To Shed Sheaths 

Cats’ claws grow just like human fingernails, and as they grow, the outer layer must come off, akin to a snake shedding its skin. Until the sheath comes off, it can irritate a cat’s paws around the base of the claws. Removing the sheath more quickly is one reason cats scratch.  

For Scent Marking 

Cats have scent glands in their paws and scratching leaves that scent as a marker. Cats generally do this sort of scratching in areas where they feel happy or content, such as near a particularly favored sleeping area. 

Feeling Playful or Frisky 

When cats get excited and happy, as in during a vigorous play session, they may feel the sudden urge to do some scratching, perhaps on the closest rug.

It Feels Good! 

Scratching stretches the shoulder and back, gets any irritating sheaths off of the claws and leaves behind a happy scent. Since scratching feels good and is a normal feline behavior, most cats are very motivated to scratch. As a result, it then becomes our job as pet owners to give them good direction about what is appropriate to scratch! While those facing the problem of inappropriate scratching might not feel very positive about this behavior, it’s helpful to know that this is not an insurmountable problem. You can help teach your cat where you would like her to scratch and still have it be the enjoyable experience she seeks.

Location, Location, Location 

When faced with the problem of inappropriate scratching, it’s important to consider the location of your cat’s scratching post. The actual location can be critical to a cat’s sense of well-being. This is because cats love to scent mark when they’re happy. It tells the world that this is their territory and that within this territory, life is good. Without the ability to share this message appropriately, a cat will scratch the next best thing in their territory, perhaps a couch or some drapes.

Anyone living with a cat will have noticed them rubbing up against things (people included) when they are content. This is another form of scent marking that sends the same kind of message. When a cat’s scratching post is located 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.

Quite frequently, however, just moving your cat’s scratching post (or adding a second post) to the area where humans tend to congregate will eliminate the inappropriate scratching altogether. It’s important to also provide positive reinforcement to encourage your cat’s use of the newly relocated post – praise, petting and treats when they scratches the post are all good choices.   

Texture  

Another consideration is the texture (or surface) of the scratching post. Some cats just don’t like to scratch on the carpeted posts that are so common in most cat households, and simply switching to a different texture might eliminate inappropriate scratching.  

It might be necessary to experiment a bit to see what your cat likes. Some cats like wood, some like cardboard, and some insist on sisal fiber. Still, others like a combination of two or more textures. Look at the textures your cat currently likes to scratch for clues on the types of surfaces she prefers. If your cat is using the couch, a carpeted post might be a good substitute. If she claws wood or wicker furniture, you may want to try wood and sisal posts. If she’s shredding paper, try a cardboard scratcher.  

Position for Scratching

If finding the correct surface didn’t solve the problem, consider that many cats have strong preferences regarding scratching post incline as well. Some cats only like to scratch things placed flat on the ground (horizontal), while others like them as vertical as possible. Of course, there are also those that will only use something in between the two extremes.

Again, experiment to see what your cat enjoys best. A good indication as to your cat’s preferences regarding orientation lies in your home. Again, look at what your cat scratches now. If it’s along the top of a sofa or on the carpet, she will most likely enjoy flat/horizontal scratching surfaces. If it’s up higher, such as on the arms of a chair or on drapes, a vertical post will probably be most suitable. If your cat does both, try a blend of the two in a sloped scratching post.

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 detective work. However, when you consider the amount of personal property you may save from destruction, the effort is certainly worth it!  

Upping the Ante 

Upping the stakes by using catnip or a pheromone-based product called Feliway may also speed up the process of getting your cat to use the appropriate scratching equipment. If your cat likes catnip (not all cats do), it may entice your cat to use the post more quickly and more frequently.

Feliway comes in small spray bottles and simulates the “happy pheromones” released from a cat’s cheek and paw glands when she scratches or rubs up against items in your home. Spraying Feliway on the surfaces where you don’t want your cat to scratch makes her think these areas have already been marked. This way she will feel more relaxed about not putting her scent in the same place. When she smells the Feliway, she will think, “Oh – I’ve already done that area” and move on to her scratching post. 

Kudos to Kitty 

Regardless of the type or texture of scratching equipment your cat prefers, positive reinforcement is the way to get your cat to use her scratcher consistently and willingly. 

We recommend using food treats. It’s always best to do your training sessions around meal times so your cat is hungry and interested. While working on a training program with your cat, if you free feed (leave food out all the time), it’s a good idea to put your cat on a set feeding schedule. This will provide a built-in training schedule that helps both you and your cat reach training goals faster.

How Do I Do This?

Your cat should be rewarded with attention or a treat whenever she goes near the scratching post, even if she’s just walking by. You can use some canned cat food or tuna on a spoon, bits of cooked chicken, or a commercially produced treat.  Just be sure the treat is a tiny amount, no bigger than a pea. It’s easier to reward your cat if you “mark” the behavior with a sound like a clicker or a word such as “Yep!” to let your cat know what she has done right. 

Next, encourage your cat to place her paws on the post, but never force her to. You can use your treat to lure her paws to touch the post – as soon as her paws touch the post is when she gets rewarded! It usually does not take long before your cat will scratch the surface just because her paws are there and it leads to rewards. Soon your cat will do this automatically; this is the time to reward generously with lots of praise so she continues to offer the behavior!  

Keep your training sessions short (two or three minutes is long enough). Always end on a positive note – the end of a training session is a great time to feed your cat her breakfast or dinner. If you can do two sessions per day, it will make retraining faster. Remember that the secret to training cats is to be prepared at any moment to catch your cat doing the right thing and reward her when she does! Use your training sessions to set the pattern of reinforcing good behavior, but be ready to reward and praise your cat when she does it any other time, even outside of formal training sessions. 

Slip Sliding Away

While you are retraining your cat, she may backslide on occasion. It’s important that you prevent the behavior as much as possible until your cat understands what you want from her. One of the simplest ways to prevent your cat from scratching your furniture and other surfaces is to place some wide, double-sided tape (two-sided carpet tape can be found at the bigger home and hardware stores) on the areas that your cat likes to scratch. Since cats dislike sticky surfaces, they won’t want to touch these strips of tape, preventing scratching in these established places.

You may also want to look into a product called Soft Paws. Soft Paws are flexible plastic caps that cover each cat claw completely. This prevents damage to your furniture while you retrain. One caveat – if your cat doesn’t care for having her feet handled or having her claws clipped, it will be difficult to put Soft Paws on each of her front 10 claws!

Yikes – She’s Doing It Again!    

What should you do when you catch your cat scratching in an inappropriate place? Many people resort to squirt bottles, yelling and throwing things like noisemakers at their cats to discourage them from inappropriate behaviors. While these approaches may temporarily startle your cat into stopping the behavior, none teach your cat what you want her to do.  

Aversive methods such as the above will make your cat suspicious of you whenever she sees you pick up the bottle or can, and may even teach your cat not to scratch such things in your presence. Remember, you must be present for aversive methods to work, so your cat may not scratch when you’re looking to avoid the punishment. However, most of these methods are temporary since cats (like many animals) will find the “loopholes” and your cat will just wait until you’re not around if she wants to do something badly enough.

Your cat will also quickly learn to associate the punishment with you, which is not good for your relationship with her. In other words, please don’t waste your time running around using aversive devices. Instead, take the positive approach and teach your cat what you do want, and reward her for that!