Maybe your cat has been attacking your sofa, and you’re looking to quickly make a DIY cat scratcher. You may be questioning if sandpaper is an appropriate material. It’s cheap, you may have some mendacity around the home, and logically, it looks as if it'd do an excellent job of serving to your cat keep their claws neat. However is this material truly any good for a cat scratcher?
The short answer isn't any. Sandpaper is abrasive and could potentially harm your cat’s paw pads. Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at why this materials isn’t often seen on cat scratching posts.
Do cats like sandpaper scratching posts?
In our experience, no. After all, every cat is totally different, so there will probably be some cats out there that don’t thoughts the texture and really feel of sandpaper. But given the choice, most cats will give it a large berth. Cat Scratcher Kitten in all probability won’t even walk over a chunk of sandpaper left on the ground!
Should you suppose that your cat may like sandpaper on their scratching submit, then you may at all times give it a strive. One purpose cats don’t actually like sandpaper on their scratching posts is that it doesn’t actually help them obtain what they’re trying to do after they scratch.
Why do cats scratch?
If you’ve ever watched your cat scratch something, you may need observed that apart from making an attempt to sink their claws into the material, they usually lean down and have a superb stretch whereas they’re doing it. Scratching is definitely an instinctive habits for our little feline friends.
It is a habits that they innately carry out, and there’s nothing that we cat house owners can do to cease them! So, what purpose does it serve?
It removes the lifeless outer claw, revealing a brand new sharp claw underneath. It may relieve stress, anxiety, and tension. It stretches their muscles. It leaves pheromone scent marks.
Many cats get pleasure from using a few totally different locations to scratch for different reasons. One place might really feel nice for having an upright stretch, the place they will reach up excessive to stretch those muscles. One other might have a terrific material for sinking their claws into and eradicating the outer layer of their claws. Yet another may be excellent for leaving a pheromone message for the other cats within the house!
As a cat proprietor, you should offer your cat quite a lot of appropriate scratching surfaces. This is particularly important if your cat lives indoors, as they won’t have access to any scratching surfaces exterior.
In relation to which supplies it's best to supply your cat so they can perform their instinctive scratching behaviors someplace aside from your favourite sofa, know that it’s unlikely that your cat would select sandpaper as their first option.
Sandpaper is too abrasive
As a cat runs their claws down a scratching put up floor, their paws normally make contact with the material of the publish as nicely. This isn’t an issue with softer materials, like sisal rope or carpet, which are sometimes used for scratching posts. However with sandpaper, the abrasive surface can damage your cat’s paw pads. That is especially true if you’ve used one with a coarse grit.
Your cat’s paw pads might develop into painful, and any abrasions may turn into contaminated. This will certainly put your cat off from making an attempt to make use of the same scratching submit again.
The very best supplies for cat scratching posts
Now that we all know that sandpaper isn’t one of the best choice for cat scratching posts, what’s a greater alternative?
Corrugated carpet Sisal rope or fabric Carpet Wooden
Some cat homeowners who have carpeted areas of their houses want to keep away from scratching posts which might be coated in carpet. It may be difficult for some cats to comprehend that whereas they’re positively encouraged to scratch the carpet on their publish, all other carpet is completely off-limits!
Corrugated cardboard scratching posts are low cost and most cats really love them. The cardboard shreds satisfyingly under their claws, and as they sink their claws in, the outer lifeless layer of their claws will likely be removed.
Sisal rope or fabric is considered one of the most popular materials for scratching posts, and the vast majority of cats completely adore it. It’s also relatively low-cost and is available in a variety of colors.
Wood is an effective selection for a scratching publish, though it’s not accessible as usually as other materials. Cats within the wild will naturally choose a number of different timber as their most well-liked scratching posts. Tree trunks permit your cat to stretch their muscles as they lean towards it, in addition to assist remove the outer layer of their claws.
We have read of some cat house owners who made their own DIY cat scratchers using a layer of sandpaper covered with a layer of thick corrugated cardboard. This protects your cat’s paws, as only the very ideas of their claws will make contact with the sandpaper. Some cats appear to tolerate this wonderful, whereas others may not just like the feeling of the sandpaper on their claws at ask. Also, it doesn’t seem just like the sandpaper may have a lot impact on this occasion, because the corrugated cardboard is doing what it should: allowing your cat to dig their claws in and remove the lifeless outer layers.
Sandpaper isn’t really useful for cat scratching posts
There’s a motive that you simply won’t see any cat scratching posts in pet stores or on-line which are lined in sandpaper. It isn’t essentially the most interesting materials for cats to scratch their claws against, and lots of them don't like the texture at all.
Softer supplies, like cardboard or sisal rope, are far preferable, as cats can sink their claws via these, which is what they’re really looking for in the proper scratching publish!
When you do decide to supply your cat a scratching submit made with sandpaper, it’s positively a good idea to ensure it isn’t the one surface available. Watch your cat closely to see how usually they use every scratching put up, and you’ll quickly be capable to work out in the event that they like sandpaper or not!
Sandpaper Cat Scratcher: Is It A Good Suggestion?
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4 min read
