a house of her own

My name is Cory and I have this frequent impulse to scratch the furniture at the house I live in. My human gets pretty mad at me. She even went so far as to get me my own little house, complete with scratching carpet. Well, that didn’t really work, but I included the picture anyway, ’cause it’s pretty cute..

I still go around the house, but mostly during the night, and visit my old scratching places in “her” house. She is pretty mad at me. Help!

Cory

Dear Cory,

First of all, your human made a conscious decision not to do away with your claws because she feels it is an abhorrent procedure and did not want to put you through that. At the same time, she is probably well aware of the scratching-the-furniture needs cats seem to have. Hence your own little house! I would say that is double lucky. However, things may look different to her now that you have exercised cat ignoring to the nth degree.

Cats scratch for various reasons. Glands between your toes give off a secretion with a distinctive odor to you. You just signed your name to that sofa. Cats are at home just about anywhere once they cordon off their own happy places. It really is a natural response to furniture in the house.

Sometimes, cat scratching is just a way to get rid of your old molting claws. This is a grooming decision you might have made for yourself. Your human might want to get out the nail clippers. You will be wise to accommodate her. Think of it as bonding time.
On the really upside of all this, you may be the proud owner of a new spectacular scratching station made just for you. Check this out at How to Do Things. Talk about a happy place and you could put it right next to your own special house – call it the patio furniture if you like!

By your very nature, you are going to get into a scratching frenzy somewhere – you might as well choose to use the help your human offers. As for punishment, there really is no humane way to punish a cat. They are just being cats and rarely understand what all the fuss is about.

Your friend,
Fisher

Since 1992, the third Saturday in August has been reserved for
ISAR’s innovative educational vehicle known today as International Homeless Animals Day. This Day was named to publicize:

1. the overwhelming scope of dog and cat overpopulation
2. to increase public awareness of the millions of dogs and cats killed in shelters annually for lack of good homes
3. to educate the public about the crucial need for spaying and neutering to help end this tragic loss of life

We can all help shed light on the pet overpopulation tragedy that spans the globe. This Saturday, more than 30 U.S. states and 10 foreign countries will participate in International Homeless Animals’ Day 2010.

Check the up to date listings to find out what is going on in an area near you.
If there are no activities in your area, ISAR invites you to light a virtual candle in their 9th Annual Online Vigil.

We truly are all in this together. Please pass this on to help grow awareness.

Be careful what you wish for

Even though you sit at the window for hours in a day, there are good reasons to stay inside!

Press Release

Philadelphia, PA (August xx, 2010) – This summer has been especially bad for coyote attacks on pets across the country. Scientists believe that certain coyotes may be losing their fear of humans and pets because they are around them so much. Scientists also believe that a bounty of food and no natural predators are potential causes for the increase in attacks. Regardless of the reason for the increase, pet lovers are rightfully worried and are left wondering what to do.

Most recently, 4 cats were killed by coyotes in a quiet Florida neighborhood. Shortly after this attack, 3 cats were taken by coyotes in Massachusetts. Coyotes have recently been spotted roaming New York’s Central Park. A Chihuahua puppy in Colorado was taken by coyotes only to be saved by a neighbor’s pit bull. And who can forget Daisy, Jessica Simpson’s 5 year old maltipoo that was snatched by a coyote right in front of her eyes. The sheer horror of watching your pet hurt or injured is enough to make pet owners want to lock their pets inside forever.

Find helpful information at Kritter Kommunity.