Write About Everything

Perhaps your cat has been attacking your couch, and you’re trying to quickly make a DIY cat scratcher. You is likely to be questioning if sandpaper is an appropriate materials. It’s low-cost, you have some lying across the home, and logically, it looks as if it would do a great job of serving to your cat keep their claws neat. But is that this materials actually any good for a cat scratcher?

The quick answer is not any. Sandpaper is abrasive and will doubtlessly hurt your cat’s paw pads. Let’s take a better have a look at why this materials isn’t usually seen on cat scratching posts.

Do cats like sandpaper scratching posts?

In our expertise, no. In fact, every cat is completely different, so there will be some cats on the market that don’t thoughts the texture and really feel of sandpaper. But given the choice, most cats will give it a wide berth. They most likely won’t even walk over a chunk of sandpaper left on the ground!

In the event you think that your cat may like sandpaper on their scratching submit, then you may always give it a attempt. One purpose cats don’t really like sandpaper on their scratching posts is that it doesn’t actually assist them achieve what they’re making an attempt to do after they scratch.

Why do cats scratch?

If you’ve ever watched your cat scratch something, you may need observed that besides trying to sink their claws into the fabric, they usually lean down and have a superb stretch while they’re doing it. Scratching is actually an instinctive habits for our little feline associates.

It is a conduct that they innately perform, and there’s nothing that we cat house owners can do to cease them! So, what function does it serve?

It removes the dead outer claw, revealing a new sharp claw underneath.

It might relieve stress, anxiety, and tension.

It stretches their muscles.

It leaves pheromone scent marks.

Many cats take pleasure in utilizing a number of different places to scratch for various causes. One place might feel great for having an upright stretch, where they can reach up excessive to stretch those muscles. One other might need an awesome materials for sinking their claws into and removing the outer layer of their claws. Yet another could also 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 a variety of acceptable scratching surfaces. This is very essential in case your cat lives indoors, as they won’t have access to any scratching surfaces outside.

On the subject of which materials you need to offer your cat to allow them to carry out their instinctive scratching behaviors someplace other than your favourite couch, know that it’s unlikely that your cat would select sandpaper as their first choice.

Sandpaper is simply too abrasive

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

Your cat’s paw pads could develop into painful, and any abrasions might turn into contaminated. This will definitely put your cat off from trying to use the same scratching put up again.

The most effective materials for cat scratching posts

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

Corrugated carpet

Sisal rope or fabric

Carpet

Wooden

Some cat owners who have carpeted areas of their houses favor to avoid scratching posts which can be lined in carpet. It can be difficult for some cats to appreciate that whereas they’re positively encouraged to scratch the carpet on their submit, all different carpet is totally 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 be eliminated.

Sisal rope or fabric is one among the most popular materials for scratching posts, and the vast majority of cats completely love it. It’s additionally relatively low cost and is available in a variety of colours.

Wood is a good alternative for a scratching submit, although it’s not accessible as often as different materials. Cats within the wild will naturally select a few totally different bushes as their preferred scratching posts. Tree trunks allow your cat to stretch their muscles as they lean towards it, in addition to help take away the outer layer of their claws.

Now we have read of some cat house owners who made their very own DIY cat scratchers utilizing a layer of sandpaper covered with a layer of thick corrugated cardboard. This protects your cat’s paws, as only the very suggestions of their claws will make contact with the sandpaper. Some cats seem to tolerate this fine, whereas others might not like the feeling of the sandpaper on their claws at ask. Additionally, it doesn’t appear just like the sandpaper can have much impact in this occasion, because the corrugated cardboard is doing what it ought to: permitting your cat to dig their claws in and take away the useless outer layers.

Sandpaper isn’t advisable for cat scratching posts

There’s a cause that you simply won’t see any cat scratching posts in pet shops or online which might be coated in sandpaper. It isn’t essentially the most appealing materials for cats to scratch their claws towards, and a lot of them don’t like the texture in any respect.

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 really on the lookout for in the proper scratching publish!

Should you do determine to supply your cat a scratching submit made with sandpaper, it’s definitely a good suggestion to verify it isn’t the one floor available. Watch your cat intently to see how usually they use every scratching submit, and you’ll quickly be capable of work out in the event that they like sandpaper or not!