As a cat owner, one of the most aggravating things about your feline companion is that they want to sharpen their claws and scratch everything in the house. You probably can’t count the number of times you’ve stopped your cat from clawing the couch, walls, carpet, or other furniture.
It is nothing that cat owners haven’t dealt with since the beginning of time, since it’s fully instinctual, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Have you ever wondered why your cat scratches? We will dive into why cats scratch and give you some tips to stop it below.
What Is Considered Cat Scratching?
Scratching is when a cat takes its claws and drags them over a horizontal or vertical surface. Cat scratching is also called stropping, which is a completely normal behavior for your feline. However, just because it’s normal doesn’t mean that you need to assume that your cat can scratch any surface they want.
Even though your cat’s scratching can be aggravating, it’s essential to never halt the behavior by having your cat’s claws removed. This involves an amputation of the last phalanx of your cat’s toes, and it causes physical and behavioral problems.
You don’t want to make your cat stop the behavior altogether. Instead, you need to understand why your cat scratches everything, and then follow the tips below to get your cat to scratch something more appropriate, like a well-made scratching post.
The 4 Reasons Why Cats Scratch
1. Marking Their Territory
Scratching is one of the ways your cat communicates with others. They can leave visual marks as well as scents by releasing pheromones from their paws. If you’ve noticed your cat scratching the front door area, the doors into the living room and other areas of the house, or even their favorite sleeping spots, it’s because they somehow feel that their territory is being challenged in those areas, and are marking the site as their own.
For example, if you find the cat clawing the couch in the den, it could be because it’s marking it with its scent.
2. It’s a Form of Exercise
If your cat is comfortable with their surroundings and knows it’s the boss, its scratching could be a form of exercise for the cat, especially if the cat is strictly kept indoors. A scratching session helps your cat to stretch their legs, paws, and back. It’s similar to what people do when they first wake up in the morning or from an afternoon nap.
3. Sharpening Their Claws
Scratching is the perfect way for a cat to maintain the health of their claws. This is how your cat removes the dead outer husk of their claws, helping to reveal the new claw underneath. This is important for your cat’s health, so make sure you have something that the cat can sharpen its claws on without getting into trouble for doing it.
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4. It’s Satisfying
Scratching isn’t just practical; it also feels great for cats. The texture of a scratching post or surface provides a satisfying sensation, helping to relieve stress and release pent-up energy. In the wild, cats scratch tree trunks to keep their claws in top shape, and domestic cats still have this instinct. Providing appropriate scratching options allows your cat to engage in this natural behavior while keeping them happy and content.
How Do You Stop Inappropriate Scratching by Your Feline?
While you now understand why your cat tends to claw everything in your home, you still can’t have the cat tearing up the walls, furniture, and everything else you own, so what do you do? How do you stop your cat’s inappropriate scratching? We’ll give you a few tips to follow in the section below.
Make the Surface Unappealing
If your cat doesn’t like the surface it’s trying to scratch, it won’t use it as a scratching post anymore. You can spray the surface with a citrus scent or cover it with aluminum foil until the cat gives up on scratching that item.
Get Your Cat a Scratching Post
A scratching post or several of them, is an excellent solution to your cat’s scratching problem. However, if you’ve noticed that your cat will put its entire body into the scratching, you need to purchase a scratching post that is twice as tall as your cat, or that is sturdily built.
It’s also a good idea to watch how your cat scratches. Does it scratch horizontally or vertically? Once you know how the cat scratches, choose a scratching post that you know it’ll enjoy. You’ll be able to find horizontal and vertical scratching posts almost anywhere scratching posts are sold.
The Hepper Hi-Lo Cat Scratcher features a modern and clever design that offers cats an appealing place to scratch – and a way to keep them from scratching all the things they shouldn't. Unlike most cat toys (where your cat probably just prefers the cardboard box they came in), cat's flock to this design ... maybe it's because there's cardboard in it!
- Premium Materials - Hepper's cardboard scratcher is made with dense, B-flute cardboard, and a metal...
- High, Low and Lower - A single cat scratch pad won't keep your cat engaged. 3 unique positions keeps...
- Activates Muscles - The Hi Lo isn't just a cat nail file to stop the chief cat couch scratcher. The...
With its 3-position setup, textured cardboard, and sturdy frame, it encourages their natural scratching behavior, steering them away from clawing at items like furniture, walls, carpets, curtains, and people. The Hi-Lo is a reliable solution to safeguard your home and create a more enjoyable environment for your cat, all while looking modern and stylish.
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Final Thoughts
Cat scratching is entirely normal behavior for your feline pal, so you don’t want to discourage the cat from doing what comes naturally. However, you don’t want the cat to shred everything in your home. Following the tips above will help you curb cat scratching. However, if the tips don’t work for you, you can ask your vet for recommendations or talk to a cat behavioral specialist.
See also:
- Why Do Cat Scratches Itch? 5 Vet Reviewed Possible Reasons
- 5 Best Couch Covers for Cat Scratch Protection – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image By: Melissa Sue, Shutterstock
