Does your cat like to claw at the wallpaper or your beautiful sofa? Why does your cat scratch at all? There are several reasons cats scratch.
1. Sanding the Claws
To keep a cat’s claws from breaking off or tearing off, your cat must regularly sand their claws. This is how they keep their nails sharp and clean. However, in order for them not to use your sofa, you can give your cat a scratching object. Read the Tips section below.
2. Territory Marking
Your cat also uses scratching to mark its territory. There are scent glands under the cat’s claws, which emits pheromones (scents) when scratched. Our nose cannot perceive these pheromones, only other cats.
You wonder why your cat always scratches in the same place? The fragrances do not have a long range and do not last long. Therefore, she scratches the same place more often in order to really clearly mark her territory.
Does your cat scratch and look at you? They like to impress you with it next to the territory marking.
3. Prompt to Play
Some scratching just means that she is bored or just wants to play with you. For example, does she roll on the floor, look challengingly at you, scratch the carpet and then quickly run away? Then your cat is very likely in a playful mood. Grab your cat rod and romp around with your velvet paw.
Tips
If your cat does not feel like playing, but scratches out of boredom, then make sure that you offer your cat enough alternatives to scratching, such as scratching posts or scratching boards. If your cat is not interested in the scratching post, it may be in the wrong place. Find a new place for scratching opportunities.
If your cat is not interested with the scratching object despite being moved, spray them, such as the scratching post, with a little catnip. The scent of catnip has a euphoric effect on your cat, especially for a sexually mature age. This scent can be intoxicating but also calming for your cat. So if you spray catmint on an object, it becomes an interesting attraction for your velvet paw.
Pheromones are an alternative to catnip. Especially if the cat suffers from changes in its environment, such as moving, new furniture or other changes in furnishings. There are socket vaporizers and sprays, which contain facial pheromone that cats are familiar with, to help calm cats under stress and prevent undesirable behavior. The pheromone used in Beaphar CatComfort® contains a replica of this pheromone, which is naturally produced by cats and gives them a persistent and calming message that everything is fine in their environment.
If you have furniture made of rattan, wicker, or the like, these are very tempting for the cat to scratch. It is best to avoid such furniture items in the rooms to which your cat has access.
