Sunday, September 30, 2007

Scratching Cat's scratching

A cat scratching things it shouldn't will drive its human companions into fits of irritation and frustration. The solution is to buy a good scratching post and then to train the cat where it may and may not scratch. To the uninitiated and inexperienced, this will be a daunting task. However, the concise and easy-to-read training guide that accompanies Natural Scratch tells humans exactly what they need to do and combined with Natural Scratch will solve scratching problems . Have a look at naturalscratch.com.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Cat scratching challenges

The sound of a cat clawing something is unmistakable and alarming--unless the cat is scratching an approved scratching target such as Natural Scratch.

Then it is music to the human companion's ears and needs to be reinforced with praise and food rewards. If the cat is scratching something it shouldn't, then training, coupled with a scratching post the cat likes, is necessary.

Cat scratching can be channeled toward an approved target; please visit naturalscratch.com to find out how.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Cat scratching training doesn't happen in a few minutes

Cats are famous for their independent natures. They like to have their own way, every day. But this doesn't mean a person can't train them. Humans are way, way smarter than cats, and it's fairly easy to outfox a feline. All it takes is a method that works, consistencey, affection, treats to reward desired behavior, and time. The training booklet that accompanies Natural Scratch explains what to do; then it's just a matter of taking the time to do it.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Unable to perform miracles

Natural Scratch is a straightforward product. It has one purpose: To help people train their cats to scratch a post so they won't shred cherished possessions and cause individuals to ponder declawing. It does this very well with its combination of a material--white cedar--well-suited to claw-sharpening; interactive features such as the bungee-cord string toy and mouse hole; highly stable design; and most important, the guide, *Training Your Cat To Claw Natural Scratch*. It is not a set-and-forget solution, in most cases, although some cats do take to it practically at first contact.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Cat-scratching praised

Praising a cat for scratching where you want it to is key to eliminating unwanted clawing. Some cats practically smile with delight at being petted and praised. Like humans, they respond to love and warmth. Give as much as you can. It works! By the same token, if a cat is misbehaving, you have to take action, EVERY TIME. Don't let it go because you're comfortable and don't want to get up. Cats need to know what is permitted and what is not. Show and tell them this consistently and you'll have them trained for life. It just makes sense.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Vets: wonderful but not perfect

We take our three cats and dog to a local veternarian and have for all of their lives; before these four, we took three other cats. We have been satisfied with the services of the clinic but now are unhappy. A malady that afflicted our sheltie Comet was mis-diagnosed and he suffered a great deal because of it. We don't even know if he will recover although we are doing all we can to help him. Had the problem been diagnosed properly at the outset, he would be fine now. The moral is to get a second opinion if an illness does not seem to be responding to treatment. A second lesson is that those who choose medicine as a profession take on a great deal of responsibility. It's way, way more than lucre. Way more.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Cat scratching the couch or...

Regularly people with cats tell me that their felines are destroying something in their home, from the upright end of a couch to the frames around doors. Cats only do this for one of three reasons:

1. They don't have anything else to scratch; 2. even if they have something else to scratch, they have come to enjoy the inappropriate target and don't want to give it; and 3. they just want to get the owner's attention.

None of the three reasons is acceptable, but what to do? Train, train, train. It's a lot easier than most owners think it is and it always does the trick.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Cat scratching is natural

Cats get a major kick out of scratching but the primary reason they scratch is to sharpen their claws.

Their claws are almost like fingers; they give them a great deal more capability than paws alone.

Among other excellent capabilities it gives cats is the ability to spear olives out of their martinis.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Cat scratching frustration

If you're feeling frustrated because your cat is tearing up your furniture or woodwork, you're not alone. Over the years, I have been contacted by scores of people in the same situation.

Most don't have a clue as to what to do and generally on impulse buy a carpeted scratching post because they figure their cat or cats must like to scratch fabric because it's a typical target.

In reality, nothing in the natural world is upholstered.

Worse, most people don't understand how to train their cats.

Both problems are solved when you choose Natural Scratch. The post is made of white cedar which is a soft wood most cats like and it comes with a short guide that teaches humans how to train their cats. Please have a look at naturalscratch.com.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Cat scratching? No, pretty cool? Definitely.

A Natural Scratch customer who has become a good long distance friend sent the following to me this morning:
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/?IDNumber=PIA05547

Please have a look for a view of Earth you almost certainly have never seen before. The photo at the site reminds me of Carl Sagan's wonderful book, *A Pale Blue Dot*.

Among many observations, Sagan makes the obvious but nevertheless brilliant point that everything that has ever happened to humanity happened here on this fragile ball of mainly rock and water we call home. This mote of dust zooming through the cosmos at a practically unimaginable speed.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Cat scratching can be frustrating

When a cat is scratching something it shouldn't, human companions are likely to shriek at it, which isn't a bad idea because cats hat loud, startling sounds. The next step, however, is often missed.

