Kittens learn how to use a scratching post by watching.

When you welcome a new kitten into your home, do you find them starting to scratch your sofa or the corners of your wallpaper? Even if you scold them, it's difficult to correct this behavior because for kittens, scratching is less about being "taught" and more about "learning by observation."

There's a classic study reported in Science magazine in 1969. Dr. Chesler compared three groups of kittens: those raised watching their mother cat press a lever to get food, those shown only the actions of an unfamiliar adult cat, and those who had to learn by trial and error on their own.

The results were clear: the kittens who watched their mother learned the action overwhelmingly faster, while the kittens who had to learn on their own never mastered it.

Subsequent research has shown that weaned kittens have a strong tendency to imitate what their mother cat prefers to eat, even choosing foods that are naturally unsuitable for them. For kittens, basic rules like "what to do" and "where to do it" are considered part of the information assimilated from the behavior of nearby cats and family members.

The same mechanism seems to apply to scratching. Newborn kittens cannot retract their claws effectively, and it is said that they only begin to perform correct scratching motions around 5 weeks of age. The experience of "where" and "on what material with what sensation" they scratch their claws at this time forms the foundation of that cat's lifelong habits. A questionnaire study for Italian cat owners also reported that the preference for scratching locations in adult cats is closely linked to early experiences as a kitten.

If the first "vertical, easy-to-claw object" a newly arrived kitten encounters happens to be the leg of a sofa, then the sofa leg becomes ingrained as the "correct" place for that kitten. It is also known that a small amount of pheromones remains on scratched areas from the interdigital glands in the paw pads, making it easy for that spot to be associated with a "this is mine" mark. Since scent also accumulates in the first ingrained spots, no matter how many elaborate scratching posts are added later, overcoming that initial imprinting can be unexpectedly difficult for this very reason.

In fact, newly adopted kittens often try out various vertical surfaces around the house during the first few days. What becomes a habit seems to be determined by the feel of the claws catching and whether the location is easily accessible for repeated visits. That's why we believe there is value in intentionally designing the first places they encounter.

Furnya's Cat Cellar is designed as a piece of interior furniture that won't detract from your decor even when placed in the center of your living room, allowing it to naturally become part of your living space from the moment you welcome a new cat. By being in the middle of where your family spends time, it will enter the kitten's field of vision multiple times a day, naturally increasing their interaction with it. The S-curved cardboard structure offers multiple angles, from nearly vertical to slightly sloped surfaces, allowing the kitten to choose a comfortable position that suits their body size. The material is reinforced cardboard, providing a satisfying feel for their claws, and the sensation and sound of their claws filing down offer highly satisfying feedback for the kitten.

We recommend placing it along the kitten's daily routes, such as in a corner of the living room or near where the family gathers. This will naturally increase the opportunities for the kitten to approach and scratch at their own pace. As a product jointly supervised by a veterinarian and an architect, we aim for a design that effortlessly balances the aesthetic appeal of furniture with the functionality that caters to a cat's instincts. For smaller rooms, we also offer the Cat Cellar mini, so you can choose according to your available space.

While it's difficult to correct a kitten's scratching habits later on, it doesn't seem to be so hard to provide the correct place from the beginning. The Cat Cellar is an interior furniture piece with scratching functionality, a tool that can subtly blend into the very first scenes of a newly welcomed cat's life. Because it's located in the middle of the family's living space, kittens naturally learn to "scratch here." We hope you'll consider it as an option for furniture that proves useful during those crucial first few weeks.

If you have any questions about how to use it, please feel free to send us a message via our official LINE account. Our customer service staff will be happy to assist you.

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*Reference: Chesler, P. (1969). Maternal Influence in Learning by Observation in Kittens. Science, 166(3907), 901-903. DOI: 10.1126/science.166.3907.901 / Zito, A. et al. (2024). Scratching behaviour and its features: a questionnaire-based study in an Italian sample of domestic cats. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery.