Why Is My Cat Scratching The Floor - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

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Scratching is a common and natural behavior that’s observed in wild felines, and it’s no different our domestic kitties, some of which love to utilize the long and textured surface of a wall to satisfy their clawing desires. But, if your cat scratches walls on a regular basis, this normal behavior becomes frustrating and oftentimes destructive.

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Two behavioral veterinarians assure us there’s a solution to getting your cat’s claws off the walls and onto a more appropriate scratching surface. The first step is figuring out why cats scratch. Then you can implement a behavior management strategy that works for both your cat and your walls.

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Why Do Cats Scratch Walls?

“Cat scratching is nearly always behavioral,” says Dr. Bruce Kornreich, DVM, director of Cornell University’s Feline Health Center in Ithaca, New York. This means that scratching is rarely a medical problem unless there are other signs of disease, such as changes in appetite, activity levels or urination habits, or discharge from eyes or nose. Cats don’t scratch to intentionally destroy or be spiteful, but rather to ensure their safety by sending messages to other cats and keeping themselves physically healthy.

The top 4 reasons why cats scratch walls:

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1. Mark Their Territory

Scratching releases pheromones, or a strong scent unique to each cat, that effectively mark a cat’s territory. Pheromones are detected only by cats and are released from small areas on your cat’s paws, among other places, called interdigital glands.

Depositing pheromones helps cats of any breed or age feel safe in their homes, by claiming stake to walls or furniture, regardless if it’s a single or multi-cat household. This reassuring scent entices the cat to return to the same scratching spot because the spot is claimed as theirs.

“Cats do this to avoid conflict with other cats,” says Dr. Kornreich. “It’s a self-preserving mechanism.”

Cats may also be leaving messages that areas are safe, establishing a hierarchy, warning other cats to stay clear or making a statement about food or litter.

However, marking territory doesn’t apply to humans; cats typically don’t scratch for our attention, says Dr. Kornreich.

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