how do i get my cat to use a scratching post?

Question

hi, my cat is an indoor cat and has been scratching at my doorway so i sprayed it and she is staying away from it now BUT I also bought her a scratching post with catnip oil in it...she just looked at it and doesnt seem interested at all! how do i get her to use it. she needs to scratch her nails and i want her to use that and not just find another place!

Answer 1

I would try putting it by the doorway where she is used to scratch or put it on an area where she likes to be on. What I did with my cat was I put the pole by her play area and took her paws and helped her scratch the post, I did that every day for a week and she started doing that herself after that, my cat was 9 weeks then so she learned quick, if your cat is older you might have to do this fo a longer period.

Answer 2

Unfortunately my friend you are out of luck. If the cat doesn't like it then it will find another place. My cats are bad at scratching the arms of my couches and the carpet in doorways. It is horrible. I just keep a spray bottle in every room and if I catch them doing it they get sprayed! But you have to do it right away or they will not learn. Eventually it will become natural to them that the only thing they can scratch and not get sprayed is the scratching post! It will work but you have to be consistent! I have a scratching post(no catnip though) and they love it! Now that they know nothing else is available! Hope this helps don't forget to vote for best answer!

Answer 3

What I have found that works is to put the cat next to the scratching post and then move her paws in the post like she was scratching it. This will give her the idea that this is an ok thing to scratch on. Whenever she is scratching on the wrong thing pick her up and move her to the scratching post and show her what to do. It might take some time but soon she should get the idea. Some cats also respond well to praise, telling her she is good for scratching on the right thing.

Answer 4

haha good luck with this one most cats are stubborn, and they wont do anything w/o reason to do it. i found this:Lesson 6- How to get Kitty to prefer the post.



Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to the periphery of the room, but you'll need to do this gradually.



Initially, put the post where your cat goes to scratch. This may be by a sofa, a chair or wherever Kitty has chosen as her territiory, and you may need more than one post to cover her favorite spots. Security is a major factor in making the post appealing to your cat. If it topples or shakes, she won't use it. It should either be secured to the floor or have a base wide enough and heavy enough to keep it stable.



Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements. Feed her and play with her by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Make all the asssociations with the post pleasurable. Reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it. Have her chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in her digging her claws into it. Eventually she will learn to love it and regard it as her own. It's also a good idea to put a post where Kitty sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If space permits, a scratching post in every room of the house is a cat's delight. The most important place is the area of the house in which you and Kitty spend the most time. I have many sisal posts in my house, yet often in the morning my cats line up to use the one in the living room.



If at first Kitty is reluctant to give up her old scratching areas, there are means you can use to discourage her. Covering the area with aluminum foil or double-sided tape is a great deterrent. These surfaces don't have a texture that feels good to scratch.



Remember too that Kitty has marked her favorite spots with her scent as well as her claws. You may need to remove her scent from the areas you want to distract her away from. You will find pet odor removers in pet stores and many supermarkets as well.



Cats have an aversion to citrus odors. Use lemon-scented sprays or a potpourri of lemon and orange peels to make her former scratching sites less agreeable to her.



If Kitty still persists in scratching the furniture, try squirting her with a water gun or a spray bottle set on stream. Another option is a loud whistle or other noise-maker. You must employ these deterrents while she is scratching for them to be effective. The point is to establish an aversion to the spot you don't want her to scratch.

Answer 5

What kind of scratching post did you buy? My cat absolutely loves the cardboard posts. You can get them for around $10 at any pet store or even Target (and probably Walmart). She isn't interested in the carpeted kind. Even the other cats in the house love her posts and will come into my room just to scratch it. I know they are also enticed by catnip, but even when there is none on it they go to town.



Basically it is a bunch of cardboard pieces glued (or whatever) together, so that the 'side' of the cardboard is exposed - this creates a lot of holes (for lack of a better word) in the surface and the cats love it. As soon as this type first surfaced I knew that my kitties would love it.



