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Our
neighbour has a female cat named Peaches who frequently scratches
the bark on a cherry tree in their front yard. In fact, the tree has
been scratched so much that there are noticeable gouges in it and
small pieces of bark have accumulated on the ground underneath. Why
does Peaches scratch this tree so much?
 It
has long been assumed that when cats scratch objects with their
front paws that they are sharpening their claws. It turns out that
this is only a secondary reason. Research on cat behaviour
suggests that the major reason for this behaviour is
communication. By roughing up the bark of a tree (or the leg of
your favourite chair) the cat is letting other cats or people know
where she is and what she is up to.
Cats
tend to pick a small number of conspicuous objects in their
environments to scratch such as trees, fence posts, the corner of
the couch, etc., and return to them repeatedly. This is why the tree
next door looks so scratched up and why your cat may find it
difficult to leave your couch alone. The scratched surface leaves a
highly visible mark that can be easily seen by other cats. In
addition, cats have scent glands in their paws so that when they
make scratching movements they leave odour cues that the cats can
smell. The fact that cats leave scent marks by making scratching
movements may be the reason that cats will continue to try to
scratch objects even after they have been de-clawed. De-clawed
cats may still be leaving scent marks on objects they scratch.
Spraying often occurs during territorial disputes
and when the cat is highly aroused or frustrated
We don’t
know exactly what cats are communicating with their scratching. Both
males and females do it. It is done inside and outside the
home and even by cats living with no other cats around. It could be
a territorial warning or just a marker that announces "Peaches lives
here and is alive and well!" Cats don’t scratch up your furniture to
spite you or just to be destructive, but for specific reasons, one
of which is communicating. Cats also scratch to stretch, during
play, and possibly as a greeting or to relieve frustration when
prevented from doing other things they want to do.
Cats use
scent from other parts of their bodies to communicate as well. They
have scent glands at the corners of their mouths, in the thin hair
between their eyes and ears and at the base of their tails. They
leave scent marks on people and objects when they rub their heads
and tails on things. Just what they are communicating with the
rubbing isn’t known, but they seem to do it most to people or other
cats they are attached to or when they are feeling friendly. Cats
can also scent-mark by spraying urine on objects. Cats spray from a
standing position, not from the squatting posture they use during
elimination. Spraying often occurs during territorial disputes and
when the cat is highly aroused or frustrated and is usually not
related to litter box problems.
When
scratching is done indoors on walls, furniture or carpeted areas it
can result in considerable damage, owner frustration and sometimes
the loss of the home for the cat. It is easier to prevent problem
scratching rather than trying to change your cat’s preference for
the arm of your sofa after it has become an established habit. Thus,
the goal is to establish acceptable scratching habits by getting
your cat to prefer a scratching post rather than the arm of your
sofa.
Some
pointers for establishing good scratching habits in kittens and
newly acquired adult cats:
1. Put out several scratching posts in 2 or 3 areas most used by the
cat, such as near the sleeping place, and the places the cat most
likes to rest and to play.
2. You
can make your own scratching objects rather than purchasing them,
but be sure the scratching surface is fabric that is easy for the
cat to shred.
3. Don’t
put the cat’s paws on the post and force it to scratch.
4. Do
encourage scratching on the post by playing with
dangle-toys
on or near the post, scenting the post with
catnip, using praise and food rewards when the cat scratches the
post or even scratching the post yourself to stimulate the cat to
scratch.
For
older cats who have an established scratching problem:
1. Make
the damaged scratching area unavailable or cover it with thick
plastic so that it feels different and less appealing.
2. Put
the scratching post next to the damaged area and be sure it is
covered with a material that is acceptable to the cat. Some cats
prefer to rake loose-weaved fabric, while others like to "pick" at
knobbly textures.
3.
Because cats like to scratch in prominent areas of their home, you
may need to leave the post in the area where the cat prefers to
scratch. Your cat may not scratch a post located in the back corner
of the basement.
Most
cats can be taught or retrained to scratch a post and not damage
other things. If these ideas do not resolve the problem, talk to
your veterinarian about a referral to an animal behaviourist.
De-clawing your cat should be the last resort if all else fails.
Source: Daniel Q. Estep, Ph.D. & Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D.
www.petcare.umn.edu
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