How To Solve Cat Scratching Problems: Using A Cat Scratch Ball Toy

You might have seen your cat scratching, but this innocent scratching can be destructive and it can lead to a lot of problems. Experts recommend to train your cat to avoid scratching and if it wants, it should only do it on a cat scratcher ball toy. Here is everything you need to know about excessive cat scratching and how to deal with it.

Scratching – Medical Issue Or Instinct?

It is in the instinct of the cat to scratch. They do it to clean themselves, to express their feelings or they can also do it to mark their territory in case there are other cats in the surrounding area. It is a feline act of making sure that other animals know that this territory belongs to the cat. Although there is nothing wrong with a couple of scratches here and there, there is something called “Destructive Scratching” that can lead to some issues.

Scratching can also be an underlying psychological issue and your cat might have some sort of problem, which is causing them to excessively scratch. This is not a good thing, because too much scratching can cause the following problems:

• Your cat might hurt itself or other people during scratching.
• Your cat can ruin things around the house, like furniture, clothes, shoes, and other stuff.
• The wound, if goes unnoticed, can turn infectious and that is another ordeal in itself.
• Cat claws can shorten and get damaged by excessive scratching.

These are just some of the few problems associated with scratching. The main and probably the most concerning one is the diminishing and shortening of claws. Cats need their claws to do a lot of things. Claws are like their defense weapon against trouble and other animals which seem threatening to the cat. Not to mention, scratching is a major issue and a lot of people can get annoyed with their cats constantly trying to scratch everything and ruining their things.

Destructive scratching is merely an instinctual issue for cats, more than a medical issue. It is not to be confused with skin problems or any other thing. This is purely a natural behavior that has gone off the rocker and it needs to be rectified and remedied before your cat does some serious damage to its claws or the things around your house. Luckily, there are things you can do to divert the scratching of your cat towards other things, which won’t be damaging at all and if you train your cat properly and keep a scratch ball for cats, then the pattern of destructive scratching can be broken.

What Can Be Done To Reduce Scratching?

Cats are curious creatures and they will love anything which catches their interest. Cats also have a very short attention span on things once you give them something which is far more intriguing so you might want to use this fact to your advantage and skew the attention of your cat toward other things. If you want to divert your cat’s scratching towards other things, then you can try these methods and see whether they work or not:

1. Cat Scratching Ball

The best thing you can do, to divert the scratching of your cat from your furniture and important things around the house to something else, is by having a cat post or cat scratching poll.

A cat scratching ball is specifically designed for one reason: Scratching. Cats can scratch on the ball as long as they want because these things will get their attention and as a cat owner you can rest assured that nothing will damage your feline friend’s claws or your furniture.

A cat wants something, which will grip its claws and this is what gives instant gratification and relief to the cat as it starts to scratch. A cat scratching ball will do just that.

There are also cat scratching posts that are available in different variants. The best and most common kind is the one that is upright and shaped in the form of a long cylinder. It can be mounted on the floor and your cat can go about it and scratch any available surface on the rough cylinder.

2. Cat Scratching Mat

Other than a cat scratch ball toy, you can try cat scratching mats as well. These are different from cat posts in the sense that these are mats, which are laid flat on the floor and secured with either some sort of adhesive or through suction.

This can be a good alternative to a post if your cat is used to scratching the carpet and rugs around the house because the dynamic is the same, but the only difference and relief are that your cat won’t be ruining your expensive wool rug.

3. Make A Cat Scratching Post Yourself

If you want to bring out the DIYer in you, then you can make a cat scratching post by yourself. It's actually super easy and a great substitute if you can’t find a cat scratching post and need something extremely last minute.

All you need is a small cylinder. The length of the cylinder should be around 1 to 2 ft., a little bigger than the length and height of your cat because sometimes, cats have a tendency to stand on their two feet and scratch things.

The next thing you will need is some sort of rough paper. This can be rough sandpaper or scratching paper if you can get your hands on it. This paper is rough and uneven and perfect for your cat and its scratching tendencies. You will also need a small metal pipe, on which the cylinder will be mounted and the root of the pipe can go into the ground or floor so it can stand upright and not wiggle around.

You will need to glue the paper to the cylinder with some strong holding glue. Allow the cylinder to dry for at least a couple of hours before jamming the pipe through the hollow of the cylinder and fixing it on the floor. Now, you have for yourself, a temporary cat scratching post, which will work just as great. You can also make a scratch ball for cats with similar steps.

Scratching Posts And Balls – How To Use Them?

Here are some things you need to know about cat scratching balls and how to effectively use them for your cat. You should decide if your cat needs a scratching post or ball and then follow below:

1. The Placement Of The Cat Scratching Post Or Ball

The first and most important thing you need to figure out is the placement of the scratching ball. You can’t just put it anywhere you want. You want to see the pattern of your cat first. The post needs to be placed where your cat tends to go when it starts to get the sudden urge to scratch at things. So, instead of making the furniture or clothes the target, you will need to place the cat scratch ball toy somewhere near the furniture and instruct your cat to go there and get the urge out.

2. Introduce The Scratch Ball To The Cat

Another thing you want to do is get the cat acquainted with the scratch ball for cats. As soon as you get the post and have it installed where you want it to be, bring the cat near the post and allow it to observe.

You will need to give the cat some time to figure out what exactly the post is, and this can be done by letting the cat feel the post against itself and letting it run its claws along the scratchy surface. It will get a general idea pretty quickly and if you train your cat to use it whenever the urge to scratch hits, then it will be a job well done.

3. Get Multiple Cat Scratching Posts And/or Balls

For the sake of variety, get a couple of different kinds of scratching posts and cat scratcher ball toys. Scratching posts are available different materials. Some are made out of cardboard and are smooth and some are more rough and uneven and those ones are usually made out of wood shavings or leather. Then there are orientations of the posts.

Some posts are vertical, some are horizontal and some are slanted or diagonal. The type of post you select depends on what your cat prefers, so it’s a good idea to get different kinds of posts and see what your cat prefers.

Another thing you can do to get the cat acquainted with a cat post is to put some treats or catnip near it. Cats will be easily lured toward the post when they are attracted to things near it. This will make the training process a lot easier and quicker.

Tips To Prevent Your Cat From Scratching The Furniture

• Make it known that scratching is discouraged by removing objects that cats find attractive to scratch like furniture, speakers, shoes, etc. and let it know that it can scratch only on the cat scratcher ball toy.
• Trim the nails of your cat regularly. A lot of the time, scratching is just a normal grooming instinct for the cat, in case its claws are too long and are in dire need of a trim.
• If you want to go the extra mile, then you can put protective caps on the cat’s paws to make sure it doesn’t damage anything with its sharp claws.

Conclusion

There you have it! Now that you know how destructive scratching is different from regular scratching, you can use preventive and precautionary measures to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. Moreover, get a cat scratch ball toy to have a scratching place for your cat.