Showing my age here, but our cats always loved to climb on top of a bunch of records that were standing up in a row and scratch the cardboard! This post is much better for everyone ;) You can search for 'Cardboard Scratching Post' if you aren't sure the type I am referring to. I most often get my cat the Alpine brand but they are a bunch. She loves to scratch and roll around on the flat ones, rubbing her head at the edges (especially if I add some catnip). They also have one which is like a wedge with a cat toy inside. She loves this one as well, and I also have it sitting at the side of the bed which is fairly tall. It helps her get in/out without having to jump as far as she is older now with arthritis.



I am convinced she loves to "show off" to me how good she is at scratching! We both love it. Of course I am a goof when it comes to my kitty and I tell her how well she is doing!



Eventually the cardboard gets worn as they scratch at it and you replace, but depending on how frequently it is used that may be at MOST once a month. No biggie. Plus the 'replacement' boards come in a double-pack for the same cost as a single board with the cardboard frame. I just use the replacement by itself for the flat one without the frame. Also, when the cardboard begins to bunch up from use you can vacuum off the loose stuff. Then flip it over when it's too worn and use the other side before recycling.



Please let me know if your cat loves this type of board if you get it! I have not had nearly as much success with carpeted or rope posts. The other cats would rather scratch the carpet than a post made out of carpet material, but they all gravitate to the cardboard!

Answer 6

Try using some more catnip, or showing the cat how to use it by picking it up and holding the paws up to the post and moving up and down. Also you can try turning the post on its side and putting the cat on top so its more like a carpeted floor. Hope I could help!

Answer 7

Put double sided tape on anything she is scratching that you don't want her to. Put catnip all over the scratching post, then praise her when she scratches it. whenever she scratches something you don't want her to (she won't like the tape, but incase you miss) make a loud noise to frighten her, like ratteling rocks in a can. After a while she will be trained to scratch only the post and you can take the tape down.

Answer 8

We used to put cat treats at the top, pick up our cat, who her the treats but not allow her to grab them right away. Then, we would put her on the floor and watch her scramble up the post where she could get the treats herself. Very quickly, she associated cat treats with scratching post.

Answer 9

when you get a scratching post for your cat, take your cat an mimick scratching the post. Take your cat and literally rub his paws onto the post. Cats have sebacious glands there that excreet a scent that we can't smell. Now, eveytime he goes there, he'll know to scratch there.

Answer 10

Rub actual catnip on it. I found the oils don't attract the cat as much as catnip itself. Good luck.

Answer 11

Make sure her favorite toys are around it. cat nip is also good. you can give her treats every time she uses it. Can you start feeding her next to it? with my cat I first put her favorite blanket on the post and she started taking naps there and then scratching!!

Answer 12

put treats on top of the scratching post and make sure your cat is watching you while doing this

Answer 13

well thre nothing to do one day they will jus go there an outta the blue because i have exactly the same problem i bought my cat a scrathing toy an she never used it not once an i only bouth it for her last week so she better play with it or ill give it to a cat who will use it lol thats all....lol

Answer 14

rub alittle cat nip on it, the dried stuff from your pet store and then start playing with her with a string. eventually, run the string up the scratch post, so she is sorta forced to put her claws into it. she'll realize then, 'oh this is fun too!' and start to use it more often

Answer 15

You could try luring her over with some catnip or put some of her favourite toys near it.

Answer 16

unfortunately there isn't a way to get her to use it she will have to just try it out. The best way to get her to think about using it would to only allow her to scratch it and to discipline her for using anything else. Hope I helped.

Answer 17

Pick her up, bring her over to the post, and pick up her two front paws, then just rub them on the scratching post, she'll get the idea.

Answer 18

Write him a note and put a warning on there that you aint gonna buy no more expensive gifts unless he starts showing some appreciation

Answer 19

dont you hate that, you guy toys for cats and they never use them! theyre normally pretty cool toys too

i dont know.. this might sound silly but scratch it yourself and maybe the cat will understna.d.. or put the post infront of the door

Answer 20

pour catnip on it and watch ur cat get high

Answer 21

put good catnip on it.

Answer 22

Put real cat nip on it.

Answer 23

i would smack her around with it, have some bells hanging off of it, she can then retaliate on her own time

Answer 24

rub cat nip into it.

Answer 25

give it to a vietnamese family

Answer 26

tie him him to it? idk lol