One of the problems that is always mentioned when talking about cats is the use of their nails, the destructive effect they can have, mainly on furniture, and how this damage can be avoided. In this article on our site we are going to explain tricks so that our cat does not scratch the furniture but, we will also detail what is the origin of this behavior, how it can be redirect and what environment we should provide to our cat so that all its biological needs are satisfied.
Why is your cat scratching the furniture?
Before providing tricks so that the cat does not scratch the furniture, we must know what this behavior is due to. To do this, we have to think about the habits of the cat as a species and review its biological behaviors.
Cats are predatory and carnivorous animals that usually live independently in a more or less large territory. To hunt they need to maintain an elastic, agile and fast body, where the claws play a very important role. In addition to feeding, cats must mark their territory, a task for which they resort to the emission of substances, the pheromones , which, although not noticeable to the human nose, play a crucial role in communication between felines. These substances serve to mark the territorial limits of cats, as happens with the marks left by the nails when scratching. Thus, from the pads and during the scratching mechanism, cats leave visible and odoriferous signs in certain places with strategic importance for them. In addition, when scratching they remove the covers of their nails and it is not strange that we find them in their favorite scratching places.
Although the cat has become our companion inside homes, the biological behaviors that we have explained are going to be transported from the natural environment to our homes. Therefore, it is essential to know that cats are not scratching the furniture to annoy us, but rather they are responding to their communication needs.
The needs of cats
The cats we choose as companions, even indoors, must be able to express and develop their biological needs. Thus, in addition to having food and water available according to its requirements and adequate veterinary care that includes an adapted schedule of internal and external deworming and vaccinations, we must include an optimal environment where our cat can climb, rest, play and, of course, dial, because for him, as we have seen, it is an important form of communication.
Our cat is going to interact with us but also with other animals with which he lives in the home using his pheromones. If we observe our cat when he rubs against uswe will see that he does it starting from the sides of his face, continuing along the sides and ending at the base of The tail. We will notice that he always repeats the same pattern and he does it because from those areas he releases appeasing pheromones, while mixing his scent with ours. This is a sign of trust, a sign of love towards us, but it can also be a way of capturing our attention and even marking us as part of their territory. If we return the caresses, our cat is likely to purr. Some also drool and begin to move their legs up and down, stretching and shrinking their fingers as if they were kneading. This behavior is reminiscent of their lactating stage, in which they perform these movements on the abdomen of their mothers while they suckle, stimulating the release of milk.
Within territorial behaviors, we will see that the cat rubs its face against different objects, marking them with its scent. When this marking is done with the nails in places that humans do not consider appropriate, problems arise and the need to modify that behavior. With this objective we will see tricks so that our cat does not scratch the furniture, curtains, rugs or any other accessory that we do not want to be damaged.
When is scratching a problem?
We have explained that marking with the nails is a completely normal feline behavior and that, in addition, it fulfills an important communicative function but, sometimes, these scratches express a problem, which goes beyond being able to spoil the furniture. In these cases we will see that the cat scratches in different places, often near windows or doors, urinates or defecates outside the litter box, hides, stops eating or it does it in less quantity, etc. If we observe any of these alterations in our cat, the first thing we should do is contact our veterinarian to rule out that we are facing a he alth problem. If the cat is he althy, it is most likely that it is suffering from stress, the cause of which should be determined, which may be poor adaptation, boredom, changes in the environment, the arrival of new members to the family, etc. Check out the article on "Things That Stress Cats" for more information, as the solution to Stress Marking will depend on the cause, hence the importance of diagnosing it correctly, for which we can seek the advice of a professional in feline behavior, which may be a specialized veterinarian or an ethologist.
Although we can contribute to solving the problem by following tricks so that our cat does not scratch the furniture or urinate outside the litter box, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the cat is having a bad time and, since it does not know talking, shows it with this type of behavior that can be solved. Therefore, is not acceptable, under any circumstances, declaw our cat. This intervention, which consists of removing the claws, in addition to causing unnecessary pain, seriously affects their personality and behaviors that all he althy cats must be able to carry out, as well as causing physical repercussions.
How to prevent your cat from scratching furniture?
As we have said, it is important to have the advice of a professional specialized in feline behavior and carefully observe what routines our cat follows every day, while trying to determine the trigger of the behaviors we want to change. An essential aspect, which undoubtedly contributes to the happiness of the cat and, therefore, to reducing its stress levels is the environmental enrichment, which consists of offering our cat an environment, even inside a flat, in which it can develop as a feline, with places to climb, jump, hide, rest or playEven in the smallest houses it is possible to create attractive environments simply by arranging shelves or furniture so that the cat can go up and down as it pleases.
Other essential elements are the scratchers On the market we can find all kinds of models, of different formats and heights, from the most sophisticated to the simplest, composed only of a vertical stick on a support. If we have more than one cat, it is recommended that each one has its own scratching post, which we could make ourselves with wood and rope, if we are skillful. For sale we can also find massage centers, hammocks, toys of all kinds and igloo-type beds that serve as great hiding places. And we can't forget the home entertainment alternatives like cardboard boxes, aluminum foil balls, shoelaces and a long etcetera.
In addition to environmental enrichment, we can follow the following recommendations or tricks so that our cat does not scratch the furniture or eliminate in inappropriate places by stress:
- If we see our cat performing some "forbidden" action, we can try to say "no" firmly, without shouting. Nor should we punish him or, much less, hit him in any case.
- The cat will be interested in marking our scent, so it is advisable to place an old T-shirt of ours or any other cloth used by us on his scratching post to encourage him to scratch there.
- We must place the scratchers in their favorite areas, where we see them scratching, or in their resting places, since they tend to scratch so they soon wake up and stretch.
- If the cat has already scratched a piece of furniture or carpet we can, as far as possible, move it and put the scratching post in its place. The same if he always urinates or defecates in the same place and we have the possibility of putting the litter box there
- There are products on the market that encourage the use of the scratcher and help redirect behavior. They work with pheromones and visual signals so that, by applying them to the scratching post, they attract the cat to scratch there. Such is the case of FELISCRATCH by FELIWAY®, an endorsed product that is very easy to use and with excellent results, which simulates the natural pheromones that cats emit and produces a practically immediate effect on them.
- There are also pheromones in a diffuser or spray that are used to calm the cat when marking is due to stress and are used in the environment or at specific points; FELIWAY CLASSIC has a whole range of products for this purpose.
- As for the sandbox, it is recommended to have as many as cats living in the house plus one. We must keep it clean, in a quiet place and with the sand that the cat likes the most.
