How to Teach a Cat to Use a Scratching Post

Cats make great pets, but one of the disadvantages of owning cats is their scratching instinct. Born to climb and defend themselves from predators, cats will scratch your furniture and rugs unless you train them not to. A good way to minimize this behavior is to get them to use a scratching post. Here are tips on how to do that.

Things You'll Need

  • A scratching post
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Instructions

  1. Cats are smart, but they can be bribed!

    • 1

      Bribe your cat by putting toys or treats on top of the scratching post. This will make the cat want to climb it, obviously. This is also why you will want to invest in a big scratching post that will make it challenging for your cat to reach them. Cats, who are born hunters, like challenges.

    • 2

      Tie a piece of string to the top of the scratching post and let the end dangle down. This also makes the scratching post more appealing to the cat. You may also opt to tie one of your cat's favorite toys to the end of the string, if it is not large and heavy and will not hurt your pet if it swings and hits him.

    • 3

      Rub catnip over the scratching post if the cat truly does not show any interest. Most cats cannot resist catnip.

    • 4

      Make sure the scratching post is big enough so that your cat will be able to stretch on it. This is part of the post's appeal to cats. The higher it is, the more they will want to use it.

    • 5

      Cover furniture you don't want scratched with double-sided tape, bubble wrap, lemon spray or anything else that will likely repel your cat. Spray water at the cat if it tries to scratch anything except the scratching post.