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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 14, 2009 - 9 Getting felines up to scratch F elines like to scratch, but when it's your new sofa, the sheers on your bay window, or your furniture, you may not be too happy. Training a kitten to scratch the right surfaces will help prevent damage to your household. Kittens commonly use their claws. Like children, they explore their environment in a variety of ways. Learning to climb and defend itself is all part of a kitten's development. Providing the correct surfaces and being prepared for attempts to scratch inappropriate ones are the first steps to successful training. Cats can be trained, but to do so successfully you need to take time and find the right motivators to make the cat receptive to the idea. Consistency is the key to success. Start with the right surfaces. Most cats do not like slippery surfaces, so plastic is a great protective covering to place on items during training. Use caution with this method because some cats do like to eat plastic. Find out what kind of surface and level the kitten likes to scratch at. Some favourites for cats are sisal, cardboard, wood and carpet. After determining the texture, the next step is to determine at what height the cat is scratching. Some cats scratch in a downward motion. Others like horizontal ground. If you obtain the cat's preferred substrate, but place it at the wrong level, it is less likely to use it. Having determined the right surface and height, obtain or build multiple scratching posts. When positioned on each floor of your home, they are easily accessible to the cat. If the cat gets the urge, there isn't far to travel to find a place to scratch. Once in positions throughout the house, train the kitten to use the post by playing around it using toys and catnip. If a cat uses the post, toss it a favourite treat as a reward. Kitty will soon catch onto this game. Likewise, when the cat is in the presence of a piece of furniture it used to use as a post, but chooses not to scratch, reward it again with a treat. Positive reinforcement for good behaviour is balanced with redirecting the kitten's attention when it behaves badly. If you catch the cat `in the act' of scratching something inappropriate, use a spray bottle filled with water to squirt it with a steady stream until it stops. The cat needs to think that it is the furniture spraying it for this action, not you. Never hit or reprimand the cat. Either of these actions could cause negative repercussions (like the kitten choosing to relieve itself outside of the litter PET OF THE WEEK: Jolene is cute, petite and is quite chirpy. For more information on animals available, visit www.oakvillehumane.ca. box) and damage your relationship with your pet. Other methods that do not require training include keeping the kitten's nails trimmed really short, lots of exercise, confinement or declawing. If your kitten is okay with having its feet handled, there is a product on the market called Soft Paws -- a rubber nail cover. Using these protective covers until the kitten matures can be helpful. The product is available in many of the larger pet supply stores. Veterinarians can order them as well. Tire a kitten out and it's likely to be less destructive. When you are home, exercise the cat if you can, by using toys on strings and having the cat chase them for periods. Alternatively confine the cat to a room where it cannot do damage before you leave your home. Bathrooms and laundry rooms are usually small, good locations. De-clawing is hopefully an option chosen as a last resort. For the shy cat or the cat that relies on its claws, this procedure may have repercussions. The cat may not always use its litter box or resort to biting. Also, once a cat is declawed it should always remain inside. Teaching your kitten the right places to scratch may require a great deal of patience, but if successful, the benefits of not having to replace damaged furnishings far outweigh the time required to train. Tuesday, February 17th to Sunday February 22nd Proud to Support Oakville's Great Heritage!