Why Does My Cat Scratch?

There are no certain answers for why cats claw up specific items and areas repeatedly. I have heard for the most part three reasons for cats to scratch, but, I think only one or two of them make sense. Your cat is definitely not scratching up items to get back at you or anger you. It is an inherent action you must address by giving your cat an outlet like a cat scratching post.

The first reason I have heard is because the feline is sharpening their claws. Although it may be possible that cats scratch to sharpen their claws for use in hunting and self defense, I do not believe that this is the reason. I think that sharpening their claws from scratching is just a by-product from the actual reason that they scratch.

One of our cats proceeds to his cat scratching post every morning to stretch and claw. This action does not appear to be a territory marking behaviour, but, rather a habitual good morning stretch and scratch. This may also be a marking territory scenario, but, we’ll never know for sure.

The main reason I believe cats claw is because they are marking their territory. This seems to be the consensus on why cats claw. Cats have several scent glands on their head as well as in their paws. When they are either rubbing themselves on items and people or scratching the same areas it is believed they are leaving their scent to mark their territory and announce their presence. Other cats can pick up on the scent left from another feline on a cat scratching post or anywhere else. Many of the areas that cats scratch are prominent and visible areas so that other cats can see there is another feline in the vicinity.

Whether you are dealing with a kitten or a mature cat you will see them scratching. You will probably have to take actions to prevent your cat from scratching if he or she is scratching in undesired areas. The easiest way to prevent a cat from scratching is to eliminate access to the area that they are scratching up. It is quite possible to retrain cats to adapt to a new cat scratching post and especially easy to train kittens. The main point is that their scratching needs get addressed or you risk your cat creating unwanted damage to your furnishings and carpets. Your cat deserves an acceptable scratching outlet, whether it is homemade or purchased doesn’t matter.

In Summary, it is believed cats scratch to mark their territory. Cats will return to the same places to do their scratching. The cats scratching behaviours can be modified to prevent bad scratching and promote good scratching.

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