Scratching and Destructive Behavior
Left unchecked, indoor cats can cause significant household destruction. Some cats chew on houseplants and eat strange materials like dirt, leather, and wool – a condition known as pica. Others use furniture as scratching posts and turn curtains into a playground. Your cat’s destructive behavior can be managed by offering your cat more appealing options as well as making former choices less satisfying.
Managing Pica
When dealing with pica, the first step is to have your vet rule out any medical issues, such as metabolic imbalance. Once your cat has been given the all clear, try some of the following suggestions to protect your plants:
Problematic Scratching: Prevention and Solutions
Scratching is a normal behavior for cats. They scratch to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, to mark their territory, to stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws, and to expend energy. Since scratching is a normal behavior, it is unrealistic to try to stop cats from scratching. Alternatively, resolving scratching problems should focus on redirecting the scratching onto appropriate objects.
Training
First, provide objects for scratching that are appealing to your cat and convenient for them use. You can figure out you cat’s scratching preferences by observing the physical features of the objects your cat is scratching. Ask yourself questions like where they are located, what texture they have, what shape they have, and how tall they are.
Then, based on your cat’s preferences, provide her with similar objects to scratch. Place the new acceptable objects near the inappropriate objects she is already scratching. Cover the inappropriate objects with materials that your cat will find unappealing, such as aluminum foil, sandpaper, or tape. You can also give the objects an unpleasant odor, but be careful to not to let the acceptable objects to take on the scent as well.
Once your cat is consistently scratching the appropriate object, you can start to move it slowly to a more suitable location. Don’t move the object more than three inches each day, and it’s best to keep it as close to your cat’s preferred scratching locations as possible. Similarly, don’t remove the unappealing coverings or odors from the unacceptable objects until your cat is regularly scratching the acceptable objects for three to four weeks. When you do remove the coverings or odors, it should be done gradually.
Punishment?
Punishing your cat for scratching is only effective when it’s done while your cat is in the act of scratching the inappropriate object and you have provided her with an alternative, acceptable scratching object. Punishment after the fact won’t alter her behavior and may negatively affect your relationship. If you do catch her scratching unacceptable objects, using a remote form of punishment is best. Some examples of remote punishment are making loud noises or squirting her with water.
It is also important to remember to keep your cat’s nails trimmed. Regularly scheduled trimmings are important to preventing excess scratching.
References
“Household Destruction.” Petfinder, www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-problems/cat-household-destruction/.
“PAWS - People Helping Animals.” Destructive Scratching - Prevention and Solutions » PAWS, www.paws.org/library/cats/behavior/destructive-scratching/.
Managing Pica
When dealing with pica, the first step is to have your vet rule out any medical issues, such as metabolic imbalance. Once your cat has been given the all clear, try some of the following suggestions to protect your plants:
- Hang tabletop plants or put them in an off-limits room
- Spray leaves with an anti-chew spray for plants and put double-stick tape on the planters. Cats will avoid surfaces that are sticky to the touch.
- Provide your cat with flats of catnip and wheatgrass to satisfy her craving for fresh vegetation.
Problematic Scratching: Prevention and Solutions
Scratching is a normal behavior for cats. They scratch to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, to mark their territory, to stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws, and to expend energy. Since scratching is a normal behavior, it is unrealistic to try to stop cats from scratching. Alternatively, resolving scratching problems should focus on redirecting the scratching onto appropriate objects.
Training
First, provide objects for scratching that are appealing to your cat and convenient for them use. You can figure out you cat’s scratching preferences by observing the physical features of the objects your cat is scratching. Ask yourself questions like where they are located, what texture they have, what shape they have, and how tall they are.
Then, based on your cat’s preferences, provide her with similar objects to scratch. Place the new acceptable objects near the inappropriate objects she is already scratching. Cover the inappropriate objects with materials that your cat will find unappealing, such as aluminum foil, sandpaper, or tape. You can also give the objects an unpleasant odor, but be careful to not to let the acceptable objects to take on the scent as well.
Once your cat is consistently scratching the appropriate object, you can start to move it slowly to a more suitable location. Don’t move the object more than three inches each day, and it’s best to keep it as close to your cat’s preferred scratching locations as possible. Similarly, don’t remove the unappealing coverings or odors from the unacceptable objects until your cat is regularly scratching the acceptable objects for three to four weeks. When you do remove the coverings or odors, it should be done gradually.
Punishment?
Punishing your cat for scratching is only effective when it’s done while your cat is in the act of scratching the inappropriate object and you have provided her with an alternative, acceptable scratching object. Punishment after the fact won’t alter her behavior and may negatively affect your relationship. If you do catch her scratching unacceptable objects, using a remote form of punishment is best. Some examples of remote punishment are making loud noises or squirting her with water.
It is also important to remember to keep your cat’s nails trimmed. Regularly scheduled trimmings are important to preventing excess scratching.
References
“Household Destruction.” Petfinder, www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-problems/cat-household-destruction/.
“PAWS - People Helping Animals.” Destructive Scratching - Prevention and Solutions » PAWS, www.paws.org/library/cats/behavior/destructive-scratching/.