y does my cat put her claws in the couch and stretch? should i buy her a catch scratch pole or something?

Answer 1

They need to stretch to stay healthy...if you don't want your couch picked apart, or scratched up, get a scratching post for the cat...more than one if you can do it. They have them for all size places, & some even hang on doorknobs.

Answer 2

Yes you should her a scratch pole and or other items related that is at your local pet store / pet suppler . Cats can be trained to use a scratch pole and related items . When She starts to scratch the couch take her gently away and over to the scratching post and move her paws up and down the pole to simulate scratching . She Will then do this on her own . You may have to show her a few times . I rescue cats and have done this before , it usually works . The reason they scratch is to keep their claws sharp and clean . I could go into great detail on why they need to scratch but I will not. You might also want to buy a book on How to raise a cat .

Answer 3

You have a few options. 1) Put a line of carpeting along the back of the couch. The cat can scratch without doing damage. And no one can see it. 2) Territory sprays you can buy from pet supply stores, spray is anywhere you don't want your cat to lay. It will stop your cat scratching. Humans aren't meant to be able to smell it, but I sure as hell can. 3) Water spray bottle punishment. I'd opt for #1. My cats claw leather, no problem. It's just a more expensive item to damage. And no, cutting her claws won't stop her.

Answer 4

Scratching poles, in my experience, are a waste of money. The thing just sits there and collects dust and my cats still use to couch. I discovered how to clip their nails!!!! It's humane and it saves your furniture. If you can't clip them yourself, I think Petco and Petsmart do it for like $10. It's quick and painless and your cat wont end up with arthritus later....they need their claws to stretch. And for some reason, it cuts back in the scratching of things and even when they do scratch they can't grab on so there is no damage.

Answer 5

Scratching post is a good idea. They need to scratch to file their nails. Often they will do that outside on trees or wooden fences if they have access to the outdoors. For indoor cats you need to give them something as an alternative or they will have to use the furniture or carpets. Mine have access to the outdoors and scratching posts too :) Keeps them happy :) They do like to stretch when they wake up, as many humans do and should do in fact for health.

Answer 6

She doesnt pick the couch on purpose with intentions to tear it up.

She needs to stretch, and the couch is something she can dig her claws into without slipping.

A cat post is a REALLY good thing to have.

Answer 7

Cats scratch in order to stretch, to mark their territory, and to remove the sheath on their nails.

Yes, you should give her a scratching post, unless you want her to destroy your furniture. Cats need to scratch, so she must have someplace to do so. Make sure the post is at least three feet tall and has a solid base.

Answer 8

My cat never scratched the scratchin pole but he scratched the side of the sofa instead.I think he did that because it kinda stretched is paws too.

Answer 9

Our neighbor has a female cat named Peaches who frequently scratches the bark on a cherry tree in their front yard. In fact, the tree has been scratched so much that there are noticable gouges in it and small pieces of bark have accumulated on the ground underneath. Why does Peaches scratch this tree so much?

It has long been assumed that when cats scratch objects with their front paws that they are sharpening their claws. It turns out that this is only a secondary reason. Research on cat behavior suggests that the major reason for this behavior is communication. By roughing up the bark of a tree (or the leg of your favorite chair) the cat is letting other cats or people know where she is and what she is up to.

Cats tend to pick a small number of conspicuous objects in their environments to scratch such as trees, fence posts, the corner of the couch, etc., and return to them repeatedly. This is why the tree next door looks so scratched up and why your cat may find it difficult to leave your couch alone. The scratched surface leaves a highly visible mark that can be easily seen by other cats. In addition, cats have scent glands in their paws so that when they make scratching movements they leave odor cues that othe cats can smell. The fact that cats leave scent marks by making scratching movements may be the reason that cats will continue to try to scratch objects even after they have been declawed. Declawed cats may still be leaving scent marks on objects they scratch.

We don’t know exactly what cats are communicating with their scratching. Both males and females do it, it is done inside and outside the home and even by cats living with no other cats around. It could be a territorial warning or just a marker that announces "Peaches lives here and is alive and well!" Cats don’t scratch up your furniture to spite you or just to be destructive, but for specific reasons, one of which is communicating. Cats also scratch to stretch, during play, and possibly as a greeting or to relieve frustration when prevented from doing other things they want to do.

Cats use scent from other parts of their bodies to communicate as well. They have scent glands at the corners of their mouths, in the thin hair between their eyes and ears and at the base of their tails. They leave scent marks on people and objects when they rub their heads and tails on things. Just what they are communicating with the rubbing isn’t known, but they seem to do it most to people or other cats they are attached to or when they are feeling friendly. Cats can also scent-mark by spraying urine on objects. Cats spray from a standing position, not from the squatting posture they use during elimination. Spraying often occurs during territorial disputes and when the cat is highly aroused or frustrated and is usually not related to litterbox problems. There is no evidence that cats use their feces to mark territory.

GET A POST

Answer 10

They do that to feel good. When kittens feed from the mother's breast, they would "massage" the breast to get more milk.
And that's what your cat is doing. Get something else so he can scratch on.... otherwise say bye bye to your sofa (I threw out one a year ago).