Behavior Challenges: Inappropriate Scratching
Scratching is a natural behavior for cats, but we often have to teach them which objects in our home are meant for kitty claws. Let’s dive into how you can encourage your cat to scratch appropriately!
First, we’ll bust a few myths:
- Cats don’t scratch to be destructive. Learn why scratching is a normal, important behavior here: Why Do Cats Scratch.
- Cats don’t feel spiteful, and they don’t understand concepts like “mischief,” revenge or guilt. Instead of acting out of spite, they may be trying to communicate a need or feel stressed, frustrated or overstimulated.
- Cats don’t understand the difference between “good” or “bad” behaviors. Rather, they do what is rewarding or necessary to them in the moment.
- Declawing is not the solution. See our article and infographic, Declawing Cats: The Painful Truth. Instead of declawing, work on trimming your cat’s nails at home.
Learn your cat’s preferences:
Finding your cat’s preferred scratching post texture, orientation (upright or flat) and location can take some trial-and-error.
Location
The location of a scratcher is very important. Whether they are scratching during a play session or to communicate with another cat in the neighborhood, cats scratch where they do for a reason.
To encourage them to scratch appropriately, provide scratchers in multiple locations throughout the home — ideally one in each room. Choose locations where your cat already spends time (by a window, next to furniture, where they play, etc.).
We also recommend placing a scratcher in the area where humans hang out the most, because cats scratch when they are happy as a form of scent marking. When a cat’s scratching post is too far away from their humans, the cat is unable to “communicate” that they are feeling happy in that area. Instead, they might scratch to leave their scent on things where their caregivers spend the most time — for example, the couch.
Texture
Cats have different preferences for the texture of the scratching surface, so by providing a variety of textures — cardboard, carpet, wood or sisal — you can reduce or eliminate inappropriate scratching. Experiment to see what your cat likes.
If your cat is scratching the couch or rug, a carpeted post might be a good substitute. If they claw at wood or wicker furniture, you may want to try wood and sisal posts. If they are shredding paper or fabric, try a cardboard scratcher.
Orientation/Position
You can get an idea of what type of scratching surface your cat may prefer by looking at what they scratch in the home. If it’s the carpet or wood floor, they will most likely enjoy flat or horizontal scratching posts. If it’s up higher, such as the side of the couch or on drapes, they will probably prefer a vertical post.
Offer a variety of different sizes, shapes and orientations to experiment and see what your cat likes. Try scratchers flat on the ground (horizontal) or upright (vertical) scratchers like a post or cat tree.
You can also observe to see if their scratcher preference is different depending on how they are feeling or the activity they are doing. If it seems like they prefer one type of scratcher during play or high excitement situations, place that scratcher where most of their activity occurs. If they prefer a different type of scratcher when they are happy, use that scratcher in areas where they relax.
Bonus Tip
Using catnip or a product like Feliway may speed up the process of getting your cat to use a scratcher. Feliway simulates the “happy pheromones” released from a cat’s paw glands when they scratch.
Spraying Feliway on the surfaces where you don’t want your cat to scratch can make your cat feel more relaxed, reducing the need to scratch as a form of marking their territory or self-soothing.
Reward appropriate scratching
Positive Reinforcement
Use Positive Reinforcement to get your cat to use their scratcher consistently and willingly. Positive reinforcement can be anything your cat enjoys — attention, praise or a treat. Every time your cat interacts or goes near the scratcher, mark the behavior by saying “yes!” and reward them!
You can encourage your cat to place their paws on the scratcher, but never force them to. It’s OK to use a toy to lure their paws to touch it — and as soon as they do, mark the behavior and give them a reward.
Keep these training sessions short (about two or three minutes) and always end on a positive note. To ensure your cat is hungry and motivated to participate in the training session, you can do these activities around mealtimes using their breakfast or dinner instead of treats.
While working through scratching challenges, try to stay prepared to catch your cat scratching appropriately and reward them when they do!
Remember: Progress isn’t always a straight line
A cat may be learning to scratch the appropriate areas but then …
- start scratching a new area or piece of furniture.
- struggle when a scratcher is placed too close to a busy, high traffic area of the home.
- struggle when a scratching post is moved to a new location in the home.
- go back to scratching inappropriately after a stressful event.
Dos, don’ts and addressing a backslide
Ask these questions to see if you can identify ways to manage the environment to set your cat up for success:
- What, when and where are they scratching?
- Who (people or other animals) is around when it happens?
- What happens before and after the scratching?
How to Manage
If you catch your cat scratching something they shouldn’t be, try to redirect them to more appropriate behaviors without using force. You can do this by:
- Getting your cat’s attention: Call their name, make a silly, exciting sound like “pspspspspsp,” “babababa,” tongue clicking or kissy sounds.
- Redirecting them: Move your cat’s attention and interest to something else, ideally an alternative activity like interactive play or a mental enrichment activity. Present a wand toy or toss a toy where they can see it.
- Asking for an alternative behavior like a sit, eye contact or “come” and reward with treats! Toss treats on the ground for them to search for.
- Providing an alternative. Place a scratcher near the object or furniture they were scratching.
Try to determine why your cat is scratching by reading their body language and assessing their behaviors so you can address the root cause. Did your cat appear relaxed, nervous, excited, playful or frustrated before they started scratching?
We never recommend using fear or punishment (squirt bottles, grab and move your cat, yell, etc.) when you catch your cat scratching something they shouldn’t. While these aversive approaches may temporarily startle and frighten your cat into stopping the behavior, they don’t teach your cat what you want them to do, and can actually make inappropriate scratching worse. This is because one of the reasons cats scratch is to self-soothe when they are unsure or stressed.
These methods can also damage your relationship with your cat. By using fear and intimidation, your cat will quickly learn to associate the punishment with you, which breaks trust and negatively affects your relationship with them.
What if your cat is backsliding?
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Ask yourself:
- Change: What has changed in the environment, routine or cat’s behavior?
- Management: How can I change the environment to limit my cat’s inappropriate scratching? What furniture or home features can serve as vertical climbing and scratching spaces? What furniture or home features can I block off so my cat cannot access or scratch them?
- Mental Stimulation: Am I providing my cat with enough mental enrichment, physical exercise and interactive play? Is my cat bored or stressed? Are my cat’s social needs met?
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Environmental Management: Prevent your cat from scratching your furniture by restricting access to the areas you don’t want them to scratch. Set up barriers to block off certain areas or furniture, and place blankets, towels or sheets over items your cat scratches.
- If your cat often scratches your favorite rug, consider rolling up the rug and moving it out of reach for the time being, until your cat is reliably scratching appropriately. Place a flat carpet scratcher near where the rug used to be. Now your cat can’t scratch the rug but is still able to fulfill their need to scratch a horizontal carpeted surface.
- Remember: Location matters, so be sure to place this scratcher as close to the area your cat scratches as possible.
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Go back a step in your training: Consider what you were doing when your cat was succeeding and what happened right before they started scratching inappropriately again. Did you stop rewarding your cat for scratching appropriately?
There may not be a clear answer as to what caused the backsliding. Sometimes pets just get tired or frustrated when learning a new skill and revert back to what is familiar and easy — patience and consistency are key to continued improvement!
Need further support? Contact a local positive reinforcement trainer for guidance.