Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Cat Scratching Got The Cat Scratching?

The following scenario happens every day across America.  

Someone hears the cat clawing the furniture or woodwork and sees marks.  Not good.  Then he or she or the entire family goes to the pet store to buy something for the cat to claw.  Often it's a carpeted post.  This would be okay if the buyers knew how to train cats.  Cats rarely do what humans want them to automatically

Instead the post is put somewhere in the living space and the cat is strongly urged to claw it; encouragement and direction are given in fairly complex English words, often spoken slowly.  Unfortunately, a short sentence of English said to a cat named, for example, Jasper, is heard as follows: *%$#(  PK$##  +*%@!XZ  >"*#S Jasper!  
Cats are wonderful but they don't speak English. Other methods must be used to teach the cat a few simple scratching-related words, to get it's attention, and to reinforce behaviors you want it to exhibit while eliminating those you want it to avoid.  Many are presented in the Training Booklet that accompanies Natural Scratch.  Please have a look at http://www.naturalscratch.com/nstraining.html.


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Cats Aren't Perfect...

...but neither are humans. Cats can certainly try a person's patience now and then but it's only because they are programmed to be independent, to run wild, and do what they want within the bounds of the dangers that are all around in nature.

When we invite cats into our human world, the dangers decrease dramatically but other, alien concerns--at least to the cat--come to the fore. An excellent example is a cat's need to exercise and groom its claws.

Outside this never creates a problem because trees are not harmed by scratching; couches are another story.

If you need to corral your cat's natural need to scratch, I hope you'll visit naturalscratch.com


Friday, May 9, 2008

Felicity Interacting with Natural Scratch

One of my many kind customers recently sent this photo of her cat Felicity interacting with Natural Scratch.  One of Felicity's paws is in the Mouse Hole, which is located just below the top of the post.  I advise people to put treats and catnip in the hole to encourage their felines to interact with Natural Scratch. 

Once a cat is interacting with the post, it's just a matter of time before scratching, which can be reinforced with praise and kitty treats, will occur.  

The Mouse Hole and Antenna--the stretchy string toy above Felicity's ear--and the training booklet are among the reasons I often refer to Natural Scratch as a "system."  It's much more than a scratching post, and everything about it is designed to help you redirect your cat's clawing to an approved target.  

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Cat scratching? No. Interesting? I think so.


It's a little hard to see, but the bundle of fur in the middle of the picture on the deck railing is a gray squirrel.  We have many here in Brookfield but this one did something I've never seen before.  It took a nap. 

He or she stopped the usual running and leaping that characterize these rodents; bent forward radically, appearing to grab its hind feet with its paws; and went to sleep. 

The day was rainy and overcast so the light was poor and the picture isn't great.  Didn't want to use the flash for fear of scaring the critter away.