Introducing Your Cat To Their New Cat Scratching Tree
1. Why Should You Steer Your Cat Towards Their New Tree?
Cats naturally love to scratch. While this helps keep their claws clean, helps them to de-stress and leave their scent, this can also have detrimental effects to almost any piece of furniture within your house.
Introducing your cat to their new tree will save your furniture & keep your cat happy & healthy.
2. What Will Your Cat Think Of Their New Tree?
Some cats without hesitation will take to their new cat scratching post immediately (often before it is even assembled)! In other cases, it may take much more time for your cat to adjust.
Some common reasons for hesitation towards a new cat scratching post can be stress or fear of a new object in their environment or the cat tree is not in a location that allows for oversight of the entire room.
Alternatively, the tree may be too large for a kitten or arthritic cat to jump up onto or there may be territorial issues if you have multiple cats in which case more than one tree may be required.
3. How Do You Introduce A Shy, Stressed Or Hesitant Cat To Their New Tree?
Introducing your cat to their new tree should be done slowly to avoid unnecessary stress or anxiety.
You can start this by first placing some food in a bowl next to the tree, pat and praise them as they eat. Alternatively, try playing with them next to their new tree.
Once comfortable with this, try repeating the above step on the lower shelf or platform of the cat tree and continue to praise and pat your cat as they eat so that they associate their cat tree with a positive experience.
4. What Products Can Help Introduce A Cat To Their New Tree?
If you have tried the above step, consider using a product such as the Feliway Spray which can help to calm and de-stress your cat to make introducing them easier.
You may want to consider cat toys as a way to introduce them to their new tree also.