The Necessity of Investing in a High-Quality Cat Scratcher

Your small kitty might at first glance look like the most adorable creature in the world, but look deep inside its eyes and you will see one of the most successful predators in the animal kingdom. Do you think those tiny weeny claws are for cuddling you after a long day spent at work? Well, they can be, but in the animal kingdom, they are one of nature’s most successful creations, and it helps feral cats to have one of the highest hunting success rates in the Felis genus.

You love your kitty and you will do everything in your power to keep her well-fed, happy and properly stimulated. But let’s face it, cats can sometimes be a lot. And without an investment in proper accessories, their natural hunting instincts might become destructive. Why should you invest in a cat scratcher? It’s not really about spoiling your small bundle of joy, as it’s about protecting your apartment’s furniture and ensuring that your grandma’s favourite drapes remain free of your fluffball’s scratches. 

Cats need to scratch. It’s a part of their inbound nature, it’s something they do in nature to release pheromones, they mark their territory this way, and they also use this behaviour to communicate with other kittens. Plus, it’s something that helps them relax and strengthen their musculature. Cat scratching posts are a crucial accessory for the physical development of your kitty. But, at the same time, they can also be their favourite toy, and transform into distractions that will keep them away from the rest of your dwelling’s furnishing. 

A Biological Necessity

Unlike us, cat claws cannot be considered separate parts of the hand apparatus. They are not like our nails. Instead, they are digits that play a special part in the way cats communicate and mark their territory. In their natural environment, cats scratch objects (most often trees) to keep their claws sharp and ready for hunting, and also to release pheromones that can either attract mates or indicate to other predators to back off. But your living room is not your cat’s natural environment. So, you will need to invest in a cat scratching post. 

Cats scratch objects in order to shed the outermost keratin layers of their claws, and this in turn makes them sharp and reasonably short, which is a godsend if you’ve ever tried to trim your kitty’s nails. Try it once and you’ll probably decide to visit your local pet store no matter what time it is. Without a cat scratching post, your small but adorable kitty will try to claw whatever objects it can find. They like soft fabrics though, so you can say bye-bye to your favourite carpet, pillow and sofa. 

Sure, something like this happening once or twice is to be expected, as it’s part of the pet ownership process that we are all familiar with. But financially speaking, if it’s continuing for a long time, then this process will not exactly be sustainable. And it’s not like you can train your cat to stop scratching stuff. Yes, technically it’s possible, but in reality, it’s easier to make a mule ride a bicycle. Cats have special scent glands in their paws that help them communicate and mark their personal space. It’s in their nature, and the only thing you can do is offer them a cat scratcher as a distraction. 

How Can It Actually Help?

Around 33% of Australian households currently own a cat, and precisely 100% of them will, at some point, present destructive tendencies as long as they are not presented with a high-quality cat scratching post. A high-quality cat scratcher, when designed and manufactured by a proper brand, can give your kitty an alternative to practice its clawing skills. Plus, the sisal on the scratcher is cheap to replace, and it can last for a surprisingly long time, which makes it a wise financial investment no matter how you look at it. 

A high-quality cat scratcher can improve your kitty’s paw health as will reduce the risk of overgrown claws, will naturally sharpen them so you will not have to use a cat trimmer as often, and, perhaps most importantly, will let your kitty exercise and stretch it’s back and leg muscles, which is necessary to maintain its flexibility, especially so after a certain age. Sure, a scratching post is not a magical tool that will automatically remove all your kitty’s unwanted behavioural traits. That said, it can be an accessory to prevent boredom, a cheap way to protect your furniture, and a means to help your fluffball live a long and happy life.

How Can a Cat Scratcher Be a Form of Exercise? 

Well, it’s quite simple, actually. For cats, scratching/clawing is a full-body exercise that involves both the quadriceps and the trapezius muscles. When they scratch, kitties pretty much stretch their whole muscles, and it’s in a way a form of yoga for them. Plus, because they tend to really dig their claws into the stuff they scratch, they are also flexing their digital flexors and shoulder stabilisers, which are important muscles for strength building. In a way, you can think of a cat scratching post as a mini gym for your small kitty. Do you want her to get ripped and become the Arnold Schwarzenegger of the feline kingdom? Then, you ought to buy a feline scratcher. 

Plus, scratching posts are complex, and some of them have small perches that can be used by your small kitty for its mandatory 14 hours of daily sleep. Cat scratching posts are perhaps not the most elegant or easy to transport accessories you can buy. But they are absolutely crucial for the proper mental and physical development of small kitties and are therefore recommended by most vets and feline behavioural specialists in Australia. Plus, they are quite cheap for what they offer. A high-quality scratching post costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $80, while even the fanciest ones do not usually go over $450. So, they are a good deal.