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BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS: VOLUME II
A summary as taken from PETs Magazine: Written by Berney Pukay, D.V.M.

Is your cat displaying unwanted behaviours that are affecting your bond with your pet? Typically cat owners generally don't address the issue effectively and quickly therefore, leaving them only four choices:

drug induced behaviour modification adoption to another home euthanasia or expensive therapy

DESTRUCTIVE SCRATCHING

Its normal for cats to scratch. It is instinctive and and inherited trait. Cats scratch in order to leave a visual and olfactory smell that marks their territory. There are sweat glands in their paws that leave the scent. They will also scratch in order to condition and trim their claws and to provide muscle toning in the front legs.

Correction of this problem involves three steps:

Prevention:
Begin by first scratch proofing your home. Close off all areas tha might be a problem and keep your cat confined to an area that does not have any objects that might be scratched. Provide an alternate scratching post or board of a sufficient size and texture to encourage the cat to use it, yet sturdy enough so as not to tip over. It should be covered with a material with a longitudinal weave that allow syour cat to dig its claws in and get a long stroke. The post should typically be taller than your cat when it stands up on its haunches. It should be placed near where the cat sleeps. Keep your cats nails trimmed, supply lots of toys and allow your cat access to outdoors whenever possible.

Training:
Training your cat involves teaching it to use the scratch post by rubbing the surface with catnip and rubbing your cat's paws gently on the post. If the cat insists on trying to scratch unsuitable objects, give her a firm "NO" and bring her to the post and once again rub her paws on the post. Give her praise if she uses it or attempts to use it.

Correction:
If any of these methods are unsuccessful, try applying remote "punishment". That is to say, hiding out of sight (perhaps use a video camera) and applying an unpleasant stimulus whenever your cat scratches the drapes or furniture. The stimulus may be a loud noise, spraying of water, shaking a tin can or small pillow or small stuffed toy thrown near them (not at them). These reactions by you will identify the negative stimulus withthe act of scratching, rather than you.

We wish to remind our readers to please consult with your veterinarian professional before taking any action. All information on this page is provided for information purposes only and Northumberland Hills Woodworking accepts no liability or responsibilty, real or implied, by presenting this information to the general public.

Stay tuned next week for BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS: VOLUME III -"Jumping on Furniture".    A new "Vet Tip" is posted every Monday - it could be yours! Please feel free to contact us at northumberlandhills@yahoo.ca with your questions, inquiries, problems, issues or general feedback. We will make every effort to source the answers to your questions, satisfy your customer service needs or generally say thanks for the valuable feedback you provide.

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