch

A good scratching post might be all that is needed to stop your lounge looking like this!!!

You can entice your cat to use the new scratching post by using cat nip, dangling wand toys over them and by rewarding them (food and positive interaction) when they scratch the correct area.During this retraining time, they should not be allowed access to the problem area.

If you have followed my top tips for picking a scratching post and are still having issues with a scratching moggy, contact me for more help. Scratching can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder, so it is important not to ignore it!

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Apartment living with Sydney’s dogs and cats

According to a recent Sydney Morning Herald Article, more and more of us are willing to pay a premium to allow us to live with our furry companions in inner city apartments:

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/can-i-bring-my-dog-too-20141012-114eyf.html

Until very recently (this month to be exact!) I have been living in an apartment in Rose Bay with my cat Sebastian – and he has been quite happy (if not slightly porkier than I would like…..).

Most of us work much longer days than we would like and most of our fur kids end up being at home alone for long periods of time. There are however a few easy to implement things we can do to make their lives happy and more interesting.

For both dogs and cats consider getting a puzzle feeder. These can be as easy as a home made kibble dispensing bottle (simply make holes in an old plastic bottle- and voila!), or hiding food in an empty egg box for cats – to more elaborately designed feeding stations such as the Trixie Cat Puzzle Boards or Kong dispensers. Alternatively, take to hiding kibble all around your apartment – your dog or cat’s very own daily treasure hunt! Seby is a big fan of his puzzle feeder:

photo (9)
When it comes to toys – variation is the key! Pets get bored of toys very easily – so leave them down for no longer than a week, then swap them with another. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on new toys, simply hide them for a few weeks and your dog or cat will get excited about it once more .

www.petsneedalifetoo.com have a huge range of amazing toys (just be careful not to leave any toys your pet can ingest parts of!)

With cats, remember they see the world from a different perspective and love nothing more that climbing on things and sitting up high. Consider getting a cat tree with various levels for your cat to hide or climb on. If you don’t mind adding to your interior design there are a wide variety of cat shelving and walkways you can buy online, I love:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CatastrophiCreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&ulsfg=true

For a cheaper solution most cats can’t resist a cardboard box.
For dogs try and walk them at least once a day and add in some games for variation. You could try sharing walks with other dog owners in your apartment – so someone can walk them in the morning and the other person in the evening. If you are out for extended periods every day you could even consider a reputable doggy day care or dog walking service.

If you are thinking of getting a new cat or dog and want to discuss ways to enrich their lives to prevent common behaviour problems, or are currently living with an animal suffering from problem behaviours please don’t hesitate to contact Life on Four Legs 🙂