Establishing a good cat scratching routine in your house...

Probably the most frustrating part of cat ownership (especially when they are kittens) is their propensity to scratch your furniture, carpet, drapes or anything else they can get their little paws into. Cats have claws which in a sense gives them certain behavioral urges. In the wild, cats scratch tree trunks to sharpen their claws and it also serves as a warning to other cats when they transfer their scent. Your home isn't the wild right? So how can do we fix this behavior? Here are a couple of suggestions:

Be patient with your cat when it comes to scratching discipline. Don't yell and don't run up to them in a fury! You'll simply startle your cat and you probably won't fix the situation. Gently take your cat to the scratching post that you have purchased for him. Praise him (by petting or your happy voice) when he scratches his post. This teaches your cat he should be scratching the cat scratch post as opposed to your $2000 sofa. The key with cat discipline is rewarding them with positive reinforcement.