Wondering how to stop cats from scratching and spraying in the house? These behaviours can be overcome with time, patience, and encouragement.
Why do cats scratch?
Cats scratch their claws against surfaces as a normal and instinctual behaviour. They may scratch furniture, walls, or carpets. There are various reasons why cats might scratch.
Your cat might be scratching your brand new wicker laundry basket because they want to:
- Mark it with the scent glands in their paws to communicate with other animals;
- Sharpen their nails and shed old material;
- Fully stretch out their body; or
- Express emotions such as nervousness or happiness.
How can I prevent my cat from scratching my home and belongings?
If your cat loves scratching furniture, buy or build them a cat tower (also known as a cat tree or scratch post) with carpet and rope to scratch. In order to draw your cat’s attention away from your new couch and toward the cat tower, try playing with your cat on the tower or using catnip to encourage them to redirect their scratching to approved areas. Other popular and inexpensive objects for cats to scratch include scratcher toys and cardboard boxes. Test out a variety of scratcher positionings, as some cats may prefer vertical or horizontal angles. Remember to praise your cat with a treat or chin scratch when they scratch the right surfaces!
Trimming your cat’s nails can also significantly reduce the amount of damage they may cause to furniture. Properly trimming a cat’s nails will not completely eliminate scratching behaviour, but it will blunt the tips of their nails, which reduces the risk of them puncturing surfaces.
If your cat continues to scratch your furniture, you might try covering affected areas with a blanket or fitted cover.
While some pet owners may consider declawing as an option, it is a highly controversial and non-recommended practice, and it is illegal in several Canadian provinces. Declawing involves the amputation of the last bone in a cat’s paws and often results in long-term pain and balance problems. Save your cat’s toes — just continue to redirect your cat to “scratch-approved” objects and cover up any items you want protected from scratching!
Why do cats spray?
Cats spray small amounts of urine for two main reasons:
- To communicate with other cats; or
- As a stress response.
Spraying — also known as urine marking — may occur as a way for a cat to mark objects or areas outside of their litter box as their “territory.”
Additionally, intact male cats may spray a mixture of urine and pheromones to try to attract a female mate. Intact female cats in heat may spray a similar urine mixture in the home to indicate their sexual maturity and fertility to potential mates.
Sometimes anxious cats spray outside their litter box because of discomfort from changes in their routine or surroundings. For example, a move, new pet, new baby, noisy construction, or new guests in your home may agitate your pet and cause them to spray. They may feel threatened or conflicted with their surroundings, and will benefit from some extra love, attention, and understanding while they experience these events.
How can I prevent cats from spraying in my home?
Cat spray has a pungent odour and is undesirable within the home. Nonetheless, do not punish your cats for spraying. Instead, you should target the potential causes for this behaviour to discourage it from recurring.
If your intact cat is spraying, we recommend that pet parents spay or neuter their cat. PetMD reports that “most spraying is performed by intact males and females in heat,” but “spayed and neutered cats can also spray,” with 10 per cent of males and five per cent of females continuing to spray after sterilization. Find out more about spaying and neutering in Ontario here.
Encourage your anxious cat to stop spraying by limiting stressors around your home. For example, if you have recently relocated their litter box, try moving it back, and if your cat sprays when contractors are working on your home, set up a quiet and safe space for your cat with their favourite toys and treats.
If your cat continues to spray even after you have sterilized them and reduced stressors in the home, take them to a veterinarian. Rarely, cats will spray because of medical conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Summary
Spraying and scratching are common issues with cats; however, by granting time for diagnosis and positive reinforcement, you can work together with your pet to solve these problems. Remember, these are natural behaviours, and it is important to be patient while trying to stop cats from scratching and spraying in the house.
In my experience, my cat, Kiwi, stopped spraying entirely after her spay operation, and my other cat, Archie, doesn’t scratch the furniture as much as he used to now that he has three cat towers and a cardboard scratcher to sink his nails into. At the end of the day, my cats are more important to me than any old object in my home. The furniture is replaceable, but my kitties are not!
