When we first met our tabby, Fuego, at the local Humane Society (which is actually a bit of a drive for us), we were informed that his previous parents had also adopted him there—and returned him five years later, before moving. They had complained that he scratched things, but they did not provide him with any scratching equipment—which, to me, is like complaining when you don’t vote, or something to that effect.
Cats scratch for a variety of reasons. One reason, researchers have discovered, is to communicate with one another. Another is to sharpen their claws. For whatever reason, it is normal, natural cat behavior, and it should be expected and tolerated, not punished.
