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Your Trusted Source for Pet News and Product Reviews

What is the Purpose of a Scratch Pole?

the purpose of a scratch pole

Cats do the funniest things. I think we can all agree on that. They make lovely pets and are loved all over social media. Because they can be quite excitable and fun to be around, owners will often get them toys to play with. A cat’s life can be quite boring at times but spicing it up with a fluffy mouse-shaped toy can turn their mood instantly. Although many cat accessories are designed to be fun and enjoyable, some are also very practical.

One of these practical objects is a scratch pole. Although they may seem like pointless poles in the home, they serve a very important purpose. Scratching is an essential need for cats and shouldn’t be ignored. In fact, scratch, in cats, is one of the most common behaviors and if you don’t get a scratch pole, you may find that your armchair or curtains have been shredded.

Scratching poles are found in all cats houses around the world and are more than necessary if you have more than one cat. They come in different variations and different sizes, so it is important to pick one that suits your home. In this guide, we will be going over what a scratch is and why they are necessary if you have a cat.

If you’re interested to learn more, continue to read this article.

Why Do Cats Scratch?

When cats scratch an object, they are actually doing so with a purpose. And no, they are not doing it to sharpen their claws or get back at you by destroying your furniture. Scratching a natural act that cats need to go to maintain their health and help them focus. However, many people don’t see it as this. Many seem to think that cats scratch things out of habit and this leads to owners punishing them for this act.

Never punish your cat if you see them scratching at something they shouldn’t. Your aim should be to guide their behaviors away from the curtains and towards a scratching post (or something similar). Some cats are still inhumanly declawed because of their natural habits and this leads to life-long pain and discomfort.

Never ever go to the surgery option. Do yourself and your cat a favorr and get a scratching pole. Use this to direct your cat’s attention away from the other furniture and help them continue this healthy act. As you will see below, scratching pole help cats to maintain their claw health as well as their mental health. Continue reading to find out more.

Why Should You Get a Scratch Pole?

There are a million reasons why cats scratch poles and these are all valid reasons why you should get a scratch pole. They search an important purpose and will make sure the cat gets their exercise and you keep furniture clean. Here are a few ways that a scratch pool will benefit your home of cats.

Good for your Cat’s Health

The first and most important factor to consider is your cat’s health. The main reason why cats scratch is to keep their bodies healthy, no matter how old they are. Scratching helps to keep everything from their claws and their mind healthy, so getting one should be a priority.

Claw health is actually one of the primary reasons cats scratch. Just like humans, cats get dead skin as well and this can start to irate the toes. A cat can use scratching to release the skin from the claws and free them of this discomfort. It also helps to trim their nails so they don’t get too long.

You will also notice when your cat scratches that they will bend and flex their back. This is because scratching provides cats with an opportunity to stretch and flex. They can grip onto the material and stretch their backs out, making sure they don’t pull or injure muscles when they’re moving in the wild.

One of the other health-related benefits scratching poles provides cats is the fact they offer the cat a way to exercise. Of course, a cat can go outside an exercise whenever they feel like it but the friction and resistance from a pole help to strengthen the cat’s limbs.

Finally, although a little controversial, scratching poles are a great way to help your cat de-stress. The scratching can be very therapeutic and can have a similar effect to catnip. They can become very calm when they do it and this will lead to benefits later down the line, including less anxiety and less inside “accidents”.

Used as a Meeting Point

Although this might seem like a strange reason to get a scratching pole, cats will actually use them as a meeting place. This is a fantastic thing to get if you have a house with multiple cats and will allow them to meet up and interact with each other. The scratching pole will act as a common ground where cats can play and scratch together.

Protects Your Furniture

If you have a cat and a nice house, it is almost essential that you get a scratching pole if you want to protect your furniture. If you don’t get a scratching pole your nice chairs and curtains will make a nice substitute for your cat. So, if you value your home, a scratching pole will make sure no harm comes to it.

Summing it up

Scratching is perfectly natural behavior that your cats engage in and preventing them from doing this might cause more harm than good. A cat needs to scratch for a variety of reasons and getting them a scratching pole will help them stay healthy and meet with fellow cats. Specifically, scratching helps to relieve your cat of dead skin and nails which will irate them if they’re left in. Finally, if you have a lot of cats in the house and your furniture is quite expensive, getting a scratch pole will be necessary if you want to be issuing repairs.



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