Cat Scratching Furniture by Reg Brittain

Do you have a cat? Does it like to scratch? (What cat doesn't!) Then you need cat scratching furniture – that is, furniture designed expressly for cats to scratch.

Sure, you may be thinking you will just go ahead and have your cat's claws removed. Please be aware that doing this is similar to someone removing the ends of your fingers. Not cool, right?

Instead, do two things. Accommodate the cat's desire to scratch by bringing cat scratch furniture into the home, and trim the sharp ends off the cat's claws – just as you would trim your own nails – whenever you find it necessary.

This type of furnishing for cats covers an array of items, and we should consider a couple herein.

If you see something you like, or have something to share, please leave a comment.

Photo By: Mel B. (Flickr)

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Just as you and I have a natural need to grow our hair, cats find it necessary to scratch and sharpen their claws. If you simply provide them with a place to scratch and train them to scratch there, rather than on your sofa or whatever, you will have happy, content kitties.

(And yes, you can train cats. I have done it. Rubbing catnip where you wish your cats to scratch helps a great deal. Catnip is every cat owner's friend.)

So, what kinds of cat scratching furniture are we talking about?

Consider a kitty condo type of arrangement. You have seen these condos. They are carpet covered and offer a place for the cat to hide and scratch a little. In my experience, these are too small and low to the ground for scratching. Cats like to stretch and arch their backs downward as they scratch.

Something that accommodates this behavior is a cat tree with a sloped side leading up to a perch. We have one with a burly, thick, natural material on it that has lasted for years, and the cats still love to scratch on it (especially if we remember to add catnip to it).

These and other cat scratch friendly items are available in the shopping district of the Web, of course. Seek out a site that specializes, and you just might be happier with your purchase.