Why
do cats scratch?
Scratching
is a normal feline behavior.
Although scratching does serve
to shorten and condition the
claws, the primary reasons that
cats scratch are to mark their
territory and to stretch. Some
cats may increase their territorial
marking (e.g. scratching, urine
marking) in situations of anxiety
or conflict. Cats may also threaten
or play with a swipe of their
paws.
For
cats that live primarily outdoors,
scratching is seldom a problem
for the owners.
Scratching is usually directed
at prominent objects such as
tree trunks or fence posts.
Play swatting with other cats
seldom leads to injuries because
cats have a fairly thick skin
and coat for protection. When
play does get a little rough,
most cats are pretty good at
sorting things out between themselves.
Occasionally, rough play or
territorial fighting does lead
to injuries or abscesses that
would require veterinary attention.
Cats
that live primarily or exclusively
indoors may run into disfavor
with their owners when they
begin to scratch furniture,
walls, or doors, or when they
use their claws to climb up,
or hang from the drapes. Claws
can also cause injuries to people
when the cats are overly playful
or don't like a particular
type of handling or restraint.
With a good understanding of
cat behavior and a little bit
of effort, it should be possible
to prevent or avoid most clawing
problems, even for those cats
that live exclusively indoors.
Cats
that go outdoors may be content
to scratch when outside, and
leave the walls and furniture
intact when indoors. Cats that
spend most of their time indoors,
however, will usually require
an area for indoor scratching,
climbing, and play.
How
can I stop my cat from scratching?
It
is impractical and unfair to
expect cats to stop scratching
entirely. Cats that go outside
may be content to do all their
scratching outdoors, but the
urge may still arise when the
cat comes back indoors. Cats
that spend most of their time
indoors will of course, need
some outlet for their scratching
and marking behaviors so don't
be surprised if you come home
to objects strewn all over the
floor, scratches on your furniture,
and your cat playfully climbing
or dangling from your drapes.
Therefore, while it may not
be possible to stop a cat from
scratching, it should be possible
to direct the scratching, climbing
and play to appropriate areas
indoors. Building or designing
a scratching post, providing
appropriate play toys, and keeping
the cat away from potential
problem areas will usually be
adequate to deal with most scratching
problems.
How
do I design a scratching area
for my cat?
Since
cats use their scratching posts
for marking and stretching,
posts should be set up in prominent
areas, with at least one close
to the cat's sleeping
quarters. The post should be
tall enough for the cat to scratch
while standing on hind legs
with the forelegs extended and
sturdy enough so that it does
not topple when scratched. Some
cats prefer a scratching post
with a corner so that two sides
can be scratched at once while
other cats may prefer a horizontal
scratching post. Special consideration
should be given to the surface
texture of the post. Commercial
posts are often covered with
tightly woven material for durability,
but many cats prefer a loosely
woven material where the claws
can hook and tear during scratching.
Remember that scratching is
also a marking behavior and
cats want to leave a visual
mark. Carpet may be an acceptable
covering but it should be combed
first to make certain that there
are no tight loops. Some cats
prefer sisal, a piece of material
from an old chair, or even bare
wood for scratching. Be certain
to use a material that appeals
to your cat.
How
can I get my cat to use its
post?
A
good way to get the cat to approach
and use the post is to turn
the scratching area into an
interesting and desirable play
center. Perches to climb on,
space to climb into, and toys
mounted on ropes or springs
are highly appealing to most
cats. Placing a few play toys,
cardboard boxes, catnip treats,
or even the food bowl in the
area should help to keep the
cat occupied. Sometimes rubbing
the post with tuna oil will
increase its attractiveness.
Food rewards can also be given
if the owner observes the cat
scratching at its post. Products
have been designed to reward
the cat automatically by dispensing
food rewards each time the cat
scratches. It may also be helpful
to take the cat to the post,
gently rub its paws along the
post in a scratching motion,
and give it a food reward. This
technique should not be attempted,
however, if it causes any fear
or anxiety. Placement is important
when trying to entice your cat
to use a scratching post. Because
scratching is also a marking
behavior, most cats prefer to
use a post that is placed in
a prominent location. It may
be necessary to place the post
in the center of a room or near
furniture that the cat was trying
to scratch until the cat reliably
uses it and then move it to
a less obtrusive location. For
some cats, multiple posts in
several locations will be necessary.
What
can I do if the cat continues
to scratch my furniture?
Despite
the best of plans and the finest
of scratching posts, some cats
may continue to scratch or climb
in inappropriate areas. At this
point a little time, effort,
and ingenuity might be necessary.
The first thing to consider
is partial confinement or "cat-proofing"
your home when you are not around
to supervise. If the problem
occurs in a few rooms, consider
making them out of bounds by
closing off a few doors or by
using child-proofing techniques
such as child locks or barricades.
The cat may even have to be
kept in a single room that has
been effectively cat proofed,
whenever the owner cannot supervise.
