All cats scratch; it's part of being a cat. Cats do write. They don't communicate with a pen and paper or by using a computer keyboard. Instead, their prose is cat scratch - literally. They scratch to express their excitement and pleasure. They scratch to leave messages, both visual and aromatic. (A cat's paws have scent glands that leave smell-o-grams; we can't read them, but other cats can.)

Cats also scratch, not to sharpen their nails, but to remove the worn-our sheaths from their claws. You see the results as little crescent-moon shaped bits around the scratching areas. Scratching is good exercises, too. Scratching is normal behavior for cats. Asking a cat never to scratch is asking a cat not to act like a cat.

Most of us don't mind that cats scratch; what bothers us is where they scratch. But nearly all cats can be taught where to scratchӢand where not to. Kittens are particularly easy to train, but it's not that difficult to teach the adults, either. The secret is to provide attractive scratching alternatives to the sofa or stereo speakers and then teach the cat to use those alternatives.