It can be a nightmare if your cat begins to scratch the furniture, carpets, doors and wallpaper in your home. All are expensive to repair or replace and often your cat will just damage them again in the future. However, it is possible to control your cat’s scratching if you understand the reasons why they do it in the first place and use a cat scratching post to accommodate these instincts.
Why do cats scratch?
There are a number of reasons why cats will scratch. Cats have scent glands in their paws so scratching leaves their scent mark on that area. This can be for territorial reasons, or sometimes the scent can be left to let other cats know that they are in search of a mate. Even if you do not have other cats in your home it is in their instinct to attempt to send these signals, which is why a cat will continue to scratch the same area; it is hoping to replace its scent when it begins to wear off.
If a cat is anxious or stressed you may find that it scratches more or in new places: its scent is often a comfort to itself as well as a message to other cats. Another reason why cats scratch is to condition their claws, but leaving their scent is the most common reason. It is important to understand that you cannot prevent a cat’s need to condition their claws or its animal instinct, but aim to control the scratching instead with a cat scratch post. There are a lot of posts to choose from so read the reviews first in order to get the best scratching poles for your cat.