Why Do Cats Scratch - And Do I Need A Cat Scratcher Post?

Ever wondered why your cat scratches your wallpaper, or even worse some prized piece of furniture? Even more infuriating your next door neighbor tells you smugly that her cat never scratches indoors. What are you doing wrong?

The cat will certainly think that you are in the wrong, not him. You haven’t catered for your cat’s natural instinct, which is to scratch in some favourite places such as on a cat scratcher post.

For Your Cat, Scratching has two main purposes:

a. conditioning the cat’s claws. When they scratch, cats leave behind the old claw sheath, which can often be found in places where they scratch;

b. leaving a scent marking their territory to other cats. This is done by scent glands in their paws which come into contact with whatever is being scratched. Such scent has to be topped up periodically, so scratching becomes persistent.

Since the need to scratch is so basic, it is useless to attempt to train a cat to stop scratching altogether. And a stressed cat will tend to scratch more than a happy one. So that remedy favoured by some owners – the water-pistol – will not work. And it will make your carpets wet! Instead you need to make sure it scratches where it is doing no harm by getting him a cat scratcher post.

Encourage Your Cat To Scratch Outdoors

Ideally your cat should learn to scratch outdoors. Cats should be encouraged to spend time outdoors anyway, and there they can scratch trees. If you make sure the cat has enough time outdoors it will probably start scratching tree trunks anyway. If it doesn’t seem to get the message, reinforce it. If your cat likes catnip, spray some on the tree truck. If it doesn’t, reward the cat if it even seems to be trying to scratch at a tree…it will soon get the message.

When A Cat Scratcher Post Will Help

Often that will be enough. But if scratching indoors continues, you need to get a cat scratcher post. These can be found in all pet stores. But don’t buy a cheap, small one. A cat needs to stretch to full height when scratching, so make sure you get a post that is high enough. And to encourage its use, try the same catnip or treats regime as for outside scratching. Its best to initially locate the post in front of the area where the cat has been scratching, and cover that area up with cloth or tape while the cat gets used to the post. If a cat scratches in more than one room you may need more than one post. It may seem expensive…but so is furniture. Keep the same post…cats like familiar things.

Other Reasons For Cat Scratching

Another thing to note is that cats can scratch to attract attention. So don’t stand and watch it scratching. Appear to ignore this behaviour.

Naturally inventors have turned their minds to other ways of stopping the problem. Some of them try to mimic scents; some are based on making it hard for the cat to stand in place to scratch. But it’s rare for these to work properly. The latter approach can anyway be tried using double-sided tape. But the cat will still need somewhere else to scratch.

You may want to try nail caps. Vets sometimes prescribe these. They can be bought in a range of colours, which may or may not match your cat’s fur. They most often don’t last long (that’s why come in packs of around 50!), and of course the cat will find them deeply frustrating because they do nothing to tackle the root causes of scratching. Try them if you like...but don’t expect too much.