For cats, sharpening their claws is a basic necessity. As ARISTOPARENTS, we have an obligation to teach them how to do it correctly and to facilitate this good practice. For three fundamental reasons.
1. Physiological need: their claws are made up of layers that grow and give way to the next ones. What happens is that, unlike dogs, cats' claws are always hidden when they walk. For this reason, they cannot wear them down as much as necessary. Hence the need to sharpen them frequently.
2. Marking: cats need to mark their territory to make it their own and prevent other cats from occupying it. Their way of doing this, in the absence of deeds or property titles, is through markings. If they have a scratching post, they will mark it. If not... our furniture, walls, doors, sofas, etc., are in for it. Furthermore, their way of marking is not only scratching, but also leaving their scent, located in the sweat glands of their paw pads.
3. Stretching: they love to stretch their little bodies, wake up... and they do this by digging their claws into something (a scratching post, ideally).
Cat scratching posts are generally constructed with sisal rope. Sisal fiber is relatively coarse and is obtained from Agave sisalana, native to Mexico. When the plant is harvested, its leaves are cut and crushed to separate the pulp from the fibers. And that's how sisal is obtained. Although there are many materials, from soft plush fabrics, to felt and wicker.
In ARISTOSHOP you can see an exclusive selection of scratching posts; carefully designed products that will delight your cat and allow you to enrich their space so your feline is more comfortable, calm, and happy.
To choose the best scratching post for your feline, keep the following in mind:
1. The space you have available. Depending on that, you can opt for a simple scratching post or a large one, like a post, with different levels.
2. Choose the place where you are going to put it and try to keep it always the same. Ideally, it should be placed in the space where the cat socializes, be visible, and, if possible, near the corner where it rests. As for the color, since it will be "another piece of furniture" in the house for a long time, choose a shade that matches the surroundings.
3. Take into account your cat's personality and physical condition. For example, if your cat is older, they might enjoy a mat scratching post like those from Trixie more than a post-style scratching post, purely for comfort. If it's a young kitten, it's good for them to be able to play, hide, go through one hole and out the other, and be able to be in high places (this is a very important function), so a stable and tall post-style scratching post would be recommended. If they haven't learned to use the scratching post yet, discover a good trick to teach them in this video.
4. Scratching post or something more? There is currently a wide variety of scratching posts. And some are more than that. They include toys (balls, mice), so that the feline not only performs the innate act of scratching, but also has fun. For example, the La Cage scratching post.
We hope these tips for choosing the best scratching post for your ARISTOCAT have been useful. Remember that for purchases over €35 at ARISTOSHOP, shipping is free. Take advantage!
