Whether your cat has been clawing up your furniture, or you have realized that you can't leave anything lying around without your cat tearing it up, you'll find that you may have a real problem on your hands. Luckily, this problem is one that you can solve with a little bit of thought. It is true that your cat's scratching is a natural behavior, but it is definitely one that you can take care of with just a little bit of time. If you are looking to stop your cat from scratching, make sure that you keep some of the following information in mind.

The first thing that you need to keep in mind is that there are many different reasons that your cat wants to claw, and it has nothing to do with making your life difficult. In the first place, cats claw because they are marking there territory. While it is most males that will do this, females will do it to a certain extent as well, and you'll find that this behavior can get worse if there are disruptions in their home environment or if they are feeling stressed. You'll also find that cats will scratch to wear down their claws, or to exercise their muscles. Finally, keep in mind that scratching for a cat is relaxing and natural behavior; they might just do it because they're bored!

Now, that you know a few reasons why they scratch you have to remember it's natural so if you want them to stop scratching valuables, you have to get them something else to claw. Give them a variety of choices. Some cats prefer carpet on a post, and some prefer a log. There are many types of surfaces available for you and your feline friend to try out. You may have to purchase a few scratching elements, but I bet it won't cost nearly as much as purchasing new furniture.

After, you get your cat these scratching elements, you will have to persuade your feline friend to use them. Since they scratch in part to mark their territory put the elements in high traffic areas and areas where the human household hangs around. Like in the tv room, or a busy hall way. You can also rub some catnip on them to make them that much more appealing to your cat. If you want to ensure that they get the idea. Put a citrus or minty freshener on the old cat scratching favorites. Cats are repelled by citrus and mint scents.

Many see declawing your cat as a quick fix. While it will fix your cat from scratching, it will also bring up a new batch of issues. While some try to convince you declawing is harmless, and is similar to getting your nails trimmed. It's NOT! Declawing is no a trip to the salon. The process of declawing your cat is extremely painful for them since they do cut of their fingers from the first joint of their paw, out. Never consider this horrible operation an option. No only will is it unnecessary but it also cause problems in their paws, and joints later in life.

If you are looking to make sure that your cat does not claw up your furniture, remember to give them some options. This can make all the difference when it comes to getting this problem taken care of.