enjoy and eat too much!
Only an adorable kitten can make a pilgrim’s outfit cute.
Happy Thanksgiving
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What to do when my cat scratches furniture
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If your cat scratches furniture, curtains or anything you DON’T want your otherwise sweet fantastic kitty cat to ruin, it’s helpful to understand why they do it. They’re not deliberately trying to piss us off, they have a reason. Read why my cat scratches furniture to help you understand your cat’s behavior.
solutions for cats scratching furniture
Get scratchings posts and pads. Lots of them. The goal is to offer your cat as many options as possible. Get different styles, textures, and sizes.
Pet store scratching pads & posts
In nature, cats use trees to stretch and scratch, which is why it’s one of several materials used on scratching posts. Similar surfaces that have scratching appeal are sisal, hemp and carpeting.
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
Your cat might prefer one material over another, and letting them sample scratching posts with different textures is how to find out what your cat likes. Maybe all of them.
- Take advantage of offering different scratching textures to your cat.
- Place post or pad close to where your cat scratches as an alternative.
- Your cat needs to know the scratching pads and posts are theirs.
If your cat is reluctant to use your newly purchased post/pad, sprinkle catnip on it. Watch what happens. Catnip often works to entice your cat to using the pad/post. (Although not all cats respond to catnip.)
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
Another technique is this: if you see your cat scratching your sofa, for example, gently pick them up and carry them to a scratching pad/post. Never yell at your cat, you’ll only upset and confuse them. They are, after all, doing what’s natural to them. This shouldn’t need to be said —NEVER hit your cat, unless you want them terrified and possibly never trust you again. Instead, after you bring your cat to their scratching pad/post, place them or their paws on it and with a soothing tone, pet them and tell them yes my most loved kitty, here it is okay to scratch. Maybe this sounds silly, and although cats can’t be trained in the manner dogs can, my kitty care believes cats can be guided. Suddenly, your cat is happily scratching away on their pad/post. Take this opportunity to reinforce and reward your cat with their favorite treat. Cats understand that good behavior gets them good stuff.
Scratching post & hemp door hanger awaits Marnie
Remember, your cat isn’t deliberately disobeying you or trying to be bad, they’re just drawn to places which appeal to them because of their instinctive need to scratch, groom and stretch. It’s our job to provide them with alternatives that work for them and protect our furniture. You don’t have to get rid of your cat to eliminate the scratching problem, you just need to understand why your cat scratches, and make the effort to provide solutions that work for you and your cat.
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
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Why does my cat scratch furniture?
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For some people, my cat scratches furniture is why they bring or return their cat to a shelter. But are there other options?
Yes, if you’re willing to try different suggestions until you and your cat(s) find what works.
why cats like to scratch
In the natural world, wild cats instinctively scratch just like our cats we live with, because for all cats it’s equivalent to a manicure. By scratching (known as stropping) they shed the outer husk of their claws for the new claw beneath. It’s also how they keep their claws filed and clean. Plus they get a great full body stretch.
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2018
Another reason cats scratch is as a means of claiming territory. If your house is their territory, it’s their house too and they mark it. That includes your favorite sofa or upholstered chair, cause it’s yours and by scratching, it becomes your cat’s. Consider it a gesture of trust: you’ve created an environment which enables your cat to feel secure enough to want to stake out your house and furniture as their turf.
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
Okay, we like our cats to feel safe. So how do we save our furniture?
- Make your furniture unappealing to your cat
- Provide alternate scratching options
- Use scratching surfaces that attracts your cat
- Guide their behavior towards where you want them to scratch
Cats supposedly are repelled by citrus, which is why there are several products on the market specifically for this purpose. You can find these products at pet stores/online.
Or try tape. Tape? You must use sticky double-sided tape and place it where your cat scratches. Some people may suggest aluminum foil or plastic covering and although effective, it’s also quite ugly. Instead, double-sided sticky tape is much less intrusive.
(Example from one company)
photo shari smith dunaif © 2022
My kitty care can attest to this particular option. A chair our beloved (and missed) Toby had declared as his had begun to show the ravages of his scratching, from the top of the armrest to the floor. We used the double-sided tape and he stopped. After a few years the tape peeled off, but Toby had accepted that area as a NO SCRATCH zone. It did remain, however, as his throne.
photo by shari smith dunaif © 2022
my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.
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What a group of cats is called
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A group of 3 or more cats is called a “clowder.” Where did that come from?
According to Wiktionary, clowder was noted as being used in the English language in 1801. But it’s origin is much older. It began with the Old English word, clott (contemporary spelling: clot). Clott became clutter during the Middle English (1100-1500) period, which began because of the Norman Conquest in 1066. By 1167, Oxford University was founded and Cambridge followed in 1209. Both these institutions increased literacy and an expansion of the English language. Clutter became clowder, although currently, it’s not in common use.
These are also acceptable references to a group of 3 or more cats:
Cluster of cats
Clutter of cats
Destruction of cats
Dout of cats
Glaring of cats
Nuisance of cats
Pounce of cats — my kitty care favorite
To My Kitty Care, whether it’s one, two or a clowder of cats, we love them.
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My cat eats flowers
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Some cats, but not all, love to eat houseplants. But Valentina is different. She lives with Rodney and his partner Raymond. When Valentina is in their garden, Rodney smiles and says, “My cat eats flowers.”
This is new to My Kitty Care. Why flowers? According to Dr. Karyn Bischoff, a board-certified veterinary toxicologist at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, cats sense of smell is so much superior to humans; they have 14 – 20 times the smell receptors than we have. And since flowers smell wonderful to us, we can imagine how inviting they must be to cats.
These lovely flowers are considered safe for cats to eat
- Lilacs
- Roses (it’s the thorns that make roses problematic)
- Sunflowers
- Petunias
- Camellias
- Snapdragons
- Daisies
For cats who eat houseplants, it’s important to know which ones you MUST NOT have in your home because they are toxic to cats. What about flowers? Some flowers are so toxic, the cat only needs to chew and not even swallow the flower or leaves of the flower.
Although these flowers are pretty — keep cats away from them!
- True lilies and daylilies
- Daffodils
- Crocus
- Hyacinths
- Kalanchoe
- Azalea
- Hydrangeas
- Tulips (are in the lily family)
- Oleander
- Lily of the valley
- Chrysanthemums
The levels of toxicity of the above flowers range from a rash to death Lilies are particularly toxic — your cat only needs to eat a couple of leaves or just lick the pollen grains to ingest the poison.
Want to know how serious the consequences are?
If your cat eats the leaf or pollen grains of a lily: your cat will vomit for 2 to 4 hours. Within 12 – 24 hours your cat will urine frequently. If your cat stops urinating, he/she may have kidney failure. If you do nothing, your cat will die 4 – 7 days from nibbling on a lily.
About flower arrangements
Giving or getting a lovely flower arrangement is always welcomed. But what about we lucky households with cats — my cat (getting an arrangement) or your cat (receiving an arrangement)? The website 1st in flowers focuses on those flowers used in typical floral arrangements which are toxic to cats. The site categorizes flowers based on the symptomatic reaction cats have to them.
If you have any reason to suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24 hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.
