6

Tattered and Shredded

Retraining Inappropriate Scratching

Confetti. If that’s a word you’d use to describe the current state of your furniture, then you truly have a hard-core shredder. Some people give up and surrender their sofas, chairs, and curtains to the cat. After years of trying to keep the cats away from the furniture, those owners raise the tattered and shredded white flag. Others refuse to give in and continue to battle with the cats on a daily basis. They booby-trap the furniture, squirt water at their cats, yell, spank, chase, squirt more water, and yell louder until, eventually, neither the humans nor the cats want anything to do with the other.

Life with a hard-core shredder can lead a person to desperate measures—the decision to declaw. You may be considering this in your cat’s situation because despite your having tried everything you can think of, she continues to scratch the furniture. Maybe you’re at this point because you’re about to purchase new furniture and there’s no way you’re going to allow your hard-core shredder to ruin the new and expensive pieces.

A cat’s scratching behavior can test the limits of your patience, but only if you don’t understand why she needs to do it and how to create ideal places for her to do it. I know you’re probably thinking that you already know the reason why she scratches—to sharpen her claws. That simple assumption is part of the reason you’re having this problem with your cat. You don’t know enough about the cat’s needs and motivation. You also might be pretty frustrated by the fact that you supplied her with what you thought was an acceptable scratching post, yet she repeatedly ignores it. Well, buying a scratching post is like buying a car—only much less expensive, thankfully. It needs to be safe, sturdy, reliable, and appealing, and the features need to make sense. Don’t be fooled by all the bells and whistles. You want to buy something you can count on. I believe the reason your cat has become a hard-core shredder is because you didn’t receive the right information in order to supply her with exactly what she needed. Just as with other purchases we may make for the cat, we often look at a scratching post’s human appeal and get fooled into thinking our cats want what we would want.

THE NEED TO SCRATCH

It’s not just about sharpening claws, and it’s not at all about being destructive. It’s also not a behavior you can untrain in a cat, nor should you ever attempt to do that. Your cat didn’t just look at your beautiful sofa one day and decide to claw it to shreds. She also doesn’t continue to scratch defiantly in spite of your repeated reprimands. She isn’t trying to create a problem between the two of you. Believe it or not, she’s just following through on an innate behavior that has underlying motivations—all of which are normal and natural aspects of being a cat. The fact that she’s performing this normal and natural behavior on your sofa is the part we can modify. Ceasing the scratching behavior altogether is the part we shouldn’t modify. You’ll understand why as I give you a brief rundown on the basics of why cats scratch, but before we get to that, if you’re thinking of declawing your cat to cure her scratching behavior, you need to understand what declawing really means.

DECLAWING

Sadly, too many people rush into this decision without understanding what it involves for the cat. Too many times when someone gets a kitten, one of the first considerations is how soon the little kitty can be declawed. Some veterinarians offer discounts if declaw surgery is done at the same time as the spay or neuter surgery. I understand the concern people have about keeping furniture free from damage. With a young kitten, those sharp little claws always seem to be out, but training is the way to go, not declawing. Even after being declawed, a cat may continue to exhibit scratching-type behavior against objects. Some people attempt training but fail because they don’t understand what their cats actually need. Other cat owners don’t even attempt training—they go straight for the surgery option and the kitten never gets a chance to learn.

Declawing is not a more extreme form of a nail trim, as so many people mistakenly believe. It’s literally the amputation of a joint. The nail can’t be removed on its own—the entire first joint must be severed. Think of having the first joint of all your fingers amputated. That’s the equivalent of declaw surgery. The thought of that is shocking, yet people rush to have their cats declawed every day.

After declaw surgery, the cat’s feet are tightly bandaged and she’s kept overnight at the hospital. Shockingly, many cats aren’t even given post-op pain medication.

The bandages are removed the next morning and, unless there are complications, the cat is sent home after that. The cat owner is given special litter, usually pelletized newspaper, or instructed to use plain shredded newspaper in the litter box for about ten days. This is important during the healing process to prevent litter granules from getting into the wounds. Newspaper is also much easier on the very tender paws of the newly declawed cat. Thus, in addition to the pain of being declawed, the poor kitty has the added confusion of such an abrupt change in her litter.

I was a veterinary technician for many years and watched cats trying to recover from declaw surgery. They were in pain as they tried to stand, walk, and maneuver on their tender feet. There were even some people who had both the front and back feet of their cats declawed. To watch those cats attempt to move after surgery brought me to tears.