Many people think all they need to do is provide an approved scratching post and they will be home free. Trouble is, cats can't, on their own, distinguish what is acceptable from what isn't. Training is the key to success.

If you already have a post or two that isn't working, you might benefit from a training guide especially designed for people like you. You can find it at http://naturalscratch.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=NSFNC&Product_Code=33 Please have a look.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Cat scratching training is assisted by playing

Part of what is necessary to teach a cat to scratch where you want it to and nowhere else is to play with it. Most cats like to chase things--this is why Natural Scratch comes with a length of bungee cord that we call the Antenna. It can be used to attract a cat to the post and get it scratching. Assisting is hole that is drilled through the top of the post. Push an end of the antenna through this hole, wiggle it around, and watch your cat attack. In attacking the length of bungee cord it can't help but claw the post. Reinforce any scratching with a treat and your half-way home!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Cat Scratching "Table"

We have an old, wooden, picnic-type table on our enclosed porch that our cats like to scratch when they are on the porch. They've carved the legs nicely just as they've carved their Natural Scratch post. They also like to sit on the table. It appeals to them enough that I am currently working on a prototype for a Natural Scratch "Table." It will have four, 3-inch square rough, white cedar legs. Customers could place the table near a window. After scratching a table leg, a cat could jump on top and take in the world going by.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Saving Cat Claws

Saving cats claws was my primary motivation for developing and marketing Natural Scratch. The thought of removing these wonderful tools to prevent damage to household items is repugnant to me and many others. Solving cat scratching problems is not terribly difficult if you know what you're doing and have a decent post. A beef I have with pet stores is they often sell cheap posts that alone will not corral cat clawing. Training is the key always!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Cat Scratching Is Natural

Cats need to claw wood or another surface to sharpen their claws. Cats in the wild find trees to be wonderfully suitable scratching targets. Domesticated cats often turn to the next best thing which is interior woodwork or the uprights of chairs and couches. Usually, this gets them into a heap of trouble with their human companions. Humans can redirect a cat's natural need to scratch by supplying an appropriate substitute. Natural Scratch to the rescue!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Cat scratching post material

Sadly, it's easy to find cat scratching posts that are made of less than ideal materials. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, however, cats can be trained to claw just about anything, but some targets are not as suitable as others.

Natural materials such as the white cedar Natural Scratch is made of work best. The reason is straightforward: These are the materials cats are programmed to claw in the wild.

Once the cat is clawing a post, certain materials look much better than others, too. With Natural Scratch, cats whittle the post down and, from a distance, it almost looks like a beaver has chewed on it. This is part of the fun of the Natural Scratch.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Trained by Ursa Major

Ursa Major, the amazing cat that adopted me in the wilds of the Nort' Country, Florence County, Wisconsin, taught me all about how to train cats.

He was both an acrobatic cat and a brighter-than-average cat. Don't get me wrong; I love all cats. Period. But some cats are unusual and Ursa would head such a list.

He loved kitty treats, any kind of kitty treat. After my wife and I taught him to scratch the first Natural Scratch, I taught to do other tricks, including dancing. For a treat, he would stand on his hind legs and dance around in a circle. Cool. Another trick he learned was to leap over an expanse of water from a boat house ledge to a dock--again for a treat. The distance was probably about four feet; he would make his way around the edge of the boat house--keeping his natural fear of water at bay-- to the ledge and then jump across to the dock. Very cool. Always for a treat.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Cat-Scratching behavior must be taught

The primary reason some people are not successful in training their cat or cats to scratch where they want them to is they give up to quickly. An important secondary reason is they fail to find a treat that their cats will perform for. All felines are wild about some type of snack. Cats have strong likes and dislikes just as humans do. Find a treat that your cat loves and you'll be well down the road to having it do exactly what you want it to do.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Scratching Where You Want 'Em To Scratch

Regularly people ask me plaintively, "Do you think I can get my cat to claw Natural Scratch?"

The answer is absolutely but the emphasis has to be on the "I" in many cases. Some cats are amazingly obedient but others are more inclined to do their own thing until you set 'em straight. Most cats want to please and not cause problems unnecessarily, but they won't know what is okay and what is not unless the humans in their lives make it clear.

It's really that simple. ('Course they don't speak English so you can't just say, "Don't scratch the wookwork, please!")

Humans who fail to train their cats simply give up too easily. More later...

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Solving Cat Scratching Problems

Cat claws are marvels of nature, but they can be troublesome if a cat takes to destroying the furniture or woodwork. Some owners resort to declawing which is a radical solution to say the least. Its impact on cats is negative enough that some places have banned it outright.

Training a cat to scratch where you want it to is a much better approach and it isn't that hard.

All it takes is an easy-to-follow training method, a suitable post, consistency, and patience. The first two are available with Natural Scratch. You supply the second two and soon you'll have a trained cat. Cool.