Cats have had a natural instinct to scratch ever since they evolved their sharp claws, to hunt prey and to defend themselves from attackers. Those claws didn't go away when humans started to domesticate cats. Some cat owners consider scratching such a serious problem that they have their cats declawed, but the operation required is very painful for most cats and leads to long-term health complications. The good news is that there are many alternatives to having your cat declawed.

Scratching is in cats nature. Scratching posts are an easy way to help a cat with a scratching problem. Scratching posts are made of rough materials that satisfy the cat scratching instinct. Cardboard, burlap, or sisal are used because they help remove dead skin and nail from the claw area. While scratching posts cats are doing something enjoyable, following their instinct, and also keeping their claw area healthy.

By using scratching posts, cat behaviors like scratching can be improved easily and inexpensively. The costs for this posts can range from less than ten dollars for a disposable cardboard post to the very extravagant posts that are carpeted and essentially cat furniture. It is a good idea to also provide more than one post per cat due to the cat's instinct to mark their territory by exercising claws throughout the house.

Cats are tempted to scratch furniture and you can discourage this by using things they dislike or find unpleasant. For example, if you are having trouble stopping scratching, you can try two-sided sticky tape which annoys cats quite a bit, or you can cover the at risk surfaces completely with bubble wrap, which they also dislike. With these in place, the cat will usually stop the behavior in a fairly short time, usually around a week, so you won't have to keep things sticky or bubble wrapped forever!

If facing problems with your cats behavior you can try to clip it's claws. A normal fingernail clipper can be used or a proper grooming tool that is available in the pet stores. The cat should be held gently and the paw pads should be lightly squeeze. This will force the claw to come out. With help of clippers the claws can be clipped carefully. It is important to make sure that only a small amount at the ends is cut to avoid pain to the cat.

If you haven't successfully altered your cats behavior by using scratching posts and covering the scratched surfaces, then you can try using claw covers. Claw covers are like artificial nails for your cat. They can be applied either at home or at your vet's office, and come in a variety of fun colors. A small amount of special glue makes them cling to each claw. The slippery, blunt surface of the claw cover will protect your carpet and furniture.