In theory, the healing period for declaw surgery is about ten days. At that point, the cat can usually return to her normal litter. Some cats don’t recover as well and their toes remain sensitive much longer. Some kitties’ toes remain tender for the rest of their lives. I’ve seen cats who would no longer accept being touched or petted on the paws after being declawed. If you have an adult cat and are considering declawing, it can be even more physically and emotionally traumatic for her.

Not all declaw surgeries are done well. For some cats the nightmare continues as one or more claws grow back, usually incorrectly and causing more pain.

Once declawed, the cat must never be allowed outdoors. Even if she has her back claws, she’s too vulnerable without front claws. She lacks her first line of defense against an attacker. Her ability to escape by climbing is also reduced.

For so many reasons, declaw surgery is not a decision to make without being informed and carefully thinking it through. You want what’s best for your cat, I know that. That’s why you bought this book—to try to figure out ways to solve your cat’s behavior problem. Proper training and providing your cat with the right equipment are what’s best for her, and it’s never too late to do both. Now that you know more about what it means to declaw your cat, I hope you’ll make the decision never to do that to her.

NAIL CAPS

A much more humane alternative to declawing is to use vinyl nail caps on the claws. Although this is a much better option than the mutilation of declawing, try to retrain your cat using the technique in this chapter before giving up and using nail caps. I would much rather see you and your cat happy because you both get what you want. By using my techniques you get undamaged furniture and your cat gets to enjoy scratching.

Nail caps, which are made of a nontoxic vinyl, are attached to the nails with glue. As with declawing, usually just the front claws are done since they’re the ones that cause the damage, though some people choose to have all the nails capped.

Your veterinarian will apply the first set and show you how to do it for at-home application later on. Keep in mind that the nails have to be trimmed in order to fit the nail caps, so if you’re unable to trim or handle your cat’s nails, you won’t be able to do at-home application.

The nail caps last about a month. Some cats don’t take well to them and try to chew them off. If one comes off, the cat can still do damage while scratching. That’s why proper training is the best option. But if you’re seriously considering declawing, at least discuss the option of nail caps with your veterinarian before you put your cat through an irreversible surgery.

REFRESHER COURSE ON SCRATCHING

As with everything else we’ve talked about in this book, the key to solving a so-called behavior problem is to understand why your cat feels the need to do something. Scratching is no exception.

Stop looking at scratching as a “bad” behavior. I know that’s hard to do if you’re staring at an expensive chair that’s now shredded, but try to stick with me here. Where your cat has chosen to scratch is not acceptable, but it’s certainly not a bad behavior. Your job will be to create a better option for her. I’ll guide you through that a little later in this chapter.

First you have to get inside that furry little head of hers and gain some insight into her desire and need to scratch.

Scratching is a multifaceted behavior in that it serves several functions. Some seem obvious, but others are more subtle.

Scratching conditions the cat’s claws. As she rakes them down a rough-textured surface, the outer dead sheath of the claw is removed, exposing the new part of the nail. These dead sheaths are thin and crescent-shaped. Look at where your cat currently scratches and you’ll probably find two or three of these sheaths.

Scratching is also a marking behavior. When a cat rakes her claws down an object, she leaves a visual mark (much to your dismay, I’m sure, if that object is a piece of furniture). The visual marking behavior is a survival instinct. In an outdoor setting, a cat may visually mark a tree. That mark can be seen at a distance, giving a visiting cat enough warning to avoid a potential confrontation. The visual mark also serves as a familiar landmark to the cat who did the scratching.

In addition to the visual mark, scratching enables a cat to leave an olfactory mark through scent glands in the paw pads. As the cat presses her paws against the tree to scratch, the scent glands release pheromones, which contain valuable information about her. If a visiting cat chooses to approach the scratch-marked tree, she’ll receive more information regarding the cat who left the scratches. Since cats prefer not to have actual physical confrontations if at all possible, the combination of visual and olfactory marking is important. Your indoor cat has the same need to scratch for visual marking. Even if she doesn’t share her home with another cat, the need to scratch remains. She wants those signs around her territory as familiar signposts. It adds a level of comfort whenever she visits those spots and sees/smells only her own marks.

