Cat Won’t Use Scratching Post. This Is Why!

Have you ever had this experience? You brought home a beautiful scratching post, or lovingly made one yourself, and your cat didn’t use it!? Why would your loving cat reject such a kind gift?

If this is you, and “cat won’t use scratching post!”- then keep reading to discover why your cat won’t use the scratching post you thought it would love.

Empathize with Your Cat

I know what you may be thinking. I spent time and/or money on this post, and my cat doesn’t even look at it! Why would I empathize with my cat on this issue?

To understand cat we must see things through cat’s eyes.

What your cat is looking for is a really great place to scratch that is sturdy, stable, and probably looks like a tree (LS). This is because, in the wild, your cat would look for something similar to scratch on. Most likely, they would find a decent-sized tree that they could fully stretch out on and that they could sink their claws into, without fearing that it would fall over on them.

Your cat’s goal is to sharpen its live claws, remove the dead shell around these new claws, and get a great full-body stretch.

With this in mind, a skinny, wobbly, thin scratching post- that threatens to slide around or topple- is not cat’s first choice. This is one of the reasons why your cat may instead go and scratch on your hefty furniture- because it is not going to fall over.

An Example from My Cat

My dad made a wonderful scratching post for my cat. It was made of carpet and sisal rope- everything you would expect a cat to like- and it looked like it came from a pet store.

My cat didn’t take to it at all!

Instead, I found that my cat loved to scratch the side of my couch and the frame around my outside door. As well, he scratched the woodpiles used in the landscaping to shreds, that were near my front porch.

I tried again later on and bought him a scratching post from the pet store, hoping this would somehow be different.

He scratched it a few times (as he had done with the one made by my dad) and then he forgot about it.

Additionally, there was a dangling cat toy attached to this scratching post. With some prompting from me, he did bat it around for a while, but playing with it did not last.

Clearly, my cat wanted and needed to scratch something- the couch, door frame, and wooden piles were proof of this. But he didn’t care for the scratching post.

What was going on?

Use the Right Training Techniques

If you’re in a situation like I was in, there are a few simple strategies you can try that you may have thought of already. One is concentrated catnip spray. Spray this all over your scratching post and your cat will definitely be drawn to it as long as that spray lasts! (LS)

Another thing you can try is coupling the catnip spray with double-sided deterrent tape (LS). If you have sticky tape on the surface you don’t want to scratch, and catnip spray on what you do want them to scratch, this can be a winning combination.

(Assuming of course that there is somewhere else your cat is scratching, like the couch or your bed).

Other things to do may not be as obvious.

For example, putting the scratching post near the old place your cat used to scratch can be more inviting. If you stick the post in a different room, or in the corner, most of the time it will be ignored by your cat. However, once your cat has transitioned to the scratching post and is in the habit of using it, you can most likely move the post to an out-of-the-way place, which will look better than having a scratching post right by the couch or your bed.

You can also play with your cat on and around the post. This gives the scratching post a positive vibe and reinforces the habit of scratching on the post. Most likely, your cat will stop to scratch at the post occasionally during that playtime. This can be a good introduction to your scratching post.

If you do this more than once, you will help to positively reinforce the habit of using the scratching post to scratch (pp).

Post Placement Matters

Purrfect Post has a great article on why post-placement matters. Your cat has certain in-grained instincts related to scratching. If you learn about these, then you can use them to your advantage. In this case, that would mean using your knowledge of their kitty brain to help place their post in the most appealing place for them.

The first one we have covered already, briefly.

Cats scratch to show off, claim their territory and advertise it to other cats. This is why they don’t generally take to a post in the corner right away. They want to show off that your house is their house, and having their scratch marks on a post in the middle of your room is way better advertising than having them in the corner of a room, tucked away.

You can start with the post in the middle of a high-traffic area and then usually you will be able to move it later– when they are used to scratching on the post- to a place more hidden away. This is a good thing, obviously, because most people don’t want to make their cats scratching post the main decor item of their living room.

Another great trick is to place your cat’s scratching post in an area that they already stretch in. Since cats like to stretch when they first wake up, and they also like to stretch out on a scratching post, you can sometimes engage your cat with the post by placing it where they already sleep- and stretch every morning.

Whatsmore, cats can be intuitive. Placing the scratching post by a place they already. scratch that you don’t want them to scratch anymore can communicate to them that the post is what you want them sharpening their claws on. You can place their scratching post by that area of the carpet that they always scratch up, or by the corner of the couch that they love to sink their claws into, and then move it later.

If your cat is still scratching at the couch you can place a blanket around it (or other furniture, of course) to deter them from it and point even more to the scratching post.

When your cat has become used to scratching at the post, gradually move it to where you want it. Purrfect post recommends making sure that your cat is using the post for at least a week reliably before starting to move it an inch per day to your preferred place.

You can start with this as a baseline, but if your cat catches on more quickly, that’s okay too. You can speed up the process and adjust it to the speed of your cat.

One last tip involves examining surfaces that they scratch already. Do they like to scratch horizontally or vertically? Each cat is different, and if you can sleuth this out, then you can pick out a horizontal or vertical scratcher. They may go for one but not the other.

Conclusion

To sum everything up, if your cat doesn’t take to a scratching post don’t be alarmed. This happens often and there are practical solutions to the problem that will most likely work. They are also not too difficult to. implement. I hope that this post gave you more wisdom to help you interact better with your feline companion.

As always, feel free to leave any questions or comments below, as well as any stories about your cat and their scratching post.

Works Cited:

https://www.lifesavvy.com/6063/cat-wont-use-the-scratching-post-try-these-tricks/ (LS)

https://www.purrfectpost.com/how-to-train-your-cat-or-kitten-to-use-a-scratching-post/ (PP)