It’s almost as if cats naturally gravitate towards scratching surfaces. Cats love them and that’s because cats love to scratch. It helps them in several ways, including physical and psychological benefits.
Even if your cat has never had a scratching tree or never used a cat tower, this doesn’t mean they won’t use it if they had one. They just might be waiting, believe it or not. Here are some of the benefits of cat scratching trees to sway you, in case you don’t already have a scratching surface of some kind in the home.
They Keep Cats’ Claws Healthy
In nature, cats would scratch a variety of surfaces. Tree trunks, tree roots, and tree branches are usually what they go for. They do this to get rid of the older outer layer of the nail which brings forward the new nail underneath. If your cat’s domestic, they can’t do this without a tree or something to scratch on.
They Allow Cats to Stretch
A scratching surface allows a cat to stretch, flex, and tone a variety of muscles. It can be sort of like yoga or tai chi in the ways a cat can bend and stretch using a scratching tower or pole for leverage. A vertical cat scratching structure, for example, will allow them to exercise their shoulders, backs, and their hindquarters.
They Help a Cat Mark Territory
A cat scratching tree actually helps cats mark their territory and communicates that to other animals. The vertical scratch marks that are left on a scratching tower indicate to other cats someone lives there. For mental health and well-being, this is an important component of cats’ physiological health.
They Work Off Stress
A cat who uses a scratching tower sometimes does so to work off stress. If you find a cat is aggressive, giving them a scratching surface might help them get out some of that and gives them some place to have fun while being rough.
It Feels Good
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to buy a cat scratching tower, it just feels good for them. Cats, overall, are happier when they have a cat tower. Even better if it has multiple cat scratching posts in it.
If you don’t have a scratching tree for cats and kittens, visit Living.ca. Browse kitty and cat scratching furniture from 44” to 68”. Multiple levels, multiple posts, and plenty of places to have fun, exercise, and de-stress. Visit Living.ca today.
Featured photo by Fábio Hanashiro on Unsplash
