Please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help, to locate a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or ACAAB) or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB). If you need help, don’t hesitate to call in the experts. Use this procedure only as a last resort, because your cat may associate you with the startling event (clapping or squirting) and learn to fear you. If you catch your cat in the act of scratching an inappropriate object, you can try startling him by clapping your hands or squirting him with water. They’re temporary, lasting four to six weeks. These special caps attach to claws with an adhesive. To learn how, please see the 'Nail Care' section of our article, Cat Grooming Tips.Ĭonsider putting plastic caps on your cat’s claws so that he’ll do no damage if he scratches on something in your home. Place scratching posts next to these objects, as “legal” alternatives.Ĭlip your cat’s nails regularly. Put plastic, double-sided sticky tape, sandpaper or upside-down vinyl carpet runner (knobby parts up) on furniture or on the floor where your cat would stand to scratch your furniture. (This may be why cats seem to like drapes so much!)Įncourage your cat to investigate her posts by scenting them with catnip, hanging toys on them and placing them in areas where she’ll be inclined to climb on them.ĭiscourage inappropriate scratching by removing or covering other desirable objects. Most cats also like a post that’s tall enough that they can stretch fully.

Keep in mind that all cats want a sturdy post that won’t shift or collapse when used. Once you figure out your cat’s preference for scratching, provide additional posts of that kind in various locations. Some prefer a vertical grain for raking, while others favor a horizontal grain for picking. Others might like vertical posts or slanted posts. Try giving your cat posts made of cardboard, carpeting, wood, sisal and upholstery. Provide a variety of scratching posts with different qualities and surfaces. The following steps will help you encourage your cat to scratch where you want her to: An excellent approach is to provide her with appropriate, cat-attractive surfaces and objects to scratch, such as scratching posts. The best tactic when dealing with scratching is not to try to stop your cat from scratching, but instead to teach her where and what to scratch.

What to Do About Your Cat’s Scratching Habits All this scratching can cause a lot of damage to furniture, drapes and carpeting!

And because cats’ claws need regular sharpening, cats scratch on things to remove frayed, worn outer claws and expose new, sharper claws. They scratch to mark territory or as a threatening signal other cats.

Why is my cat obsessed with me