3 Tips to Keep Your Cat’s Claws Dull
Though it does drive cat owners crazy, it is perfectly normal for cats to scratch objects in their environment. They will do this for many reasons
- To remove the dead outer layer of their claws.
- To mark their territory by leaving both a visual mark and a scent – they have scent glands on their paws.
- To stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws.
- To work off energy.
You want to find ways to keep your cat’s claws dull by providing ways they can scratch without harming your furniture or drapes. Though some items will not help keep your cats claws dull, they will help keep them from ruining your furniture.
Scratching products
Scratching posts
For normal size cats finding scratching posts is easy, they are everywhere. However, scratching products are not normally made for large cats and can be very hard to find.
A scratching post will not dull your cats nails, in fact it will actually make them sharper, however most cat owners find that having a scratching post or other type of cat scratcher will keep their cats from scratching furniture and other fabric objects in your home.
Tips for looking for the best scratching post
Get a post that allows your cat to get to full height when scratching.
When a cat wants to scratch they usually want to do it in one of two ways. On the floor or on the walls, curtains, places you just don’t want to have them claw up and destroy. Getting the right post helps, you want one that is about twice the size of your cat, this is true if you have a vertical or horizontal scratcher.
It needs to be made of the right material
You want to have a rough material for your cat to scratch at. Think about the bark of a tree, that is usually rough and cats love scratching at trees. When you look for the perfect scratcher you want to make sure its a rough material that will hold up to your cat.
Make your own scratching post
I went on a search for a good post for my cat and I found a few but I also didn’t want to spend $100 on a scratching post if I could make one cheeper. I decided to take a look at the cost and found it is cheaper, but very time consuming.
If your interested in making your own scratching post here is a great video for one. You may need to make it longer depending on the size of your cat.
Vertical Scratchers
Many cats enjoy scratching on the floor or at an incline. There are many products out there that are great for cats who like to scratch up your carpet. The trick is to find one that will stay put as they scratch. You may want to search for scratchers that have a good base to them. This will help keep the scratcher in place while your large cat scratches away.
I did a lot of research into finding the perfect cat scratcher and came up with two of the best cat scratchers for large cats. Check out that post if you are looking for a recommendation.
Cat Claw Covers
Another way to keep your cats from clawing your furniture is to use claw covers. These are silicone covers that allow your cat to keep doing the scratching motions without destroying your furniture. You can check out this great post that tells you a bit more about how Claw Covers work here.
Cat covers are great for many reasons.
- They keep your cat from destroying furniture.
- You don’t have to buy scratching posts
- The covers last 6-8 weeks
- They are simple to put on
- They don’t harm your cat in any way.
A few reasons that you should not use cat claws on your cat
- You have an outdoor or indoor/outdoor cat
- You will not maintain the 6-8 week change out of the covers.
- Your cat keeps picking at the cover even after a few weeks.
Trim Their Claws
If you don’t like the idea of putting covers on your cat, you can always trim their claws instead. You can have this done by your vet or a groomer, however, you can do it at home as well.
How to trim your cats nails.
Why you should not declaw your cat
You may be thinking, why do all of this when I can just declaw my cat and not have to worry about it.
Unfortunately, declawing your cat is not the best option. Declawing a cat traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe. If this was performed on a human being, it would be equal to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.
Declawing a cat can also cause the cat to be in pain for a long time, if not for the rest of its life. Your cat may also stop using the litterbox because they now associate it with pain due to the declawing, your cat may also start biting since it no longer has claws for defense.
Many nations around the world have banned declawing a cat. Here in the United States New York is the only state to ban declawing, however, the idea is gaining more attention and it’s expected to be banned in more states. Michigan introduced a bill in February of 2020 to ban declawing a cat.
These are the best ways to keep your cats claws dull and to keep your cats from clawing your furniture. Cats need to scratch, the good news is we can teach them to scratch where we want them to.
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