For cats, sharpening their claws is a basic need. As ARISTOPARENTS, we have an obligation to teach them how to do it correctly and facilitate this beneficial practice. For three fundamental reasons.
1. Physiological need: their claws are made up of layers that keep growing and making way for the next ones. The difference is that, unlike dogs, cats' claws are always hidden while they walk. For this reason, they cannot wear them down as much as necessary. Hence, they need to sharpen them frequently.
2. Marking: cats need to mark their territory to make it theirs and prevent other cats from occupying it. Since they have no deeds or property titles, their way of doing this is through marks. If they have a scratching post, they will mark it. If not… our furniture, walls, doors, sofas… had better watch out. In addition, their way of marking does not only involve scratching, but also leaving behind their scent, located in the sweat glands on the pads of their paws.
3. Stretching: they love stretching their little bodies, waking up… and they do this by digging their claws into somewhere (ideally, a scratching post).
Cat scratching posts are generally made 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 is how sisal is obtained. Although they are available in many materials, from soft plush-like fabrics to velvet and wicker.
At ARISTOSHOP you can find an exclusive selection of scratching posts; carefully designed products that will delight your cat and allow you to enrich its space so that your feline is more comfortable, calm, and happy.
To choose the best scratching post for your kitty, 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, post-style one with different levels.
2. Choose the place where you are going to put it and try to keep it there. Ideally, it should be placed in the area where the cat socializes, kept in view and, if possible, near the corner where they rest. As for the color, since it will be "another piece of furniture" in the home for a long time, choose a shade that matches the surroundings.
3. Take your cat's personality and physical condition into account. If, for example, your cat is older, they may enjoy, simply for the sake of comfort, a scratching mat like Trixie's more than a post-style scratching post. If they are a young kitten, it is a good idea for them to be able to play, hide, exit through one hole and enter through the other, and spend time in high places (that is a very important function), so a stable, tall post-style scratching post would be recommended. If they have not yet learned to use the scratching post, discover a good trick for teaching 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 carries out 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 ARISTOGATO have been useful. Remember that shipping is free on purchases over €35 at ARISTOSHOP. Take advantage!
