We might think that by breaking our things at home, our pet cats are out to get us. But that’s not true at all. In fact, their strange behavior comes naturally to them. Cats scratch things to keep their claws in top shape and ready for defense if need be. They love climbing up to high places such as the top of cabinets to get a vantage point of their territory.
While we try to understand their behavior, we still need to maintain our house. Shedding of hair and scratching are the two most prevalent issues that cat owners experience. These are the ways you can solve and prevent such issues.
Cat Hair Everywhere
Cats, especially furry ones, tend to shed a lot of hair. They love to roll around when they sleep and especially when they’re in heat. So you might be constantly dealing with cat hair on your carpet, the couch, and even the bed. There are many ways to remove the hair from your things and to keep your cat from shedding too much hair.
The first step is to actually maintain your home. It’s fairly easy to remove cat hair from your things. All you’ll need is a lint roller or a vacuum cleaner. The only problem is that this can be an exhausting task, especially if you need to do this from time to time. Cleaning your carpeted floors can be more challenging though. With that, you can always consider hiring professionals for carpet cleaning to save you the trouble.
The second is to maintain your cat to prevent their over-shedding. You can brush their hair regularly. This will help you weed out the loose hair. You’ll be able to take them out before they naturally fall to the surfaces around the house. It also helps if you give your cat a bath every once a month. It will also help you catch the loose hair before they land on your things.
Cats Scratching Through Things
As said before, cats scratch to maintain their claws. But it’s also a way for them to mark their territory, as cats are very territorial creatures. So it’s difficult to totally break them from their scratching habit. But we also can’t keep dealing with furniture that is ruined by cat scratches. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome that.
The first is to repair what’s already damaged. Your couch may bear the brunt of the damage. If it’s not too damaged, you can simply cover your couch with a blanket or slipcover. If the rips are too big, you can sew them up to prevent further damage. But if the rips are too big, you can cover them with a patch or consider hiring a professional in furniture repair.
To stop your cat from scratching certain pieces of furniture, you can present them with actual scratching posts that are available in pet stores. First, you’ll need to identify your cat’s preferences. For example, do they like to scratch on materials that have a rope-like texture? If yes, then you can purchase a scratch post with a similar texture. That way, they’ll be conditioned to always use that.
As cat owners, we’re used to the fact that our pets can be a bit destructive. They pee on various spots around the house. They have no regard for matters such as staying away from the very expensive vases or lamps. But we love them anyway so we put up with their behavior. But there are simple ways to fix the damage that they caused to our furniture. And with proper grooming and training, we can prevent them from continuing to damage our things.
