By Amy Shojai
A top reason cats lose their homes is destructive scratching when furniture trumps the cat-owner bond. People bonded with a cat put up with more household damage before resorting to ditching the kitty -- but it can still happen. Understanding why a cat scratches -- and how easy it is to prevent damage to furniture -- helps keep cats in their homes.
Clawing is an instinctive behavior that can't be stopped. While some felines are claw-maniacs and others are less demanding of scratch-time, all cats claw for physical, emotional and social reasons.
Clawing provides exercise to stretch shoulder and foreleg muscles, and it keeps nails healthy. Scent pads in kitty paws leave invisible smell-cues of ownership. The marks also serve as feline Post-it Notes to warn away other cats from prime feline real estate. That's why single-cat households may create less claw-trauma than multipet homes, where each cat vies for territory and attention. Cats also claw to comfort themselves during times of stress.
To keep clawing on-target, give your cat legal outlets for this natural behavior. Offer irresistible options while making forbidden objects undesirable. Watch your cat and he'll tell you his scratch preferences. The surface (wood, sisal, carpet), preferred shape (vertical or horizontal), and location are vital. Spiking the new object with catnip helps promote feline allegiance.
Kitty wants the world to see his scratch-graffiti, so don't hide posts in back rooms. Place them in high traffic areas or near important cat territories -- windows, lookouts, nap places and food stations. Abide by the 1-plus-1 rule of one post per cat, plus one, so everyone has clawing opportunities. Avoid "cleaning up" or re-covering tattered scratch objects. That can risk the cat losing scratch-allegiance when his marks disappear.
Make illegal targets unattractive to the cat, until he learns to use the right object. Sticky Paws double-sided tape, endorsed by the ASPCA, works great on upholstery -- cats dislike touching surfaces that stick to paw fur. Strong scents such as citrus deodorants or Vicks Vapo-Rub repel many cats. Cinnamon peppered on dark upholstery, or baby powder on light fabric, prompts a poof of dust into the cat's face when he assaults with feline claws. You can even temporarily wrap chair arms with bubble wrap. These pet-safe "booby traps" are effective when you're not around.
A product called Comfort Zone with Feliway duplicates the cheek scent that cats rub against furniture that tells the cat, "Chill -- calm down!" Cats won't claw on top of cheek-rubs, which reduce stress-related behaviors. Feliway comes as a spray or as a plug-in from pet product stores.
Meanwhile, position legal objects next to illegal targets and redirect kitty claws when necessary. Interrupt forbidden scratching with a sudden loud noise. Slap a newspaper against your thigh, clap hands or shake an empty can full of pennies. A long-distance squirt gun aimed at a furry tail can startle some cats out of the behavior, but some cats LIKE to be squirted! Once kitty stops, direct claws to the legal target with a laser pointer or by dragging a feather lure over the surface, and praise when he does the right thing.
For hard-case cats, Soft Paws vinyl claw covers reduce the potential for scratch damage. Soft Paws glue over the top of each nail, come in a variety of colors, and are available from pet supply stores and some veterinary offices. You can learn to apply them yourself.
After your kitty switches to scratching the correct object, move it to a better location, a few inches at a time. The bubble wrap comes off as well. A little bit of human inconvenience translates into a well-trained kitty and a lifetime of love. And that's the purr-fect outcome for everyone.
Amy Shojai is the author of 23 pet-care books, a founder of the Cat Writers Association, and is the cat behavior contributor at cats.About.com.
Q&A
Complementary help
can ease cat's pain
Q: I can tell that my older cat is stiff and sore. It's harder for her to get up, and she doesn't move around as quickly. I am very interested in natural medicine and would like to know if my cat can also benefit from the same treatments that have helped me reduce some of the aches and pains of age. -- via email
A: Lots of veterinarians and other pet lovers share your interest. Many natural therapies, known as alternative, or complementary, medicine, have been found to help cats, especially as they get older and develop arthritis or other health problems related to aging. Complementary treatments include nutraceuticals (a word coined by combining "nutrition" and "pharmaceuticals") such as glucosamine, chondroitin and essential fatty acids.
A good example is omega-3 fatty acids. Research has shown that they can have a significant anti-inflammatory effect on arthritic joints in dogs, and there's a good chance that cats may benefit as well. Older cats with creaky joints can also get pain relief from a product called Adequan. It is easily injected beneath the skin and can be done by a pet owner at home.
Pets with pain issues can also be helped with physiotherapy, which may include acupuncture, chiropractic, stretching, massage and low-level laser. A veterinarian who is trained in these therapies can determine which ones will work best for each individual pet and administer them as needed. You can learn to do some other techniques at home, such as tui-na, a type of Chinese massage that helps to increase circulation and improve tissue mobility, and low-level laser therapy, which has benefits that include reduced inflammation and pain relief.
Two important things to remember: One, just because something works in dogs or people doesn't necessarily mean it will work in cats, who have a unique physiology; and two, just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it is safe. Never give your pet an herb, nutraceutical or other medication without first checking with your veterinarian to make sure it won't harm your animal or interact negatively with other drugs your pet is taking. -- Kim Campbell Thornton
THE BUZZ
Enzymatic cleaners
best for pet mess
-- Cancer deaths in both dogs and humans can be reduced dramatically by a reduction in the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and in maintaining ideal body weight. The research, by veterinarian Dr. Demian Dressler, was presented at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting. Dr. Dressler recommends severely limiting snack foods that contain ingredients rich in omega-6, such as corn oil, vegetable oil and grain-fed red meat. Too much omega-6 fatty acid can lead to inflammation, which creates an environment conducive to the development of cancer. As for weight, obesity cuts the production of a hormone that inhibits the growth of cancerous cells. The findings stress the importance of proper diet and weight for both people and pets.
-- The cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can trigger or exacerbate psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia, triggers different reactions in different people. That's the result of a study published in the journal Infection and Immunity, authored by researchers at Johns Hopkins. Each of the three strains causes different reactions in nerve cells, ranging from mild to serious. The parasite is the reason why pregnant women are counseled to have others clean litter boxes, so as to protect fetal development. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.