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Why do cats scratch wallpaper and furniture?
25.03.2024 11:30
Updated: 12.05.2024 23:21
Cats are amazing and mysterious creatures.
They can be very affectionate and gentle, but at the same time capricious and wayward.
Many cat owners face the problem of cats scratching wallpaper and furniture. This can lead to damage to the interior and cause dissatisfaction among the owners. However, before scolding the pet, it is important to understand why cats behave this way and what can be done about it.
Reasons for scratching
There are several main reasons why cats may scratch wallpaper and furniture:
- Need for a friction point for the claws.
Cats' claws are constantly growing and need to be worn down. If you don't provide your cat with special claw sharpening spots, they will use furniture and wallpaper to do so.
- Marking of the territory.
Wild cats mark their territory by scratching, leaving visual and scent marks. Domestic cats have retained this instinct and may scratch objects to mark their territory and feel like they are the boss.
- Play and explore the environment.
Cats are very curious and active animals. By scratching objects, they explore their surroundings and entertain themselves.
- Stress and anxiety.
Sometimes unnecessary scratching can be caused by nervous tension due to stress or anxiety. Scratching helps the cat calm down.
- Attracting attention.
If a cat is bored and wants to interact with its owners, it may start scratching the wallpaper or furniture to attract attention.
Thus, scratching is a completely natural behavior for cats, caused by their instincts and needs. And to get rid of this problem, you need to understand the real reasons for this behavior.
How to prevent damage to wallpaper and furniture
To stop your cat from using expensive furniture and wallpaper to scratch, you need to provide it with alternative options. Let's look at the main ways to redirect your cat's activity into a safe channel:
- Scratching posts. These are special structures designed to sharpen cats' claws. You can buy them at a pet store or make them yourself from wood, cardboard, or carpet. Scratching posts should be placed in places where the cat usually scratches wallpaper or furniture.
- Vertical scratching posts. These posts allow your cat to satisfy its need to scratch and stretch at the same time. They can be made of wood, covered with sisal or carpet.
- Play complexes. Multi-level complexes with holes, slides and scratching posts will be an excellent object for the cat to explore and play. This will distract it from the wallpaper and furniture.
- Play with your cat more often, using interactive toys. This will tire the cat out and relieve excess energy.
- Apply double-sided tape, protective film or other unpleasant to the touch materials to the areas that are most often subject to scratching. This will help to wean the cat from scratching specific objects.
- Use pheromones or calming drugs if stress is the cause. This will help the cat relax.
- Give your cat more attention, play with her when she asks. Then she won't scratch the furniture to attract attention.
- Trim your cat's claws. Regularly trimming claws will reduce the damage caused by scratching.
Such measures will help to redirect the cat's behavior in the right direction and preserve the integrity of the wallpaper and furniture. The main thing is to provide the pet with acceptable alternatives to satisfy its natural instincts and needs.
How to stop a cat from scratching wallpaper and furniture
If your cat has already acquired the habit of scratching wallpaper and furniture, you will have to put in more effort to wean it off. Let's look at the main methods:
- Ignore unwanted behavior, do not reinforce it with attention. Any reaction from the owner (even negative) will be perceived by the cat as encouragement.
- Praise and reward your cat when it scratches the scratching post or other permitted objects. This will help it understand where it can scratch and where it can't.
- Use aromatic oils with a repellent smell (such as citrus) to make wallpaper and furniture unattractive to scratching.
- Train your cat to verbal commands such as "no", "no" and to pat her paw if you catch her scratching. This way she will remember that this is undesirable.
- Use a water gun or other safe methods to interrupt the scratching act.
- Punish the cat by locking it in the bathroom or another room without its favorite toys for 10-15 minutes. But do this immediately after the act of scratching, otherwise it will not understand the connection.
- Make damaged areas on wallpaper and furniture less attractive by covering them with tape, varnishing, etc.
- If necessary, use pheromones or medications to reduce your cat's anxiety.
Consistency, patience and encouragement of correct behavior are the keys to success in re-educating a cat. And then scratching wallpaper and furniture will be a thing of the past.
Conclusion
So, scratching wallpaper and furniture is a completely natural behavior for cats, conditioned by their instincts. To get rid of this problem, it is important to understand the true reasons and provide the cat with safe alternatives to satisfy its needs. And if the unwanted behavior has already formed, you will have to re-educate the pet with the help of patient training and rewards.
The main thing is to provide the cat with comfortable living conditions, enrich its environment and pay enough attention. Then scratching will cease to be a problem and will turn into a charming cat habit.
We previously reported on the smartest dog breeds .
