|Articles|February 23, 2018

Client handout: The perfect scratching post

Author(s)Elizabeth Colleran, DVM, DABVP (feline practice)

Your veterinary clients want their cats to keep their claws. What they don't want is said claws on their furniture, carpet or any other forbidden-but-scratch-perfect place. Here's help.

It's wise to assume that indoor cats scratch for the same reason their outdoor counterparts do: visual signaling, conditioning of claws, scent signaling with sebaceous glands of the feet, and stretching. When cats are scratching in the right place, pet owners are just as content as their feline friends. When cats scratch in the wrong place, well … cats keeping their claws becomes a risk rather than a reward. Help pet owners build a better scratching environment with this handout.

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Client handout: The perfect scratching post

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