Cat Scratch Fever on Scratching Board

Attitude of Cattitude is a column about my 5 kitty cats and their purrfect adventures!

Do cats use scratching boards? Most kitties can’t resist digging their claws into one. Plus, it’s fun flinging and watching bits of cardboard land all over the room.

Saves Your Furniture?

I recommend buying a couple of scratching boards in different shapes BEFORE bringing a new cat home. Why? Once they target a piece of furniture, it’s not easy to get them to stop.

However, you can slowly retrain them. I’ve learned that tinfoil and plastic protectors don’t work well because the late Merlin used to play with them.

What does work well is using a cat deterrent spray and keeping a board by the furniture. If they scratch the furniture, put them on a scratching board to encourage them to use it instead. Praise them when they use the board. Repeat often until the kitty stops using the furniture as a nail groomer.

You can put catnip on the board to entice them. Here’s a video of the late Merlin five or more years ago.

We Rest

Rhiannon loves her throne scratching board, as you can see from the cover photo. And she even sleeps on it in an awkward position.

Purrfect Sleeping Position

We have three throne scratching boards and will need to replace one soon. I got the circle scratching board when Tiger was a kitten, and he rarely used it. Pip and Boudicca use it for scratching and resting.

Boudicca

Pip Sits While Jeoffry Looks On

Cheap Vs Expensive Scratching Boards

The cheaper the scratching board is, the less time it will last, and the bigger mess it will make. While the expensive throne one lasts a long time…

Let’s use the cardboard pad on the cat tree below that we owned for more than a decade as an example.

There was some damage. Although, within a year, Pip destroyed the expensive scratching board with help from the other cats. Sadly, they no longer make replacement boards at PetSmart where I bought the cat tree. So, I bought a $5 board from Ross and my husband cut it to create two fitted boards.

After Three Weeks

A Few Weeks Later

Final Thoughts

Can you imagine if that was a piece of furniture instead of a cheap scratching board?

I found the proper size scratching pad on Chewy that we will experiment with.

You can read the columns about damaged cat trees and cats on Meowijuana below.

These magnets make the purrfect holiday gifts for stockings. Click here to learn more.

Blessings and Purrs,

Pamela Cummins

Cat Trees Makeover

Cats on Meowijuana