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| How to tame a destructive cat |
Pacifying a Destructive Cat
Nothing can be more frustrating than coming home to your
place only to find out that a mini tornado has ripped everything apart. It’s
definitely not a result of some freak weather phenomena but rather from the
sharp claws of your four-legged furry friend.
They are Not Destructive
Cats are not destructive; they need to express themselves as cats by scratching or clawing.
You have to understand that this is the cat’s primary method of stretching the muscles on her back as well as shoulders and legs to better prepare her for the predatory activity she is looking forward to.
You have to understand that this is the cat’s primary method of stretching the muscles on her back as well as shoulders and legs to better prepare her for the predatory activity she is looking forward to.
Furthermore, cat scratching is a way for cats to sharpen
their claws to allow them to have better grip on surfaces that they need to
scale, such as a tree, a post, or a wall. In some cases, cats scratch to leave
a scent that effectively marks the spot as their territory. Whatever the reason
is, cats do not intentionally destroy your furniture. Read also: Fat Loss and Supplements for the pets.
Give your Cat Something to Scratch On
You can buy commercially-designed scratching posts or you
can make one yourself. The idea is for you to train your cat into using her
scratching post whenever she feels the urge to do it. As always, be ready with
your high quality food treat to reinforce her good behavior. Time your training
session to coincide with the most likely periods your cat will be scratching.
You need to observe the instances when your cat is most likely to scratch.
Train your Cat to Scratch in Appropriate Places
You need to train your cat to use her scratching post,
nothing else. Here is when a small spray or squirt bottle becomes an important
tool in teaching her to scratch at appropriate places. If the cat starts to
scratch on furniture you squirt water into her direction so that she stops what
she is doing. If she continues to scratch, squirt her again.
You need to be careful she does not know that you are
squirting her with water, lest you want to leave the impression that you are
punishing her for scratching. Also, never yell or shout at your cat when you
are going to squirt her because that only reinforces her suspicion that it is
you that is blasting her with water. Your cat needs to learn that when she
scratches at the wrong place, she gets a squirt of water.
Utilize her Unused Energy
Cats’ seemingly destructive behavior oftentimes stems from
her sense of anxiety. And where there is anxiety, there tends to be a buildup
of unused energy. You need to play with your cat or give her plenty of
exercise. This will make her so tired that she cannot even begin to stretch her
back, what more scratch your furniture. Read also: Moody Cats: How to deal with a moody cat.
Protect Your Furniture
Setup some booby traps on your furniture by creating noise
once she begins scratching. Put on a double-sided adhesive tape on surfaces
that your cat frequently scratches. Cover your furniture in sheets of plastic
whenever you have to leave the house for extended periods of time. Consider
buying a Scat Mat to discourage your cat from certain areas and surfaces of
your home. You can also spray citrus scents on your furniture because cats do
not really like the smell of citrus.
When you look at your cat’s scratching more as a natural
behavior for cats and not as a destructive joke, finding the correct solution
becomes a lot easier. Not only will it save your furniture from further damage,
you also save yourself from cursing your cat as a destructive freak of
nature.Your cat mood can really turn for the worse based on their emotions.
Cat’s have been known to spray areas in the home to get back at their owner for
not paying attention to them or for altering or changing something in their
environment.