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Maybe your cat has been attacking your couch, and you’re trying to rapidly make a DIY cat scratcher. You could be questioning if sandpaper is a suitable material. It’s low-cost, you’ve gotten some mendacity across the house, and logically, it looks as if it might do a good job of helping your cat keep their claws neat. However is that this materials actually any good for a cat scratcher?

The quick reply isn’t any. Sandpaper is abrasive and could probably harm your cat’s paw pads. Let’s take a better take a look at why this material isn’t typically seen on cat scratching posts.

Do cats like sandpaper scratching posts?

In our expertise, no. After all, each cat is totally different, so there can be some cats out there that don’t mind the texture and feel of sandpaper. However given the choice, most cats will give it a large berth. They most likely won’t even stroll over a chunk of sandpaper left on the flooring!

If you happen to think that your cat might like sandpaper on their scratching post, then you possibly can always give it a try. One motive cats don’t really like sandpaper on their scratching posts is that it doesn’t actually assist them achieve what they’re attempting to do when they scratch.

Why do cats scratch?

If you’ve ever watched your cat scratch something, you may need observed that besides attempting to sink their claws into the material, they often lean down and have a superb stretch while they’re doing it. Scratching is definitely an instinctive behavior for our little feline mates.

This can be a conduct that they innately carry out, and there’s nothing that we cat owners can do to stop them! So, what objective does it serve?

It removes the lifeless outer claw, revealing a brand new sharp claw beneath.

It will probably relieve stress, anxiety, and tension.

It stretches their muscles.

It leaves pheromone scent marks.

Many cats get pleasure from utilizing a couple of different locations to scratch for various causes. One place would possibly really feel great for having an upright stretch, the place they’ll attain up high to stretch these muscles. One other might need a terrific material for sinking their claws into and eradicating the outer layer of their claws. One more may be excellent for leaving a pheromone message for the opposite cats within the home!

As a cat owner, it’s best to offer your cat quite a lot of applicable scratching surfaces. This is particularly important if your cat lives indoors, as they won’t have access to any scratching surfaces outside.

In terms of which materials you must offer your cat to allow them to perform their instinctive scratching behaviors someplace apart from your favorite sofa, know that it’s unlikely that your cat would select sandpaper as their first possibility.

Sandpaper is just too abrasive

As a cat runs their claws down a scratching publish surface, their paws often make contact with the fabric of the publish as effectively. This isn’t a problem with softer supplies, like sisal rope or carpet, which are sometimes used for scratching posts. But with sandpaper, the abrasive floor can harm your cat’s paw pads. That is very true if you’ve used one with a coarse grit.

Your cat’s paw pads might turn into painful, and any abrasions may grow to be infected. This will definitely put your cat off from making an attempt to use the identical scratching post once more.

The very best supplies for cat scratching posts

Now that we know that sandpaper isn’t one of the best possibility Catnip Toys for cats and kittens cat scratching posts, what’s a greater different?

Corrugated carpet

Sisal rope or fabric

Carpet

Wooden

Some cat house owners who have carpeted areas of their homes prefer to keep away from scratching posts which can be covered in carpet. It may be troublesome for some cats to realize that whereas they’re positively inspired to scratch the carpet on their post, all different carpet is completely off-limits!

Corrugated cardboard scratching posts are low cost and most cats really love them. The cardboard shreds satisfyingly beneath their claws, and as they sink their claws in, the outer useless layer of their claws shall be eliminated.

Sisal rope or fabric is one of the most well-liked supplies for scratching posts, and the majority of cats absolutely like it. It’s also relatively low-cost and is available in a wide range of colours.

Wood is an efficient selection for a scratching put up, although it’s not obtainable as typically as different supplies. Cats within the wild will naturally select a number of totally different trees as their preferred scratching posts. Tree trunks enable your cat to stretch their muscles as they lean towards it, as well as help take away the outer layer of their claws.

We have now learn of some cat house owners who made their very own DIY cat scratchers using a layer of sandpaper coated with a layer of thick corrugated cardboard. This protects your cat’s paws, as solely the very suggestions of their claws will make contact with the sandpaper. Some cats seem to tolerate this fine, whereas others won’t like the feeling of the sandpaper on their claws at ask. Additionally, it doesn’t appear like the sandpaper can have much impact on this instance, as the corrugated cardboard is doing what it ought to: permitting your cat to dig their claws in and remove the dead outer layers.

Sandpaper isn’t really helpful for cat scratching posts

There’s a purpose that you simply won’t see any cat scratching posts in pet shops or online that are lined in sandpaper. It isn’t the most interesting materials for cats to scratch their claws against, and a lot of them don’t just like the texture at all.

Softer supplies, like cardboard or sisal rope, are far preferable, as cats can sink their claws by means of these, which is what they’re actually looking for in the proper scratching publish!

If you happen to do determine to offer your cat a scratching publish made with sandpaper, it’s undoubtedly a good suggestion to ensure it isn’t the one surface available. Watch your cat closely to see how typically they use every scratching publish, and you’ll quickly be able to work out if they like sandpaper or not!