Of course the cat's scratching
post, play center, toys, and
litter box should be located
in this cat-proof room.
If
cat-proofing is not possible
or the cat continues to use
one or two pieces of furniture,
you might want to consider moving
the furniture, or placing a
scratching post directly in
front of the furniture that
is being scratched. Take a good
look at the surfaces of the
scratched furniture and ensure
that the surface of the post
is covered with a material similar
to those for which the cat has
shown a preference. Some scratching
posts are even designed to be
wall mounted or hung on doors.
Placing additional scratching
posts in strategic areas may
also be helpful for some cats.
Another option is to try using
a feline facial scent on scratched
surfaces. This may help to reduce
scratching at these sites but
the cat will still need alternate
areas to scratch. Keeping the
cat's nails properly trimmed
or using plastic nail covers,
are also useful techniques for
some owners.
How
do I punish my cat for inappropriate
scratching?
All
forms of physical punishment
should be avoided since they
can cause fear or aggression
toward the owners, and at best,
the cat will only learn to stop
the scratching while the owner
is around. Indirect, non-physical
forms of punishment may be useful
if the owner can remain out
of sight while administering
the punishment. In this way
the cat may learn that scratching
is unpleasant even when the
owner is not present. Water
rifles, ultrasonic or audible
alarms, or remote controlled
devices are sometimes useful.
Generally,
the best deterrents are those
that train the pet not to scratch,
even in the owners absence.
If the surface or area can be
made less appealing or unpleasant,
the cat will likely seek out
a new area or target for scratching,
which will hopefully be its
scratching post. The simplest
approach is to cover the scratched
surface with a less appealing
material (plastic, a loosely
draped piece of material, aluminum
foil, or double-sided tape).
Another effective deterrent
is to booby trap problem areas
so that either scratching or
approaching the area is unpleasant
for the cat (e.g. motion detectors
or a stack of plastic cups that
is set to topple when the cat
scratches). Of course, neither
remote punishment nor booby
traps will successfully deter
inappropriate scratching, unless
the cat has an alternative scratching
area that is comfortable, appealing,
well located, and free of all
deterrents.
When
should declawing be considered?
Declawing
is a drastic but permanent solution
for scratching problems, but
for most households the techniques
discussed previously are generally
quite successful. There are
some homes however, where declawing
may be the only option if the
pet is to be kept. In fact,
in one study it was estimated
that as many as 50% of cat owners
who declawed their cats would
not have otherwise kept the
cat. This might be the case
where the cat continues to damage
the furniture, or where the
cat causes injuries to people
during play or handling. Even
the slightest scratch can have
serious consequences (cat scratch
fever) when a member of the
household suffers from a severely
debilitating disease. In some
cases the issue comes down to
whether the owner should be
able to keep their cat and have
it declawed, or whether it should
be removed from the home. Although
it has been estimated that approximately
25% of cats are declawed in
North America, declawing is
illegal in many countries outside
North America.
What
is the effect of declawing on
the cat?
Many
authors have written of dire
behavioral and surgical complications
of declawing, but these reports
are based on myths and anecdotes.
In the past few years, a number
of veterinary behaviorists and
pet psychologists have studied
the effects of declawing on
the cat, the owner, and the
cat-owner relationship. Some
10 scientific studies, have
examined the consequences of
declawing on the pet and on
the pet-owner relationship.
These studies show that declawing
does not alter the cat's
behavior. In fact, cats may
continue to scratch furniture
after declawing, but cause no
damage. There is no increase
in behavior problems. Declawed
cats are not at greater risk
of getting bitten or injured
in cat fights. Owners of declawed
cats report a higher number
of good behaviors than the owners
of clawed cats. Quite surprisingly
the only recognized concern
is a few days of post-surgical
discomfort. Therefore be certain
to discuss pain management options
with your veterinarian prior
to surgery.
When
owners of declawed cats are
asked to assess the effects
of declawing on the cat owner
relationship, declawing always
met or surpassed their expectations,
and over 70% indicated an improvement
in their relationship with their
cat. Declawing allows people
to keep their cat and stop household
damage. Normally, only the front
claws need to be removed to
prevent furniture damage.
What
is a tendonectomy and how does
it compare to declawing?
Another
surgery to reduce scratching
is a digital flexor tendonectomy
which cuts the tendon on each
claw so that it cannot be used
for scratching. The surgery
resulted in less post-operative
pain for the first two days
in comparison to declawing.
However, after the tendonotomy
you will need to regularly trim
your cat's nails as they
will continue to grow and may
catch on furniture because they
will no longer be conditioned
and worn down by scratching.
Therefore with special attention
to pain management, declawing
may be the preferable surgery
for owners who cannot properly
maintain their cat's nails.
This client
information sheet is based on
material written by Debra Horwitz,
DVM, DACVB and
Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB.
© Copyright 2002 Lifelearn
Inc. Used with permission under
license. March 11, 2004. |