Behavior Challenges: Inappropriate Scratching
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Scratching is a natural activity that serves many purposes. We can help you figure out why your cat is scratching, and hopefully help you figure out a more appropriate scratching solution!
Myth Busting
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Cats don’t scratch to be destructive. See our article: Why Do Cats Scratch.
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Cats don’t feel spiteful, just as they do not understand concepts like “mischief,”revenge or guilt. Instead of spiteful, they may be feeling stressed, frustrated, overstimulated or are trying to communicate a need.
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Cats don’t understand the difference between “good” or “bad” behaviors. Rather, they do what is rewarding or necessary to them in the moment. See our YouTube playlist: How Animals Learn & Why Behavior Works!
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We have to teach cats where we want them to scratch using positive reinforcement and environmental management.
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Declawing is NOT the solution. See our article and infographic, Declawing Cats: The Painful Truth.
Preventing Inappropriate Scratching: Variety & Intention
Finding the “right” scratching post with both a texture and orientation your cat likes and then placing it in the location your cat enjoys most can take some time and trial-and-error.
Location
The location of a scratcher is very important. Cats choose to scratch where they do, for a reason. It is not random. Whether they are scratching during a play session or to communicate with the neighborhood cat, location matters.
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Provide scratchers in multiple locations, ideally one in each room or area of the home
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Choose locations with intention. (by window, alternative to scratching furniture, where they play, etc)
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Cats rub up against things (people included) and scratch when they are content, as a form of scent marking. Place a scratcher in the area where humans tend to congregate the most, so your cat can engage in scent marking through scratching. When a cat’s scratching post is located too far away from the human’s center of activity, the cat is unable to “communicate” that they are feeling content and happy in that area. Instead, they may choose to leave their scent on the things closest to their caretakers, most notably where they seem to spend the most time – for example, living room furniture.
Texture
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Cats have different preferences for the texture of the scratching surface.
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Simply providing a variety of textures – cardboard, carpet, wood or sisal – can reduce or eliminate inappropriate scratching. Experiment to see what your cat likes.
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Look at the textures your cat currently likes to scratch for clues on the types of surfaces they prefer. 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
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Offer different sizes, shapes and orientations of scratchers. Cats have preferences regarding scratcher orientation and incline. Experiment with scratchers flat on the ground (horizontal) or vertical scratchers like a post or cat tree.
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Look at what your cat scratches in the home. If it’s on the carpet or wood floor, they will most likely enjoy flat/horizontal scratching surfaces. If it’s up higher, such as on the side of the couch or on drapes, a vertical post will probably be most suitable.
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You might also notice differences in preference across activities! Does the orientation they prefer to scratch in during play or high excitement situations differ from when they’re scent marking?
Up the Enthusiasm
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Using catnip or a pheromone-based product like Feliway may also speed up the process of getting your cat to use the appropriate scratching equipment. Feliway simulates the “happy pheromones” released from a cat’s cheek and paw glands when they scratch or rub up against items in your home.
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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 territory or self-soothing.
Trim Nails, Don’t Declaw!
How to Trim Your Cat’s Nails At Home
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Cooperative Care & Handling Class ( 6 weeks, online via Zoom)
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Body Handling for Grooming & Medical Husbandry (YouTube playlist)
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Clip Those Claws! Tips on Trimming Your Cat’s Nails (article)
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Find Fear Free Certified Vets or Groomers: Fear Free Certified Directory
Reinforce Appropriate Scratching: Find Your Moment of “Yes!”
Positive Reinforcement
Regardless of the type or texture of scratching equipment your cat prefers, Positive Reinforcement is the way to get your cat to use their scratcher consistently and willingly.
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Using food and/or treats. Use your cat’s meal or cut their meal and do training around their meal time. This will ensure your cat is hungry and interested, while preventing overfeeding.
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Your cat should be rewarded with attention, praise or a treat whenever they go near the scratching post or interact with it.
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It’s easier to reward your cat if you “mark” the behavior with a sound like a clicker or a word such as “Yes!” to let your cat know when they have done something right.
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encourage your cat to place her paws on the post, but never force them to. You can use a toy to lure her paws to touch the post – as soon as their paws touch the post, mark and reward with a treat!
