Frisky Felines:

Cats. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em. You may have noticed your cat is quite frisky, after all they have a tendency to scratch objects and jump on furniture.

Scratching is supposedly healthy; it’s been known to eliminate parts of the claw. It’s nature quite frankly to climb a tree for example, after all frisky cats use their cat’s claws to climb. However, when they’re indoors they also use their claws to scratch furniture instead of trees. You may notice some destruction to your sofa, bed, furniture, etc. Cats scratch vertical objects like a dresser and have more of an inclination to scratch these vertical objects instead of horizontal objects. Though the frisky cat will still scratch horizontal items if the texture is appealing such as a soft rug.

What you can do to help is simple: clip the cat’s claws frequently about every two to three weeks and start clipping your cat’s claws short when the cat is young. This will hopefully decrease the chances of your cat’s claws ruining your furniture. Plus, if your cat has favorite objects that are small enough to be moved, start hiding them. You may notice your frisky cat playing with objects that can result in scratches and damaging the items.

Other experts recommend ways to decrease your cat’s scratching include identifying objects your cat enjoys to scratch and try to make them less interesting and less fun. You may also notice your frisky feline enjoys to jump on your refrigerator or the kitchen counter. They’ll play with curtains or use a plant as a litter box. This can be controlled somewhat and similar to the pet owner teaching the dog how to sit or stay, you’ll need a lot of patience and time to train the cat to not do these things. Examples include reprimanding your cat after using the planter as a litter box as well as taking away its favorite toy.

At The Dog Bowl, nothing is more important than your pets’ health and well being. For more information about frisky cats and how to handle them contact your vet or cat breeder.