Cats can be trained to use a scratching post and not to use other surfaces for their stretching and scratching exercises. Cut pile carpet is an attractive surface through which they can drag their claws. However, a material that can be torn out is preferred. This may be a loosely woven material or a soft wood composition board. The scratchable surface could be firmly attached to a post at least two feet high that is firmly held in position, usually by a heavier base. The forefeet of kittens can be gently placed up the post and drawn down it. By rewarding the kitten with praise and stroking while it is scratching and food when it has finished, it usually quickly learns to exclusively use an attractive post.

Shouting at or spraying a cat with a water pistol is likely to reduce scratching in your presence. However scratching may well still be done in your absence. This can be diverted by temporarily putting a scratching post in front of the scratched surface that is protected by a non-scratchable cover such as wood, steel or thick plastic. Reward the cat for using the post. When it is using it consistently, then move it less than a foot each day toward an acceptable position. As cats tend to stretch and scratch after a rest. The post is best placed close to the cat’s sleeping area. You may find it helps to have a scratching post in each room. Once the cat is using the post in the new position, the protection over the scratched area can be removed. If the cat goes back to scratch the area you find undesirable, it means that surface is more attractive than the post. The post could be made more attractive and/or mousetraps could be hung with their bottoms facing out on the surface you don’t want the cat to scratch. When the cat touches the back of the trap, it springs out from the scratched surface and cannot snap shut on the cat’s paw. There are soft plastic “paddle” attachments commercially available for mousetraps to reduce the chances of a cat getting hurt. They also increase the visual impact of the trap going off. The effects of scratching can be reduced by regular trimming of the cat’s nails or by gluing rounded plastic tips over the ends of the nails (e.g., SoftPaws).

There are different attitudes about declawing cats to stop scratching problems. While it is still not uncommonly done in the USA and Canada, it is very rarely seen in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain and in many other countries. The present policy of the Australian Veterinary Association is that the removal of claws, particularly those that are weight bearing, to prevent damage to furnishings is not acceptable.

They say that “Curiosity killed the cat,” and watching cats check out newly arrived containers shows how keen they are at investigating. Allowing them access to these new shapes and smells will add novelty to their lives.

Taking advantage of their well-known tendency to investigate things with their paws, was can put small objects inside a box in which there are holes through which the cat can put its paws but through which it would be very difficult to remove objects. Such entertainment centers are also commercially available.

These plants can be successfully grown indoors in pots from seeds or small plants that are commercially available. Many cats will visit a catnip plant each day to sniff, rub, grasp, roll alongside and kick at it. This seems to be play and can be observed by both sexes of reproductive age, whether or not they have been neutered. Catmint and cat grasses are attractive to many cats and are more likely to be chewed than some of your other indoor plants. This gives the cats fresh vegetation to eat, which they would otherwise do outdoors.

Most cats enjoy a trip outside whether it is on a lead and collar or harness, in their owner’s arms, or in cars. They can be trained to walk on a lead by reinforcing the walking forward with tiny pieces of favorite food. The differing sights, sounds and smells add to tdaily cariation in stimulation.

Various structures can be used to allow cats out into fresh air but restricting their movements to certain areas. Wire netting can be used to enclose an area alongside the house just like an aviary for birds. Enclosures of different sizes can be used in different sites with tunnels between them and the house. A modular system allows for expansion to a wide range of circumstances.

For cats that are left on their own for long periods each day, it is a good idea to provide a feline companion. Sociable interaction will enrich their daily lives. The younger they are introduced, the greater the chances of getting along amicably most of the time. There may still be fights and chases that are not playful but seem to be part of normal living. Getting littermates gives you the best chances of a pair getting along. Where other cats are to be introduced, it is preferable to do so when they are kittens, and to have them arrive at the property at the same time. Urine-spraying and fighting are less likely when all the cats are spayed females as compared to having one or more neutered males in the house. Bringing older cats together, particularly when one has been resident for some time, may lead to hissing and fighting, defecation and urination out of the litter tray, urine-spraying and one or more cats becoming reclusive. Tolerance can increase with time and by using such methods as: feeding them progressively closer and closer together; rubbing them alternately with the same unwashed towel to transfer their smells between each other.

An outdoor cat lives a more stressful life than an indoor cat, and stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders. Outdoor cats on the street, or even in the country, are faced every day with territorial disputes, threats from other animals, people, cars, environmental noises which cause panic, and situations which generate pure fear. Indoor cats generally live longer and healthier lives than outdoor cats – a fact that cannot be disputed.

Healthy and happy Indoor Cat Part 4- Inside or Out