The Lowdown on Cats and Cat Scratching

Everyone who owns a cat knows that their claws can become a destructive element to a home or apartment. Cats have a natural need to scratch and claw at things; it is inherent in their nature. Their claws cannot on their own file themselves down; therefore they need tools to help them to maintain their claws properly.

History of Cat Scratching

Long before cats became domesticated maintaining their claws was rarely a problem. Most cats in the wild have so many places they can go, or things that they do on a day to day basis to ensure their nails stay trimmed that nail overgrowth is rarely a problem. However since their domestication, the natural elements that cats would normally face in their hunting, gathering and living have been taken care of by humans. Because of this they are left with few options in maintaining their nails. Because of this they are always on the lookout to find things from within their domain or home to help them trim and file their nails.

As most cat owners can testify to, this can be a costly and damaging venture for the property they reside in. Cats are known to find many areas to claw to keep their claws trimmed. This can include furniture, floors, walls and doors just to name a few.

For most cat owners they can think of this as a betrayal by the cat. But in fact it is just simply a normal cat self maintenance procedure that they do on a regular basis. Those cats who do not have their nails trimmed can find that they get ingrown toenails or they can get a nail caught in something and actually end up pulling out the nail with something as getting it snared in a rug. When this happens it can be quite painful for the cat and it can lead to infection for them.

The overall best resolution for cat owners is to find a way for them to naturally get their scratching done without causing damage to property or to the pet. Cat scratchers are the perfect resolution for both cat and cat owner.

Types of Cat Scratchers

Cat scratchers are often made of diverse materials that mimmick the types of things that a cat would encounter in the wild. Some of the more popular cat scratchers are made of layered cardboard and sandpaper type materials; while other materials used can often have a carpet base. The problem with the carpet based cat scratchers is it can set up a pattern that would make it difficult for a cat to understand why they can only scratch up the carpet on a board and not in other spots as well.

However with proper work a cat will adjust to a good scratching post. Some are a little picky about their scratching habits and do not like using carpet based posts at all because their claws can actually get caught up in the carpet and cause them harm. These cats would do best with a cardboard based cat scratcher. Some come with cat nip attractors to help entice the cat to the location and to instigate the scratching process.