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Keep your training sessions short (two or three minutes is long enough). Always end on a positive note.
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Be prepared to catch your cat doing the right thing and reward them when they do!
Progress is Not Always Linear
A cat may be progressing nicely and learning to scratch the appropriate areas but then…
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…start scratching a new area or piece of furniture.
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…struggle when an alternative scratching area is placed too close to a busy, high traffic area of the home.
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…struggle when a scratching post is moved to a new location in the home.
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…go back to scratching inappropriately after a stressful event.
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…regress if the trainer jumps to the next step too abruptly or moves forward too quickly.
Addressing Inappropriate Scratching: Context & Management
Why?: Identify the Context
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What, when and where are they scratching?
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Who (people or other animals) is around when it happens?
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What happens before and after the scratching?
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How do you react?
How to Manage
What should you do when you catch your cat scratching in an inappropriate place?
DOs
Redirection
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Get your cat’s attention: Call their name, make a silly, exciting sound like “pspspspspsp,” babababa,” tongue clicking or kissy sounds.
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Change the subject: 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.
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Ask 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.
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Provide an alternative. Place a scratcher near the object/furniture they were scratching.
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Try to determine why your cat is scratching by reading their body language and assessing their behaviors. Did your cat appear relaxed, nervous, excited, playful or frustrated before they started scratching?
DON’Ts
Aversives, Fear or Force!
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Don’t use punishment (squirt bottles, grab and move your cat, yell, etc.). While these aversive approaches may temporarily startle and frighten your cat into stopping the behavior, none teach your cat what you want your cat to do.
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Aversive methods will cause stress and confusion which can actually make the inappropriate scratching worse! This is because one of the reasons cats scratch is to self-soothe when they are unsure or stressed!
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Suppression will not solve: Aversive methods only seem to work because they may suppress the symptoms of a behavioral need or emotion, such as scratching, but they DO NOT address the root cause behind the symptoms. As soon as you leave the room, your cat will feel comfortable to continue the unwanted behavior.
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Force & Punishment Damage Your Relationship With Your Cat: 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:
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Change? What has changed in the environment, routine or cat’s behavior?
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Assess the situation. What has improved? What has stayed the same? What has gotten “worse”?
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Re-evaluate your expectations. What do I want from my cat? Are my expectations reasonable? Have my expectations changed? Am I willing to compromise or adjust my expectations?
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Creative 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?
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Mental Stimulation. Does my cat have enough 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.
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Protecting Furniture, Carpets and Decor: Set up barriers to block off certain areas or furniture. Place blankets, towels or sheets over items your cat scratches.
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Example: If your cat often scratches your favorite rug, consider rolling up the rug and moving it out of reach for the time being, until you can get training on board. Place a flat carpet scratcher near where the rug used to be. Now your cat CANNOT 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: Return to the step you were on before your cat began backsliding.
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Consider what you were doing when your cat was succeeding and what happened right before they started backsliding.
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There may not be a clear answer as to what caused the backsliding. Sometimes learners just get tired or frustrated when learning a new skill and revert back to what is familiar and easy.
Ask For Help
When in doubt, remember to look at where and what she scratches and take your clues from there. If you continue to have problems, San Diego Humane Society is here to help. We understand that being a pet parent can be challenging which is why we offer numerous options and resources for pet parents in need.
- If you adopted your cat from San Diego Humane Society, you are provided with a cost-free, 1-hour Post Adoption Consultation online over Zoom. One of our Community Animal Trainers will help troubleshoot while providing starting points and next steps for you. Book here: Schedule a Post Adoption Consultation.
- Book a Virtual Training Consultation (30 mins or 45 mins, online over Zoom), for troubleshooting and consulting from one of our Community Animal Trainers.
- Book an online Private Lesson (1 hour, online over Zoom), for advice and training exercises from one of our Community Animal Trainers. Open to all community members, these sessions focus on environmental management, troubleshooting and training exercises.
- Find a positive reinforcement trainer that can come to your home to assess the situation. Find a trainer here: Local Positive Reinforcement Animal Trainer Directory. For additional help finding a trainer, check out: How To Pick A Trainer 101 and Trainer Danger: How To Find A Trainer Who Won't Harm Your Pet.