Why won't my cats use their new scratching post?
Friday, February 26th, 2010 at
8:41 pm
I got my cats a new scratching post for Christmas and they all avoid using it. I even rubbed catnip on it and hid their old one but they just look at me sadly like, where is my old little scratching post? I thought it would help my one cat especially because he had a broken leg early in his life and lays down to use the small one. I’d hoped he would want to stretch his leg while getting his manicure, but avoids it, as they all do. Any suggestions to get them to use it?
Filed under: Cat Scratching Post
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Cats have got scent glands on their paws, so when they scratch somewhere it leaves a smell that encourages them to scratch in the same place each time. Part of their desire to scratch is to mark territory, and so they need to top-up this scent from time to time.
Your old scratch post was impregnated with their claw scent and that’s why they enjoyed using it. You’ll either need to let them go back to using the old one, or assuming it was a sisal post, find a way of removing the sisal from the old post and attaching it to the new one so that their scent encourages them to use it. If they also enjoy scratching newspaper or cloth, offer them something which they can use temporarily so that it has their scent, and then tack that onto the new post until they begin using it.
Put Catnip on and around it and they will find it irresistible . Remove the old post and clean real well where ever they have been scratching to get the sent off.
They don’t notice what it is yet. Take their paws and scratch it on the post. That always works-
If you still have the old post, set it next to the new post.
Place their toys around the post, and also try tempting them to the new post with one of the dangly thingies on a stick.
Cats are so particular. We have a piece of kitty furniture that I bought several years ago from Foster & Smith that my cats loved. It has a sisal scratching post that became totally frayed, and so I recently bought a replacement part post for it. After I installed the new post they just ignored it. Our before bed play usually centers around this piece of furniture, and one cat especially used to run toward the post, scratch it madly then jump on top waiting for me to come with the dangly toys, but now the sisal post is ignored.
We have plenty of other sisal, wood and cardboard scratching things, but it’s so odd that my cats are ignoring the new post because they usually love a new piece of furniture and immediately start scratching and getting their scent all over it.
Sigh. At least I don’t have frayed sisal rope all over the floor now…
I would suggest to pretend to be a cat yourself and scratch it then take their paws and put it on the thingy!
=)
i seen this on tv, take your cat to the post and squeeze their paws so their claws come out then scratch on the post. this gets there sent on it or something. anyway i tried it and it worked.
remove the old from the house, put the new one in t’s place, and spread catnip around it, but don’t over do it. it just take cat’s a long time to settle down and be comfortable. a lot longer then dogs…