Cat Scratching Posts

Scratching is a territorial instinct by which cats place their mark and establish their turf. Through scratching, cats mark their domains with more than just visible signs of claw marks. Cat's paws also have scent glands that leave their own special scent on their territory. A scratching post is a wooden post that is covered with soft material that cat uses to scratch.

Cat owners usually provide their pet cats with cat scratchers so that they can scratch easily as they have a natural urge to scratch. This action helps them to remove old material from their claws. Scratching posts are used to provide an alternative to cats as they inevitably try to scratch on wooden surfaces like furniture. Cat scratching is a natural phenomenon that so one cannot teach the pet to avoid it.

In fact the owner should provide suitable stuff for the cats rather stopping them which can cause erratic behavior. The most common type of posts are wooden with has 60-90 cm height and are covered in rough fabric. The post is mounted vertically that can be used by cat to scratch upward and without tipping it over. Surfaces vary: the post may be covered in sisal rope, upholstery fabric, or the jute backing of a piece of carpet.

Many pet owners find they have to experiment with different surfaces to find one that their cats will scratch reliably. Other kinds of scratching posts are more elaborate, with several levels of horizontal platforms for climbing and cozy cave-like areas where cats may hide. Very tall ones are often called "cat trees." These may have a vertical tension rod that extends to the ceiling to provide extra stability. Smaller scratching surfaces may consist of something as simple as a piece of carpet turned upside down, or a flat pad of woven sisal with a loop to allow it to hang from a doorknob.

Scratching posts may be purchased at most stores that carry pet supplies, but many people build their own. There are different possibilities of building scratch posts as there are tips and tricks available for free in magazines and websites every where. The colorful cat scratchers are very common these days as most people build themselves and cat likes colorful scratching posts better. Different cat scratching posts are incorporated into cat beds to make cat scratching more comfortable. These kinds of luxury beds are quite costly but also are available in more designs and colors a man can imagine.