Why do cats scratch? Cats scratch out of instinct. It is something that their brains are hard-wired to do. A lot of people believe that they can stop negative behavior through declawing. Although declawing does rid the cat of nails, the cat will still exhibit the same behavior, and will often begin biting as well as a defensive mechanism.
Did you know that cat scratching is the number one reason why cats get given up? This is true. Did you also know that, as long as you understand WHY cats scratch, that it is actually quite easy to deal with?
There are various reasons why cats scratch. One of the reasons is that cat’s footpads leave a distinct scent behind after scratching. This marks ownership of the spot. This also tells other cats that it already claimed.
Clawing helps them relieves stress. If your cat is experiencing stress, then they may be clawing more often than usual. Additionally, it is a form of exercise. It helps cats stretch and keep their muscles in shape.
There is one method that I have found almost always works when training a cat to stop scratching. You must give them something that they can’t resist scratching, so that they leave everything else alone.
First, you need to buy a high quality cat scratching post. Put it in an area where the cat spends a lot of time. Although your interior decorating skills are telling you to hide it, you will need to put it somewhere that the cat will actually use it.
Make sure you have enough cat posts. You should follow the same rule as with litter boxes: one for each cat, plus one extra. Some cat owners like to buy multiple ones for each cat, this is fine, you can spoil ‘em.
The scratch posts should be made of a high quality substance which cats will like to scratch. Sisal is quite popular, as is wood and carpet. Put some catnip
on the post to entice the cat to scratch it.
Once you have a suitable alternative available for the kitty, try to make your current furniture less enticing. Double sided tape is a good option. Many people use this because cats do not like how it feels on their paws. It will not harm them, but they will stop scratching.
