Having a cat in your life can be a wonderful experience. They tend to wrap themselves around our heart and become a big part of the family. From time to time, however, a cat may exhibit some type of behavior that is not only unwanted, it is destructive. That is the case with scratching, and if you have a cat that scratches, you probably would like to have the problem gone right away.
First of all, the cat is not scratching to destroy or couch or speakers, they are doing something that cats were designed to do. Scratching is a form of natural behavior and even if they weren’t anywhere near your furniture, they would still do it. It helps to sharpen the claws and has other benefits as well. Of course, for those that are dealing with a cat that scratches, knowing why they do it may be of little consequence. Fortunately, there are things you can do to correct the problem.
The first thing you should try when the cat is scratching is to distract them from their usual target. You can buy a scratching post and put it nearby. Work on teaching the cat where to scratch and make sure that it is in a convenient location. Most cat scratching posts are primary targets in the way they are designed. In fact, you might want to get several of them so your cat is never far away from an acceptable target.
It may also be possible to keep your cat from scratching by discouraging that type of behavior. Put some plastic over the sofa or double sided sticky tape on a piece of paper in the area. If the cat likes to scratch your speakers, turn them away from the room.
You might also find it is possible to discourage scratching by clipping the cat’s nails on a regular basis. This can be somewhat of a struggle, but if your cat gets accustomed to the sensation, it can really help. If that doesn’t work, you can buy plastic caps for their claws so they won’t do any damage when scratching.
Another thing to keep in mind is that your cat can also respond to some negative actions as well. If you catch them in the act, clap your hands loudly or whistle. Some people squirt their cat with a water bottle. These methods may help but it could also cause your cat to be skittish around you if it is done too often.
A scratching cat can be a problem but if you learn how to handle it, there can be light at the end of the tunnel. Keep up your efforts and you may just find it disappears into the past.