| | Cat Scratching Behavior, CCAH Update, UC Davis, Fall 2002 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-21) |
 | | Scratching a large, upright structure is innate behaviorscratching a tree served the purpose for the wild ancestor of cats; scratching furniture is the equivalent for the more urbanized feline. |
 | | A scratched item such as an outdoor tree, a piece of furniture or a scratching post becomes a personal territorial marker of the cat, because the scratched appearance is readily visible to other cats who might be in the vicinity. |
 | | When encouraging a cat to use a scratching post, the post should first be placed in a prominent area; after it is being used it can be moved gradually to the side of the room, because cats tend to use the same object repeatedly. |
| www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu /CCAH/Update07-2/upd7-2_scratching.html (624 words) |