Unlike dogs, cats are barely domesticated, retaining most of their wild genetic ancestry and behavioral characteristics. One behavior all cats practice is scratching, which serves multiple purposes, but can prove destructive to your household furnishings. Rather than promoting invasive and crippling declawing procedures, our Memorial Villages Animal Hospital team explains why cats scratch and how you can provide your feline friend with healthy outlets for this behavior while protecting your furniture, carpets, and other household items.

Why cats need to scratch

Cats scratch for multiple reasons. Scratching fulfills many of cats’ needs, helping keep them physically and emotionally healthy when they exercise this natural behavior. A cat needs to scratch for the following reasons:

  • Communication — The scratch marks and scents your feline friend leaves on surfaces are powerful messages to other cats. 
  • Claw maintenance — Scratching helps cats shed dead outer nail husks and sharpen the underlying new nails.
  • Stretching and exercise — Cats stretch and exercise their hunting muscles by scratching on vertical or horizontal surfaces.
  • Anxiety and stress relief — Some cats scratch to relieve household anxiety, or stress and territorial anxiety caused by a bullying pet.

Preferred cat scratching surfaces and techniques

Each cat has personal preferences for scratching surfaces and whether they like to scratch horizontal surfaces, such as carpet squares or cardboard on the floor, or vertical surfaces, such as scratching posts or furniture legs. Many cats enjoy scratching natural materials such as sisal or wood. To ensure their messages are seen and smelled, a cat usually chooses to mark main gathering areas in the home. 

How to encourage appropriate scratching

Cats who aren’t provided with appropriate scratching surfaces will use household items. The best way to encourage healthy scratching is by providing your cat with multiple types of scratching posts and surfaces such as carpeting, cardboard, or sisal. To hold up to your cat’s full strength, ensure scratching posts are sturdy and firm. You can sprinkle catnip around the base or play games near the scratching post to entice your cat to try using the post. 

Once your cat starts scratching a post, they will continue to return. Therefore, providing these scratching options as soon as you introduce your cat to your home can help prevent them from inappropriately scratching household items. After your cat appropriately uses their scratching post, reward them with gentle petting or brushing, or offering them treats or catnip, whatever they find most rewarding.

What to do about problem scratching behaviors

A calico cat with patches of white, black, and orange fur lies sprawled on a circular scratching post placed on a wooden floor. The cat's front paws are stretched forward, and its tail curls in the air. The scene is set indoors, with soft, warm lighting.

Remember, your cat needs to scratch to stay healthy and happy. Your feline friend is not scratching up your household items to damage them intentionally or to upset you. Cats who persistently scratch a particular object send a message that they prefer that location or texture, while cats who scratch excessively all over your home are expressing anxiety or insecurity.

To break your cat’s inappropriate scratching habit, place a new post nearby that simulates the previously preferred surface texture and approximate height. Buff away scratches and refinish wood surfaces your cat has damaged and replace shredded carpet to remove your cats’ old messages. You may find a scratching post in this area unattractive or unacceptable, but this is the spot your cat has chosen. Perform daily training sessions with catnip and play with your feline friend near the post until they begin to use it without needing encouragement, then reward your furry pal for doing so. Once your cat begins using the post consistently, you can move it extremely gradually (i.e., no more than one inch per day) to a nearby location that is more aesthetically pleasing to you.

If your cat is scratching all over the house, they are expressing insecurity about their environment. Tensions between cats over resources, seeing stray or feral cats outdoors, or recent household changes can cause a cat to feel anxious. Try diffusing pheromones throughout your home, and ensure all household cats have easy access to food, water, and rest areas. Schedule a visit with our veterinary team to rule out a medical problem and discuss behavioral modification strategies for your cat’s specific situation.

Your indoor cat needs to exercise their natural behaviors to remain healthy and to live an enriched life. Scratching is an essential communication method, emotional outlet, and physically demanding activity, and you must provide your cat with many outlets to exercise this behavior. If you need help troubleshooting problem scratching behaviors or are ready to schedule your cat’s wellness and preventive care visit, contact our Memorial Villages Animal Hospital team.