Physically, scratching has additional benefits beyond claw maintenance. When she hooks her claws on the object and leans into it, your cat can give her back and shoulder muscles a good stretch. Cats are extremely flexible and can curl into the tightest balls for sleeping or stay curled in one spot for stalking. The ability to fully stretch those amazing muscles is valuable.

There is also an emotional component to scratching behavior that many people aren’t aware of. For a cat, a buildup of emotion often needs to be displaced somewhere. Grooming is one way a cat may displace anxiety, excitement, anticipation, or frustration. Scratching is another way. Your cat may head to her scratching location after she greets you at the door when you return from work. She may also feel the need to scratch after the frustration of sitting still during grooming or when she’s anticipating a meal or a play session. There are many reasons each individual cat may choose to scratch emotionally. What’s important is that your cat has the opportunity to use this form of expression.

Now that you have a better understanding of why your cat scratches, you can understand the confusion and frustration she may have felt if you’ve reprimanded her for this normal, natural behavior. It may even have escalated into a deterioration of the bond between the two of you. If that’s the case, it’s time to get you both back on track so you can be happy, your cat can scratch, and your furniture can stay safe.

RETHINK THE CURRENT SCRATCHING POST SETUP

If you’ve read this far into the chapter and you’ve never even had a scratching post for your cat in the first place, then your furniture has more than likely paid the price. Don’t worry. It’s not too late to retrain so that future furniture purchases can be kept untouched. You can wear your dark glasses when you go to the pet supply store so no one has to know you’ve never purchased a scratching post before.

You may be reading this and thinking you did the right thing long ago by purchasing a scratching post, but your cat never even used it. She may have sauntered over to check it out the first time, then, after one quick pass with her claws, ignored it.

In chapter 5, I talked about how important the cat’s relationship is to the litter box. You learned there was so much more to it than just a plastic box filled with litter. Your cat’s relationship with her scratching post is important as well. These two areas of a cat’s life are driven by instinct. If you don’t provide what she needs, her instincts will force her to find other options. It’s not willful misbehavior—it’s the need to be a cat.

It’s time to take a second look at the scratching post setup your cat currently has. Right off the bat, if the post is covered by carpet, that’s one big reason why it’s being ignored. Soft, carpet-covered posts are basically useless from your cat’s point of view. She needs something she can really sink her nails into that’ll help slough off the dead sheaths. The soft texture of the carpet fails miserably. Additionally, it’s easy for a cat to get one of her claws entangled in the loop of the carpet. That can be painful and dangerous. At the very least, it can create a negative association with the scratching post.

I believe manufacturers create carpet-covered posts to appeal more to the human eye than to the cat’s claws. There’s a better chance an uninformed consumer will purchase a particular scratching post if it fits in aesthetically with the decor. Sadly, that strategy backfires on the consumer because if the pretty, carpet-covered post isn’t being used by the cat, it means the furniture is. Pretty post, shredded furniture. That’s not a good trade-off. Look at where your cat is currently scratching for clues as to the type of texture she prefers. Perhaps it’s the rough texture of the sofa fabric. Maybe she’s even scratching a welcome mat or the carpet in your home. The texture of the carpet or mat may be very rough, unlike the soft covering of her scratching post.

The height of the post is also a major factor in whether it gets used. If the post in your home is too short, the cat can’t reach up and get a full stretch. A short post forces your cat to crouch to get into scratching position. Your cat would prefer to be able to get a full stretch so she can unkink those back muscles while scratching.

Sturdiness is important no matter what size the post is. When your cat leans her weight against it to scratch, does it wobble, tip, or move in any way? Is the post itself coming loose from the base? These are things that can drive a cat to seek another option. She knows that if she leans against the sofa to scratch, it’ll be sturdy enough to withstand her weight.

Now we come to location. Just as with other things in a cat’s life, such as the litter box and the food bowl, the right product in the wrong location still equals failure. Have you hidden the scratching post? If your cat has the desire to scratch, does she have to go on an indoor hike to get to it? I’ve come across many people who tuck the post in a remote corner because it’s not an attractive addition to the decor. If you’ve done that, your cat has probably resorted to scratching on whatever is nearby.

