Does A Scratching Post Dull A Cat’s Nails?

However, a scratching post does no less crucial job. It helps keep a cat’s claws healthy, promoting their renewal and removing dead cells.

Apart from that, a scratching post serves many functions vital for a cat’s well-being. However, a scratching post isn’t everything a cat needs for its nails.

Learn how scratching posts work and scratching post purpose, and choose the best scratching post material to satisfy the natural needs of your pet.

Cat Claw Anatomy Basics

To understand whether scratching posts dull cat nails, we should first learn cat claw anatomy basics. The claw is composed of keratinized dead cells. In other words, cat nails are reinforced with keratin.

Cat claws consist of the same cells as human nails and hair. The tissue grows in layers. As a nail grows, the outer keratinized layer sheds similar to snakeskin, exposing a new, sharp claw.

In a way, a cat’s claw is similar to onion but has a three-dimensional triangle shape. Thus, don’t panic if you see cat claw sheaths around the house – it’s a natural phenomenon.

However, cat claws don’t shed sufficiently fast, so cats need to scratch something. If a cat doesn’t scratch enough, its nails may grow too long, curl downward, and grow into the paw pad, which is extremely painful and can cause an infection.

Note that claw shedding is only normal in moderate amounts. Bring your cat to a vet if you find solid cat claws rather than the outer papery sheath around the house. Such shedding may be caused by severe illnesses.

Claws are hidden inside the paw when a cat doesn’t need to use them. Cats retract their claws with the help of elastic ligaments.

Inside a claw is a quick – it’s rich in blood vessels to supply blood necessary for claw growth and nerves. When clipping cat claws, it’s essential to avoid the quick because cutting it is very painful for the cat.

Unlike human nails, cat claws grow directly out of the bone. When a cat is declawed, a vet removes a part of the bone, so the procedure is highly unpleasant.

What Scratching Posts Do to Cat Claws

When we need to sharpen a knife, we use a metal tool harder than the knife. Cat claws resemble blades – cats need to scratch a hard surface to sharpen their nails.

Scratching posts are typically relatively soft. Does this mean that a scratching post dulls a cat’s nails? No, it doesn’t. Otherwise, cats wouldn’t use scratching posts because having sharp claws is essential for cats.

But a scratching post doesn’t sharpen a cat’s claws either. Instead, it helps remove the outer layer of dead keratinized cells, exposing a healthy, new nail underneath. Cat claws are naturally sharp and don’t need further sharpening.

The way scratching posts work may seem confusing at first. After all, scratching posts are the best alternative to declawing, and some owners refrain from clippers entirely, thinking scratching would do the job.

However, when you think more of it, it makes perfect sense. Cats need something they can dig into to remove the outer claw layer, so carpets, sisal rope, or a couch are excellent for this purpose.

It’s important to note that removing the outer layer, aka sharpening, doesn’t trim a cat’s claws. Scratching posts make a nail slightly shorter by removing the top layer, but they don’t make it duller.

In this regard, cats are very different from dogs. They don’t file down their claws as they walk because the nails are hidden in the paw pad.

Still, a scratching post makes claws more manageable than before scratching, easing clipping and reducing damage to furniture.

Are All Scratching Posts the Same?

How well a scratching post will take care of a cat’s nails depends on its material. The most popular scratching post materials are sisal rope, fabric, carpet, and cardboard.

Sisal scratchers, both rope and fabric, are an excellent choice because they are rough and effectively remove the outer claw layer, promoting renewal and growth. Sisal scratchers are also the most durable – they can last several years.

Although sisal rope and sisal fabric remove the outer claw layer equally well, they provide cats with different experiences. Sisal fabric allows cats to drag their claws down without interruptions, mimicking the feel of a tree.

In contrast, sisal rope has dips that disrupt a cat from scratching. This fact doesn’t mean that sisal fabric is always better, though – each cat has its unique preferences.

Many cats prefer carpeted scratchers. They are slightly softer but present quite a challenge for a cat’s claws, facilitating outer layer shedding.

But here’s the catch – a cat can’t tell the difference between a carpeted scratching post and an actual carpet.

As a result, some cats may start scratching carpets around the house. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem in homes with wooden floors. Low-pile carpet scratching posts are better than high-pile ones because they aren’t as soft.

Cardboard scratchers are the least durable – they need a replacement every three to four months on average. Because of cardboard’s softness, cats can use such scratchers to clean deeper between their claws and sharpen them better.

Then, there are also wooden scratchers – the most natural choice to satisfy cats with powerful instincts. Wooden scratchers are the hardest ones, and cats cannot dig their claws as deep in, so they don’t make cat claws that sharp.

Is a Scratching Post Sufficient?

Many feline owners are confused about whether a scratching post is sufficient to maintain a cat’s claw health. From the cat’s perspective, a scratching post is typically enough.

Cats like their claws sharp because they are vital for protection and hunting. A scratching post does just that – it keeps cat claws sharp and dangerous by removing the outer layer. It shortens the nails minimally and doesn’t file down the tip.

However, sharp claws can be problematic for the owners. A cat with sharp nails can damage furniture, leave scratch marks on the curtains, or hurt the owner, either intentionally or not.

If your cat loves kneading you, showing its love, you already know that sharp claws are a no-no. Some cats also have a habit of stretching their bodies while putting their paws on the owner’s legs.

For this reason, most cat owners also use nail clippers to remove the sharp tip, making cat claws less dangerous and reducing the damage they can do.

Furthermore, some cats don’t scratch their claws sufficiently or have rapidly growing nails. If the claws are too long, they can be caught on soft surfaces, which leads to broken nails and other injuries.

A cat doesn’t really care whether you’ll use clippers, but a scratching post won’t help you save your curtains, carpets, furniture, and hands from scratch marks. On the opposite, a scratching post will only make a cat’s claws sharper.

Alternatively, you can file down a cat’s claws instead of trimming them. However, you would need to use a file for cats rather than a human nail file, and the process is pretty long.

Is a Scratching Post a Substitute to Clippers?

Unlike cats, dogs don’t have retractable nails – they’re always out. As they walk, the nails file down against rough surfaces such as asphalt or fine stones.

Does this mean that a cat can file its claws down using a scratching post and doesn’t need clippers? Not having to trim a cat’s nails every couple of weeks would save so many nerves for cat owners.

However, because a scratching post doesn’t remove the sharp ends of a cat’s claws but only the outer nail layer, making them even sharper, it isn’t a substitute for clippers.

A scratching post shortens cat claws to some degree, but not sufficiently. Ideally, a cat should have constant access to a scratching post but also have its nails trimmed every two weeks or so.

A scratching post and claw clippers are two different accessories but both equally necessary for your cat’s health and your peace of mind.

On the same note, some may think that clippers can be a substitute for a scratching post. If a cat has its nails trimmed every two weeks or weekly, why would it need to scratch anything? Don’t clippers remove the outer claw layer?

Clippers will shorten a cat’s claws, but they don’t promote outer layer shedding. Furthermore, cats use scratching posts for more than keeping their nails healthy.

They also use scratching posts to stretch their backs, relieve stress and anxiety, release energy by jumping and climbing, mark territory, and communicate with other felines.

In other words, a scratching post is essential for every cat to keep it healthy and happy, even if the cat is declawed and doesn’t need to trim its claws.

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