allergic reaction suffer aside , cat ownership has provenhealth benefit . A feline admirer can assist in the grieving process , reduce anxiety , and proffer companionship .
The con in the cat column ? They have no reservations about turning your piece of furniture into shredded pleather . No matter how expensive your living room set , these furry bad hat will process it with the deference accorded to a college futon . Do cats do this out of some form of malice ? Are they conspiring with Raymour & Flanigan to get you to keep update home decor ?
Neither . allot tocat behaviorists , guy gravitate toward scrape article of furniture mostly because that beloved seat is in a really blazing area [ PDF ] . As a effect , cats desire to transmit a message to any other brute that may befall by : namely , that this plush seating area belong to the cat who mark it . Scratching allow for both ocular evidence ( claw marks ) as well as a scent marker . Cat paws have scent glands that can leave smells that are detectable to other cat and brute .
But it ’s not just territorial : African tea also scratch to remove sloughed - off nail tips , allowing fresh nail outgrowth to occur . And they can work out their knotted back muscle — cramped from sleep 16 hour a sidereal day , no doubt — by rub down the soft foam of a sectional .
If you require to dissuade your computed tomography from such behavior , buy a scratching post is a right start . Make indisputable it ’s non - carpeted — their nails can get catch on the fiber — and tall enough to allow for a dependable stretch . Most importantly , put it near furniture so guy can tag their hangout in in high spirits - traffic field . A good post might be a little more expensive , but will likely result in few trips to Ethan Allen .
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