Scratching Post For Cats.

Discussion in Pets started by pafjlh • Jan 31, 2015.

  1. pafjlh

    pafjlhActive Member

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    Before I acquired cats I honestly didn't understand why cat owners felt the need to have these. After acquiring my five cats I realized why. Cats want to scratch their claws against something. I guess its their way of trying to file down their claws. I have seen mine do this on the carpet when they are in The House. But outside they were actually using the tires of my brother's car as as a way to do this. Not a good thing, so we bought them a little scratching post and boy did they love it, now the thing looks like its been scratch to death. I know we should get them a new one but right now that's not a option due to financial issues. Anyway, I now know the importance of having a scratching post with cats.
     
  2. Jennifer McGaha

    Jennifer McGahaNew Member

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    Hello!
    I am an animal caretaker and would love to offer you a little help!

    You can use scrap wood (such as a piece of a 2x4 ) and wrap it in a piece of scrap carpet! Just stop in at a local carpet or flooring store and ask for any carpet they are willing to give you!
    Just wrap the wood tightly in the carpet and secure with strong glue. Don't use staples or nails as these can hurt your pets paws.
    You can also use rope around scrap wood or a hard cardboard tube. Just secure the first end with a strong glue...wrap it all the way down to the other end and secure the second end!

    My cats love these!
     
  3. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    The good thing is that my family and I live on a mountainous subdivision where trees and shrubs abound. Had we took up residence in the city, we would have seen the need to buy scratching posts. Since there are so many live and dead tree trunks in our area, our cats have the time of their lives scratching these things to their hearts' content. Despite this fact, it doesn't stop them from scratching the sofa or anything they could get their hands on at home.
     
  4. jcort

    jcortMember

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    My cat seems pretty content to scratch on our laundry basket. It's a fairly flexible wooden basket; is there anything wrong with that? I've never invested in an actual scratching post.
     
  5. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    Our cat never really cared about the scratch post too much, I don't know why. She does use it to scratch her claws (so she doesn't use carpet or furniture instead of the post), but she does it so rarely it's barely being used. We got it 3 years ago and it's still in almost mint condition.. she just comes, scratches it once with both front paws and goes away, haha.
     
  6. Mattenheimer

    MattenheimerNew Member

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    I go to thrift stores and see these quite regularly. What I believe happens is people buy them and the cat shows no interest in the scratching post, so they end up donating it to get it out of the house. I see these fairly often, and in great shape usually. That piece of advice from @Jennifer McGaha@Jennifer McGaha was very smart. You can easily build a scratching post as she stated. Just take care not to leave any exposed nails or staples. :)
     
  7. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

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    I don't have a cat, but I have been adopted by a feral cat who thinks he is mine, or probably vice versa, lol. Someone else in the house started feeding him and that made it official. He likes rubbing against things and I want to make him a post like one I saw for goats so he'll stop rubbing against my plants.
     
  8. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    I'm not sure if that will help, he's probably rubbing himself against stuff to mark his territory.
     
  9. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

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    Animals mark their territory with urine. He does it as he stretches, it's really quite comical. He will only do it on certain surfaces so that's why I think if I get one of those long brushes that people make the other kind of scratching post for goats with, it will get him off of my shrubby plants.

    ec799472efa9181d8fe01ccde9bca84a.

    Apparently people make similar things for horses as well.
     
  10. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    Cats actually mark their territory using glands on their body as well, by rubbing on things.

    Log In

     
  11. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

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    Well, I tried to read that, but before I could, big bad McAfee blotted out the page with a scary site advisory notice. How can they tell you not to go to a site you are already on? Not sure what the risky behavior is the site was accused of, but it's not worth the potential risk (sigh).
     
  12. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    Get a better antimalware, then. :p
     
  13. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

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    Well, I'm not sure what that means, but if one of the top protection software companies says that particular site is unsafe I don't need to visit it. Especially when the topic isn't at the top of my list of reading and researching priorities. The site needs to fix the problem.
     
  14. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    It means that you should use a better antivirus software that doesn't trigger on every false positive ever. McAfee really isn't a good software.
     
  15. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    We don't have a scratching post, but our cat can scratch to his heart's content on the trees, but he also scratches anything wooden or made of rubber like slippers in our home. I haven't thought of buying him a scratching post yet, maybe if ever I happen to live in an area with no trees outside then for sure I will buy him one.
     
  16. ChanellG

    ChanellGActive Member

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    Actually, it means that web administrators should keep their security certificates current so that visitors don't have to wonder if the sites they manage have been compromised, but I guess you don't care about such things.
     
  17. Aladar

    AladarWell-Known Member

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    It's funny that you are trying to assume an offensive stance when you obviously don't even know what you're talking about. The site HAS no security certificate. It doesn't run any kind of encryption.
     
  18. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    Apparently there's a type of spray that help to 'lure' the cat to away from the area in order to isolate a zone they can scratch. I'd use that spray around the area giving the cat a window of opportunity so to speak.