Special to the Star-Herald
Santa Paws will be at the Central Aroostook Humane Society this Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Bring your children and your pets for a wonderful time and a chance to give Santa your Christmas list. There will be refreshments and pictures will be done in plenty of time to send out cards! This is a great way to help the Central Aroostook Humane Society as 100 percent of the proceeds go to help the animals. Please help us to make this annual fund-raiser a huge success. Cats have been companion animals for centuries. We love our cats, but sometimes their behavior can drive us up the wall. I have a lot of cats, and let me tell you, it isn’t always a bed of roses. Things that drive me NUTS are: Cats on the counter, cats sharpening claws on the woodwork, and cats missing or not using the litter box. I could go on, but the one issue I hear about a lot from cat owners is the problem of sharpening claws on furniture. What can you do? Unfortunately, scratching is very normal and necessary.
Cats scratch to:
• remove the dead layer of claw.
• mark their territory. They leave both visual marks and scent through glands on their paws.
• stretch and flex their bodies and feet.
• burn off energy.
I honestly don’t care about the reason, what I know is that my couch and woodwork are taking a beating. After researching this problem, I have found that the number-one solution is to train your cat to scratch something appropriate. So I dug out my ugly, blue rug-covered scratching post. I baited it with catnip and catnip spray and showed it to the cats. HOLY COW! They loved it. Also, be sure to cover the inappropriate scratching areas with something that cats don’t like, such as sticky tape, aluminum foil or a smell that repels cats (muscle rub or a lemon scent). Problem isn’t 100 percent solved in my house, but we are all a work in progress. Giving your cat something appropriate to scratch on is the key. Where can you buy scratching posts? Wal-mart and Kmart both sell them or you can order them on line at http://www.felixkatniptreecompany.com/, www.caws.org/ladder.html and various other pet catalogs and Web sites. Look around for the one that is best for your cat’s needs.
Good luck with your kitty and know that he isn’t doing this to make you angry, he is doing it because he is a cat.
If you are looking for a friend for life, please visit the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Our cages are full with wonderful, loving animals just waiting for homes. Our business hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, or you can give us a call at 764-3441. Please remember to sign on to www.zootoo.com/makeover and earn points for our shelter for a million-dollar make over!!
Please have your pets spayed or neutered!