The training techniques you may have used may also have ended up working against you. How did you train your cat to the post and what do you do when she scratches the furniture? If you placed her paws on the post, I can pretty much guarantee that she ended up struggling to get away. Did you reprimand her for scratching furniture? If so, it probably resulted in her immediate departure from the area. But while that may have gotten you an immediate stop to the scratching, it was only temporary. The desire and need to scratch still exist, only now you’ve added confusion and fear into the mix. She’s being reprimanded for a normal behavior and hasn’t been given an acceptable alternative place to scratch. Reprimands may also create a fear of you. She’ll continue to scratch, but she’ll just do it when you aren’t around. When she does scratch, she’ll be anxious because she’ll be anticipating you coming into the room to chase her.

Finally, compare the number of posts to the number of cats. Since part of scratching is a marking behavior, each cat should have her own post. Marking is one way of identifying familiar surroundings, and each cat needs to have her own post to claim. Cats who don’t have the best relationship with each other will appreciate not having to share an object used for marking.

THE RETRAINING PROCESS: OPERATION VELVET PAWS

It’s never too late to retrain a hard-core shredder. Based on the analysis you just did of your current setup, you may have only one or several modifications to make. That’s the first step. When all the pieces of the puzzle are put together, you’ll create an option for your cat that surpasses the sofa, chair, table leg, or anything else previously claimed by her claws. Let’s get started.

Furniture armor: Set the stage for retraining

If you’ve used verbal and/or physical reprimands in the past, leave those methods there—in the past. You’ve now seen how ineffective and counterproductive they are. You are going to use deterrents, but they won’t be directly connected to you. The deterrent method you’ll create will make the once appealing scratching surface suddenly become unappealing. And as far as kitty’s concerned, you had nothing to do with it.

The deterrent phase of the retraining is just one part of the behavior modification. It must be done in combination with creating the right scratching setup and retraining your cat to use it.

If the object scratched is an upholstered sofa or chair, the easiest deterrent is double-sided tape. Sticky Paws is a double-sided tape made especially for this purpose. As opposed to regular double-sided tape, Sticky Paws doesn’t leave any residue when removed from the fabric. The product comes in two sizes, regular and extra wide. It can be used on a variety of surfaces, so if your cat is scratching an area other than a sofa or chair, check the manufacturer’s label on the package of the tape.

Apply Sticky Paws to the areas your cat is likely to scratch. If she has scratched on only one corner of the sofa, you should still cover all corners with Sticky Paws to make the whole piece seem unappealing. Otherwise she’ll just switch to an uncovered corner. When you use Sticky Paws, make sure everyone in the family knows where you put it so no one leans against the tape.

If your cat scratches everywhere on the sofa or chair, cover the entire object with a sheet. Don’t just drape the sheet loosely over the sofa, because your cat will easily get underneath in order to gain access to her favorite scratching surface. Tightly fit the sheet over the furniture and tape it around the legs. Depending on the size of the piece of furniture, you may need more than one sheet. A trick I learned from a friend, designer Frank Bielec, is to fit narrow PVC pipe around the cushions of the sofa to hold the sheet tightly in place. Stuff the PVC pipes down around the back and sides of the cushions.

Once the sheet is in place, put some strips of double-sided tape or Sticky Paws on the corners, just to further add to the furniture’s lack of appeal. I know the furniture won’t look very attractive, but this is temporary as you retrain your cat.

You may have to get creative in setting up the deterrent, depending upon where your cat chooses to scratch. As a general guideline, think slick or sticky. If you can’t use the double-sided tape, use something such as a slick plastic placemat, shelf paper, or a plastic carpet runner. For example, the carpet runner would work well if your cat horizontally scratches a section of carpet. Another alternative to the carpet protector is to use an X-Mat over the horizontal place your cat is scratching.

Don’t use balloons as a deterrent. This is a method some misinformed experts may have recommended, but it’s way too aversive. That form of deterrent is extreme and cruel. Balloons taped to furniture are terrifying for a cat. I don’t like sound-generating deterrents if there are other animals in the home. The sudden pop of a balloon could frighten an unsuspecting cat nearby. If you use a deterrent that creates fear, it can backfire because the cat might be afraid to scratch on anything, even her scratching post. That’ll result in secondary behavior problems if she has no way to displace her emotions constructively.

  CATWISE CLUE

If you plan on shopping for a new sofa or chair to replace the old cat-shredded one, choose a smooth fabric that’s less claw-tempting. Stay away from rough-textured, nubby material. For a long-term, hard-core shredder, the less temptation during retraining, the better.

