One Thing You Can Do to Help Cats This Week • “Scratch” a Problem of Your List

Scratching and ruining furniture is high on the list of hobbies we humans wish cats did not pick up.

I myself have an antique chair that was rendered unrecognizable by a fuzzy, clawed wrecking crew. This problem can be “scratched” from your list of problems when you understand the behavior that causes it.

Scratching is a behavior that is natural for cats – not a bad habit – and they do it for a number of reasons. According to Dr. Wailani Sung MS, PHD, DVM, DACVB, “Scratching is a good form of exercise for them. They get to stretch out their bodies and extend and retract their nails. When they scratch, the movements help remove the outer nail sheaths. Cats also scratch to leave visual and olfactory (scent) markers. Their interdigital glands, which are located between the pads of their paws, leave odors behind so that other cats know that the ‘marker; cat has been in the area. When cats scratch objects, they also leave small gouges, which are visual signals to other cats that there is a cat in the area.” [Source]

Now that we know why cats scratch, it seems a shame to take away an activity that makes them feel comfortable and comes naturally. So instead of trying to deter scratching (or giving up and deciding “this is why I can’t have nice things”), let’s consider working with the behavior and encouraging your cat to scratch the appropriate objects.

Providing alternatives for your cat to scratch isn’t difficult.

Having a scratching post or two around your home (placed near the items your cat has been scratching) is a great solution and probably the most common one. Rubbing it with a little cat nip or adding dangly toys to it can make it extra appealing.

Not all cats are thrilled by the feel of carpet so you may want to provide a few textures for them to try out. Variety is the spice of life after all!

You can try sisal rope – it’s a khaki-colored, prickly rope. You can find it at most hardware stores and while you can just add it to your cat tree – you can get creative and wrap it around crates, plant pots or secure it to a sturdy tree branch you’ve brought in from outdoors for an organic “designer” look.

If you’re really into the idea of bringing the outdoors in for your cat’s enjoyment. Giving your cat an untreated wooden log or stump to dig their claws into to satisfy your cat’s inner mountain lion. If you decide to give your cat a log tall enough to climb on, make sure that it’s secured and won’t fall on them – or you. Ouch!

Corrugated cardboard scratchers are also tempting and you can buy them in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The solution I swear by is coir mats; doormats that are made of coconut fiber. They’re easy to find, inexpensive, can be placed near the furniture scratching hot spots, and aren’t entirely unattractive. My cats and foster monsters love the texture and forgo scratching the couch to dig their claws into the fibers.

Give these things a try and when you hear someone else complains about their cat’s scratching behavior, tell them what you know and what worked for you!

You can also let them know our adoption counselors are happy to help them find resources and suggestions to curb problem behaviors or they can refer them to an animal behaviorist or veterinarian if the problem is serious.

If you have a furniture saving solution that’s worked in your home, email it to kristen@mrfrs.org and we’ll include it on our list of suggestions. – Article by Kristen Petrie, MRFRS Marketing Mouser