One of the biggest complaints about a cat is how it will scratch the furniture, carpet, or other items not meant for cat claws. You need to remember, cats intuitively scratch -- they don't mean to pick your expensive sofa or end table, they're just large, sturdy objects that cat's are drawn to for sharpening their nails. They can be trained to scratch in the right places though, usually with the aid of a scratch post that can be made at home with some wood and carpet, or purchased at any pet store.



Many kittens have issues with clawing (or we, as owners, have the issues). If you don't agree with the practice of declawing (some consider it harsh since it prevents the animal from fighting off enemies or climbing treea), with some patience you can teach a kitten or cat to use the scratch post mentioned earlier.

To teach a kitten how to properly scratch the heck out of the post and not your couch, demonstrate the action by moving his paws across the post as he would if doing it himself. It may be a while before he catches on, but he will get it with some time and patience.

The next biggest complaint with untrained cats is when they miss the litter box. Litter boxes come in all shapes, sizes and styles and some even clean themselves automatically. Consider the appropriate box for your cat and once you get it home you can start the training process.

Some cats may take a little getting used to the idea of kitty litter and a box, but again, he'll get it. Just keep watch over him while he's learning; simply move him to the box if he looks prepared to do his business somewhere else.

Pet stores and pet departments at local discounters and department stores carry a wide variety of pet care and pet entertainment products. Cats enjoy playing and getting exercise, so buy him plenty of toys and play things like stuffed mice, feathery objects on strings, balls, and squeaky toys. The retailers will also supply you with scoop-able kitty litter, litter boxes, cat food, cat treats, and if that accident happens, have cleaners and deodorizers for the mishaps inside your home.