The right post

Think of a nail file’s texture. It needs to be rough, not dull or smooth, in order to get the job done. Texture can make or break a scratching post’s appeal. Remember, your cat needs something that’ll effectively remove the outer dead sheaths when she rakes her claws down the post. The material most cats can’t resist is sisal, which has a rough, ropelike texture. Sisal-covered posts are easy to find no matter where you live. Between your local pet supply store and the Internet, you should be able to track one down. Sisal is rough and ideal for sinking in those claws for sheath removal. Just the sound of a cat scratching on the sisal post can spark a companion cat to start scratching as well.

An alternative to sisal is the rope-wrapped post. This is another material most cats find hard to pass by without indulging in a little scratching. Rope-wrapped posts are widely available, and you can even wrap the post you currently have. Just be sure to wear gloves so that you can wrap it very tightly without getting a rope burn on your hands.

Carpet can be acceptable if it’s tightly woven with a rough texture. For the most part, though, your best bets are sisal or rope. If you do decide to use carpet because you know your particular cat prefers it, don’t use leftover pieces from your own carpet in the home. That would send a mixed message by allowing your cat to scratch the carpet-covered post but forbidding her to scratch the matching wall-to-wall carpet. Keep the retraining process consistent—make sure the post is not the same material as anything else in the home.

You may have a cat who prefers scratching on bare wood and has put scratch marks on your wooden furniture rather than your upholstered pieces. You can create a plain post yourself by securely attaching a tall piece of four-by-four wood to a heavy wooden base. Sturdiness is vital, so make sure you create a post that doesn’t wobble or tip over. The taller the post, the heavier and wider you must make the base.

There are several companies that manufacture tall, sturdy, sisal-covered posts. Two excellent companies are TopCat Products and SmartCat. We have several TopCat posts in our home as well as a couple of SmartCat posts, and my cats use them multiple times a day. TopCat posts can be ordered through the manufacturer’s Web site (see the appendix). SmartCat posts are available at pet supply stores and online. If you feel sticker shock when you first go shopping for good-quality posts, remember that a good sisal post will last your cat a long time and will save you money in the long run because you won’t be replacing damaged furniture. It’s such a nice feeling to hear your cat scratching and know you don’t have to worry because you recognize the familiar sound of the scratching post.

A cat tree is another option to consider. Cat trees serve double duty as elevated perches and scratching posts. Just as with regular scratching posts, though, there are good ones and useless ones. Choose a good-quality, sturdy tree with wide U-shaped perches. You can find specifics on what to look for in a cat tree in chapter 2. If you’re looking for a tree to serve as a scratching post, look for rope-wrapped or sisal-covered support posts on the tree. The support posts must also be tall enough for the cat to get a full stretch without hitting her head on the lowest perch. If the tree has bare wood posts, you can wrap them with sisal or rope, unless your cat is a wood scratcher, in which case they’re perfect as they are.

Not every cat scratches vertically. You may have a cat who prefers horizontal scratching. She may scratch on carpeting or mats. She may sit on the back of the sofa and scratch horizontally across the top. For a horizontal scratcher, choose a corrugated cardboard scratching pad. The pads are inexpensive and cats generally enjoy scratching cardboard. These pads come in various sizes from regular to extra wide. You can get incline scratching pads for even more fun for the cat. Once the cardboard gets totally shredded, just flip the insert over to reveal the new side. Corrugated cardboard scratching pads can be found in just about any pet supply store. Many cats enjoy both vertical and horizontal scratching. Since the cardboard pads are inexpensive, you can supply both options for your kitty without breaking the bank.

Some companies, such as TopCat Products, make sisal-covered scratching pads. If your cat prefers sisal over any other texture, these pads are a great option.

The right location

If you have the ideal post, you can still have a problem if it’s placed in the wrong location. Posts should be placed where the cat spends most of her time, and they should be where she likes to scratch. This applies to cat trees and cardboard pads as well. When you look at where your cat is currently scratching, her choice is usually based on the texture/sturdiness of that object, but it’s also due to its location. If your cat enjoys scratching after she wakes from her naps, she may be scratching on a particular piece of furniture because it’s convenient. If your cat loves to scratch to express her joy and excitement when you come home from work, she may be scratching a particular object because it’s close to the door. A cat who feels the need to scratch-mark near front or back doors might be scratching on the door casings. It’s not unusual for a cat to feel the need to scratch near the entrance to her territory.

