Why Cats Scratch
by Nomi Berger
For our feline friends, scratching is one of their primal, instinctual urges and they do it throughout their entire lives.
According to veterinary experts, cats typically scratch for a number of reasons. It relieves their anxiety. It’s a form of exercise. It hones their nails. It strengthens and stretches their muscles. It marks their territory.
Domesticated cats tend to scratch the furniture in your home because they’re marking their territory in the places where you sit. In the pads of their paws are scent glands that release their scent onto everything they scratch. Cats in the wild, for example, will scratch logs because it provides both a visual and olfactory way to mark their territory.
When you have an indoor cat, they need to find substitute scratching spots – from your furniture to your carpeting. The best way to solve this problem is to keep several designated scratching posts, scratchers, and/or cat trees around your home. Allow your cat to select the material they prefer. Most cats will opt for corrugated cardboard while others will choose other textures such as carpet, sisal rope, or wood.
Positioning the scratchers properly is the next step. Choose scratchers of a material similar to an item your cat tends to scratch and place them close to that object as an attractive alternative. If it’s carpeting, place the scratchers in the spots they tend to claw the most. If it’s the wooden legs of your dining room table, your cat’s new scratching post should be made of wood.
Sprinkling some catnip on the scratchers works wonders when it comes to luring your cat to their new scratching spots. Should your cat be reluctant at first to use them, though, preferring instead to keep scratching your furniture, for example, use double-sided sticky tape on the wood, since cats hate the feeling of it on their paws.
Taking the best possible care of your cat also involves tending to their paws and claws. This means trimming your cat’s nails particularly if they keep getting stuck in any of the objects they scratch. Experts suggest turning it into a fun and rewarding experience for your cat by offering them their favorite or some new high-value treats if they permit you to simply touch their paws. Repeat this over and over until they realize that if they let you touch their paws, and then gently trim their nails, there’s always treats involved. (Many pet parents, however, prefer having their cats’ nails trimmed by trained professionals either at home or at the groomer’s). *
Curious as to why cats scratch people? Apart from their normal behavior of scratching to relieve anxiety, exercise, file their nails, and/or mark territory, there are times when your cat might take a swipe at you or someone else. Consider it a warning or a defensive tactic when they feel threatened. In other words, stop what you’re doing because your cat wants to be left alone. They’re unintentionally playing roughly. Your cat might catch your hand during a biting and “bunny-kicking” frenzy if they think you’re playing with them. Touching their tummies could lead to this, so beware of their bellies. Always use a toy to play with them rather than your hand to avoid getting hurt. Should you find your hand an “innocent victim” of a scratching, prey-catching session, keep it still so that your cat realizes you aren’t playing, and releases your hand.
If, however, your cat is scratching you or anyone else in an aggressive manner, experts advise you to speak with a certified cat behaviorist because these unwanted and unacceptable behaviors can be trained out of a cat.
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