All cats scratch, from the smallest house cat to the largest wild cat.
The use of claws is instinctive. Cats use their claws for both defense and marking territory. Cats have scent glands in their paws as well as elsewhere on their bodies. Outdoor cats use these different scent glands to mark their territory, a way to tell other cats, "Hey, this is my territory!"
This instinct does not disappear just because the cat lives indoors or lives as the only cat in your home. Another fact that is often overlooked by cat owners is that a cat's claws never stop growing. The same way your nails would continue to grow, out of control, if you stopped cutting them, it's the same with cats.
A cat's nails have an outer covering that falls off when the nail grows. When they remove this covering, they have sharp claws to defend their territory. Cats that don't scratch often end up with ingrown nails growing in their paws, which makes walking painful and can cause infection.
How to prevent a cat from scratching the furniture, walls and carpet?
Now that you know the reason and that it's instinctive and important to your cat's health, how do you teach your cat to stop clawing your new couch?
Fear not, there are various ways to preserve your furniture. Instead of trying to stop the cat's completely natural instinct, why not redirect it to an area that is allowed to scratch and allow the cat to use its natural instincts?
There are specially designed "cat scratching posts" that will allow your cat to scratch to their heart's content and keep their claws healthy, allowing your cat to mark something as its own. Scratchers come in a variety of sizes and types for every home. There are small scratching posts that can be placed on the floor if your cat tends to go on the carpet, scratching posts that can be placed behind the door frame or on the wall and tall trees that will act not only as a scratching post for cats, but as a play surface and area for sleeping.
You can easily teach a cat not to scratch household furniture. Place the scratching post or tree to start on the area that gets scratched the most. When you catch your cat scratching its back on the couch, simply move it toward the scratching post. Do this several times, until the cat gets the idea that the scratching post is meant for her.
It's a good idea to buy a smaller cat scratcher before bringing a new cat home. This will allow you to start training your pet right away.
Finally, remember that a cat does not scratch on purpose, or because it is angry with you, it does so because it is instinctive and necessary for the health of its nails. A good cat scratcher and a little training will save your furniture and keep your cat happy and healthy.