Look at where your cat prefers scratching and put the post there. Make it convenient for her to succeed at retraining by having the post in sight. Don’t tuck it in a corner just because you may not like the look of it. If you want to save your furniture, the scratching post has to come out of hiding.

If you have a cat tree, place it by a window, if possible, in the room where the cat enjoys being. Generally, most cats want to be in the room where the family spends most of their time. Don’t put the tree in a far-off location that no one frequents, especially the cat.

Retraining

You can’t do this by force—you can’t place your cat’s paws on the post. If this is one of the methods you’ve tried in the past, it has only made your cat fear the post and possibly fear you as well. You can’t force a cat to do anything.

The easiest way to retrain is to set the stage so your cat thinks this is all her own idea. Do this by placing the great new scratching post right next to the spot where she was scratching. You have already set up the deterrent on the old object, which makes it no longer appealing when your cat attempts to scratch. At that point, when she sees her old spot looking unscratchable, she’ll notice this terrific new option. How lucky can a cat get! Her curiosity will kick in and she’ll step closer to investigate. She’ll sink her claws in and, ahhhh, scratching ecstasy!

Some posts come with catnip inside to entice cats to scratch. If your know your adult cat responds to catnip, take this a step further and rub the post with a little extra catnip. If the sight of the new post doesn’t spark her interest, the scent of catnip surely will.

With my cats, the sound of scratching gets them interested. All I have to do is give one of the sisal posts a little scratch with my nails. The sound is usually too irresistible. At least one of my two cats will have to come join in.

You can also use interactive play to help in the retraining process. Use a fishing-pole toy, or even just a long feather, and move it in an enticing manner across the post. When your cat pounces, she’ll realize what an amazing scratching surface she just discovered.

If you’re still having trouble enticing your cat, place the post on its side and move the toy around it. When your cat hops on the sideways post or goes underneath it to grab the toy, she may scratch and realize she really likes it. When you feel she has accepted the post, place it upright again.

For horizontal scratchers, use the same location strategies for retraining. Place the scratching pad right over or next to the currently scratched object. If you made the object less appealing through the use of double-sided tape or some other covering, the cat will see the cardboard pad as a much better option.

Once your cat is consistently using her scratching post, you can begin to remove the deterrents. Do this step gradually—don’t rush. Make sure your cat is completely happy with her new post before removing the deterrents.

If you have more than one cat, provide enough scratching posts for everyone. If one cat has established a clearly defined area, place a post there for her and place another post in the area your second cat prefers. It’s also a good idea to place a post or two in the main living area that the cats and the family use most. This way, if any tension results from commingling, a cat may choose that opportunity to scratch in order to displace anxiety. You won’t be able to control whether or not one cat scratches on another cat’s post, nor should you. What’s important is that you are giving your cats more choices, and that’s a great way to reduce anxiety.

Bonus retraining tips

I have two very important pieces of advice that many people overlook. Even if you sailed through the previous aspects of scratching-post retraining, following these two tips may save you heartache down the road.

Tip #1: Don’t try to take the easy way out of retraining by deciding to surrender a scratched piece of furniture to the cat. Even if the cat is scratching her new scratching post, if she continues to scratch the furniture, you must set up the deterrent. I have also known many cat owners who have thrown in the towel and decided to let their cats shred the sofa. These cat owners thought they had the ideal plan because they decided to eventually purchase a new sofa. Even if these owners booby-trap the new sofa to within an inch of its life, the plan won’t work. Don’t surrender the furniture over to the cat. There’s no shortcut when it comes to proper training. It’s extremely unfair to allow a cat to scratch a sofa, then discard the shredded sofa, purchase a new one, and reprimand her for doing the same behavior. It’s confusing to the cat who is trying to perform a normal cat behavior, especially when she hasn’t been given a better option. Don’t send mixed messages. Be consistent in your retraining.

Tip #2: After your cat has been successfully scratching on her post for years, it may eventually start to look a bit ragged. You may decide to purchase a brand-new one for her and toss out that nasty-looking old one. Big mistake! She loves that old post because it confirms her familiar surroundings. That post contains her scratch marks and her scent. She doesn’t want to wake up one morning to discover that it’s missing. Sure, it may no longer have enough fibers left for an effective scratch, but an abrupt disappearance isn’t the way to help your cat. Instead, purchase the new post and place it next to the old one. Once your cat has accepted the new one, then and only then can you quietly put the old one into retirement.