Cats scratching on the couch, expensive carpet or doorposts can drive their resident (you) insane. Here are some simple tricks but first: why does the cat really itch?
1. The cat marks its territory.
In order for the cat to feel safe in its surroundings, it constantly leaves small business cards. Itch marks indicate that the area is owned (by your cat) and olfactory glands on the underside of the paws reinforce this with pheromones.
2. The cat performs claw care.
Some people think that they do not need to cut their cat’s claws because they are so good at scratching and maintaining them themselves. The solution, however, does the opposite; it sharpens its claws. Itching also clears the claws of old tissue. Surely you find some old “claw shells” here and there?
3. The cat stretches.
Have you seen your cat really stretch and stretch its body while itching? Perfect with a fabric sofa or rug for a little back yoga!
What are you going to do?
First and foremost, you need to acquire alternatives. This means one or preferably several claws that your cat MAY use. Some cats prefer horizontal surfaces – there are simple claw boards in cardboard (with catnip if you want) for under a hundred bucks, specially designed boards with claw-friendly material and probably a hundred other cat-friendly solutions.
Many cats prefer vertical surfaces – buy a large and sturdy claw tree. No wobbly little claw player for kittens but a real claw device where your adult cat can stretch out in full length. There are also claw mats you can attach to table legs, on the sofa, on the wall…
Whatever you choose, feel free to place the claw device where the cat usually scratches.
To attract your little marauder to the new yoga equipment, you can use toys, sweets, catnip or similar. DO NOT use Feliway spray as Feliway Classic counteracts marking behaviors. You can instead use it where the cat should NOT scratch. An exception is Feliscratch which can be used where you want your cat to scratch.
And so:
Do not punish your cat for scratching in the wrong place; instead, make your home more cat-friendly by offering alternatives. If your cat still claws incorrectly, you can lift over to the place where it is ok to claw, move the claw device to the place where the cat wants to claw or block the place where the claw is unwanted (by you but not by your cat).
Itching is natural for a cat. Fortunately, it is illegal to operate on chlorine removal in Sweden (other than for medical reasons), while it is unfortunately legal in some other countries. Animal cruelty if you ask me. Let the cat be a cat and instead adapt your shared home to suit both you and the kitten.