Are Scratching Posts Good For Kittens?

However, scratching posts have more benefits than keeping your kitten’s claws sharp and relieving its instinctive cravings.

A scratching post is also a legal jumping target, discipline tool, mental stimulation, stress relief, and a meeting point for cats in multiple-pet households.

Not every scratching post is equally suitable for kittens, though. The best kitten scratching post is one that serves all these purposes and is safe.

Jumping Target

Cats are notorious for jumping on furniture, curtains, and other interior elements owners would prefer them not to jump on. Unfortunately, there’s no way to stop a kitten from jumping entirely, but you can provide your pet with a legal jumping target.

If you’re fed up seeing claw-shredded curtains or trying to ward your cat off the TV, a scratching post may be a life-saver.

Although the primary purpose of a cat scratching post is removing the outer layer of the claw, it’s also a vigorous exercise and a perfect watch post.

Cats love elevations because they can see everything around them and feel secure. However, you may need to put some effort into training your cat to jump on the scratching post, not furniture, TV, or curtains.

Reward your kitten whenever it jumps on the scratching post with a treat or its favorite toy. Don’t punish your kitten for jumping on other surfaces but calmly remove it from the TV or curtains.

By jumping on the scratching post, your kitten will release built-up energy and be calmer throughout the day. So, a scratching post can also reduce night running and playing with your feet.

Discipline

The most apparent benefit of scratching posts for kittens is discipline. Cats love to scratch, and if they don’t have a legal scratching target, they will do it wherever they please.

Teaching your kitten to only scratch its claws on the scratching post is essential in establishing the hierarchy of your household and training your pet to behave well.

You can teach an adult cat to scratch its claws on a scratching post, but the best time to begin cat training is kittenhood when they don’t yet have established habits.

One may say that discipline is merely a benefit for the owner than for the kitten. However, cats are territorial animals that like to have their personal spots.

Your kitten will feel more confident in the house knowing it has its personal scratching spot, and no one will blame it for using it as much as it wishes.

Cats that don’t have a legal scratching target and are constantly scolded for releasing their instincts on the furniture while the owner doesn’t see may become anxious.

Back Stretching

A scratching post isn’t intended solely for scratching, despite the name. It also helps cats stretch their backs and legs, getting their muscles moving after periods of inactivity and maintaining flexibility.

Stretching also helps kittens feel good. It releases endorphins in their brain, creating a feeling of content. For this reason, anxious or stressed kittens may stretch more frequently.

You may notice your kitten placing its upper legs on the scratching post and stretching its body after a nap or after arriving home from a long trip in a carrier.

In the same way, we raise our arms and stretch our backs when we wake up in the morning or after working in the office for several hours in a row.

However, cats cannot stand on two legs like humans, so they need some support. They may use horizontal surfaces, such as carpets, but vertical surfaces are more convenient and allow to better stretch the muscles.

Stretching near a wall leaves scratch marks on the wallpaper or paint, but a scratching post allows a kitten to eliminate stiffness without damaging your interior.

Pheromone Release & Meeting Point

Cat paw pads have tiny glands that release pheromones when the paws are stretched. Humans cannot smell feline pheromones, but other cats can. Even if no other cats are around, marking territory with scent is instinctive for cats.

Cats use pheromones to spot other cats from their social group and leave messages behind. By the type of pheromones a cat has left, other cats can understand whether it’s a nursing mom, an intact cat, or a sick, old cat.

When cats scratch something, they stretch their paws and release claws, thus marking the territory with pheromones. Cats may also leave their scent on a scratching post by rubbing their cheeks and forehead against it.

That’s right – when your cat rubs its head against the scratching post, it isn’t scratching the head because it’s ticklish but marks its territory. For the same reason, cats headbutt their owners.

Very young kittens don’t yet have the instincts responsible for territory marking, but even a 10-month-old cat is technically still a kitten.

You may notice that the scratching post serves as a meeting point if you have multiple kittens. Cats tend to gather around scratching posts to convene an interest for interaction because they can sense the pheromones of their mates.

Stress Relief

New people and environments can be stressful for kittens, particularly if they aren’t properly socialized and are very young (under four months old). Kittens may also get stressed from parties, the presence of other animals, home remodeling, or loud noises.

Because scratching is instinctive in cats and helps release endorphins in the brain, some kittens may use scratching posts to relieve stress. Clawing makes a cat feel more secure because it’s marking its territory.

If your kitten is stress-scratching, you may notice other behavior changes such as hiding, excessive grooming, decreased appetite, restlessness, and aggression towards other animals or people.

Stress-induced scratching in cats should never be ignored. Still, it’s one of the healthiest ways to improve a cat’s emotional well-being and causes fewer problems than excessive grooming or vocalizing.

If your kitten is scratching furniture or carpet because of stress, encourage it to use the scratching post by giving it rewards every time it uses it. Don’t punish or scold your cat for scratching furniture because it will only worsen the situation.

A cat should be allowed to scratch something without worrying it’s doing something wrong. A calm cat is a healthy and happy cat.

Keeping the Claws Healthy

Scratching posts maintain kitten mental and physical well-being, but most importantly, they keep the claws healthy. Cat claws are composed of keratinized dead cell layers. As the claw grows, the outer layer sheds, exposing a young, healthy nail underneath.

Scratching helps cats get rid of the old outer claw layer. It doesn’t sharpen cat claws like a knife sharpener but facilitates cell renewal. Scratching doesn’t dull a cat’s claws either, so your kitten will still need regular nail trimming.

In other words, cats don’t use scratching posts to sharpen their existing claws but to remove the exterior layer that prevents them from using their nails effectively.

However, whether a scratching post dulls or sharpens cat claws depends on its hardness. Soft surfaces sharpen feline claws, while hard surfaces dull them. For this reason, the scratching post shouldn’t be too hard, especially for delicate kitten claws.

Are All Scratching Posts Equally Good?

Not every scratching post brings kittens all the above-mentioned benefits. Furthermore, not every scratching post is appealing to kittens, and some are straight-up dangerous.

Vertical scratching posts are better than horizontal because they are more convenient for back stretching. However, every cat is different, and some may prefer flat surfaces, so consider getting a post with both vertical and horizontal scratching surfaces.

The scratching post should be tall enough for your kitten to stretch its body fully. Ideally, it should be even taller so that your kitten can jump or climb on it.

Ensure that the scratching post is stable. In the wild, cats scratch logs that are very sturdy and unlikely to move. Unfortunately, many cheap scratching posts don’t have a heavy enough base and are shaky.

Kittens don’t feel comfortable scratching something that moves and might fall, so they may refuse to use such a post and prefer something more stable like furniture.

Which scratching post material to choose is a topic for debate. Carpet, sisal rope, cardboard, and wood are the most popular options. Rope scratching posts are the best all-around for adult cats but may be too harsh for kitten claws.

You can get your kitten a carpet scratching post first and see whether it likes it. If not, you can try other materials.

Because a scratching post also serves mental stimulation purpose, consider posts with toys or cat trees with multiple levels and hiding spots.

If your kitten refuses to use the scratching post, you may try to attract it with catnip, but don’t overuse it because your kitten may become tolerant. Note that catnip doesn’t work on very young kittens.

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