“Couches, Carpets, and Curtains, Oh My!” Inappropriate Scratching Behavior

Inappropriate scratching, oh boy. I get many calls about this one. There are many reasons why it happens and just as many ways to treat it. I will state that as with most behavioral issues I counsel on regularly, I think this is only as bad as it is not because guardians don’t understand cats or their need to scratch (although some certainly don’t.) But rather, they’re doomed from the start due to manufacturers trying to make a quick buck. Pet stores and animal product manufacturers always have people in mind, rarely the animals, be it litter boxes, scratching posts, cat trees, or water and food bowls...So many of these products are monstrosities that cats have no use for or grow out of by the time they’re four months old, but no one tells the guardians that. How are they supposed to know?

Of course, there are other instances, where people are just so terrified that they will not even comprehend the existence of a clawed cat in their home (or, in the case of landlords, on their property.) Whether this is due to their upbringing, a medical condition, some horrible one-off instance in their past where a cat got startled and scratched them or someone/something they loved dangerously, or, just due to a guardian who did absolutely nothing to curb behaviors and caused massive property damage. I get it...but none of this should be a reflection on the species themselves. All of it is avoidable, it just takes a little work. Since you have decided to be the guardian of an animal, I have to assume you’ll be up to taking on that work. Altering the anatomy of the animal is not an answer to any of these problems, either, and is incredibly inhumane. Anyway…in this post, we’re going to go over the basics of inappropriate scratching. Grab a drink, sit down, and let’s discuss.

When facing inappropriate scratching behaviors, the first questions I ask are those regarding the environment. Are you providing scratching area? Usually, I’m met with a “Yes.” At that point, I ask how many, and usually it’s “One.” or, something like: “I had this cardboard mat that he really liked but he tore it up in a matter of days and I haven’t gotten around to getting another. I also have this little post from Petco but he doesn’t seem to like it. He has a cat tree, too. He doesn't scratch on it.” So I follow with what’s probably an extremely annoying question, but, in the case of couch or doorway scratchers, probably the most important one: How tall is your scratching post? If you don’t know inches, that’s okay. Does it come to about your knee, your hip? - Almost every single time (if they have a post) the answer is “About knee” or “Mid-thigh.” Bingo.

Cats scratch for a variety of reasons. It is an instinctual and physiological need. They scratch to stretch, to self-soothe and relieve stress, to groom their nails and shed old sheathes, to mark their scent and provide themselves comfort in their environment. Consider that first purpose now. Your cat is stretching; they need to be able to support their body weight, they need to be able to position themselves comfortably to do so. When you go out to the pet store and pick up an 18″ scratching post for a cat who is 11 pounds and 30″ long at full extension, that post is useless. It’s going to tip over before they’ve applied the necessary weight, and they cannot position effectively. That nice sturdy couch will be far more appealing now! It’s not to spite you, it’s simply because you haven’t fulfilled their need. So, what do you do? This is a market issue, for sure. Most pet stores don’t carry the appropriate sized scratching posts in-store and unfortunately, for most cats a tree will not be an appropriate substitute. With all of those perches and weird angles, there’s just not enough uninterrupted space, it’s just not as comfortable for that purpose. For scratchers, I recommend turning to the internet and looking for a post at least 32″ tall. I recommend this for a vertical scratching post! It's my favorite.

But what about the carpet scratchers? "I already have a post and he just won’t use it!” The first questions I’d ask are: Do you have a horizontal post? Is that post a cardboard slab or a scratcher bed? In my experience, cats are a little less picky about horizontal posts and can acclimate to smaller posts, but the same still stands if you want to ensure efficacy! The larger, the better. I still shoot for 32″+ Even for cardboard scratchers, I've noticed the bigger they are, the longer they last! I had a $40 infinity scratcher that lasted around two years - before I broke it resting my legs on it! I'd recommend this one, personally!

If you still have issues getting them acclimated to their posts, your issue may be the substrate. Your cat may only like the feeling of carpet on their feet, for a doorway scratcher, maybe wood instead. In these instances, it helps to be creative. Most cats, in my experience have no issues with sisal rope or cardboard, but there are outliers. For the carpet-only kiddos, there are carpet posts out there. If you’ve already purchased sisal posts and don't want to sell or give them away, you can head out to a carpet store and see if they can offer you samples. You can apply those to your scratching post! What about wood? Again, there are some wood posts out there, but they’re not the easiest to come by. Lucky for you, they’d be the easiest to make! If you’re not against bringing some outside in, people have made awesome DIY cat trees from fallen branches, slabs of tree trunk, or have even taken to having a smaller potted tree indoors specifically for their cat. You can also purchase slabs of wood and utilize them however you like. Creativity goes a long way.

Similar to this, sometimes location is key. Very occasionally there are cats that truly will not be deterred from their favorite spot, no matter what you use or how many great scratchers you add. I once had a cat like this - he was particularly attached to one specific doorway in our home. Blocking it didn't help, another scratcher in the room didn't help, not even double-sided tape worked! What we decided to do is - like above, attach carpet samples or stair mats to the doorway and replace them as needed. This kept the doorway from getting damaged while keeping him happy! Win-win! Sometimes, compromise comes into play. There is no "right" way to do this - but there are plenty of wrong ones! If you find something that works and isn't harmful, go for it!

If you want a 1-2 punch, in my opinion the single appropriate deterrent is double-sided tape. Now, applying regular double-sided tape would take an eternity. Even the “sticky paws” product is pretty small for most purposes. Online you can pick up larger strips of double-sided tape that will cover the entire side of a couch if needed, in bulk packs too! Amazon has a ton of options, I can’t speak as to whether any are better than others, but here is an example. This usually only needs to be used for about 2 weeks, after that the cats usually don’t return. to the spot as they've learned it's always sticky and gross there!

Why don’t I recommend other deterrents? They’re ineffective and potentially dangerous, for you and your cat! Beyond this, punishing a natural behavior like scratching just isn't a good idea. They’re not technically doing anything wrong, they’re just doing it in the wrong place - they don't understand that you're punishing them for the latter, they just know they're being punished for scratching. Redirect, don’t punish!