CHENNAI : Scratching is normal, instinctive behaviour seen in cats, and should not be necessarily discouraged. Let us understand why cats like to scratch so much in the first place. One of the reasons to scratch is to shed the dead outer skin in their claws. In addition, they also get to stretch their bodies, paws, legs and it becomes an innate and implicit form of exercise for them. Some cats scratch to communicate and establish their turf to other cats. There are glands located between the digits of the paw that leaves odour behind.
The scratch marks and smell act as visual and scent signals to other cats in the area establishing her presence and her claim over the object of interest. Scratching is also an expression of your cats emotions — she can express her excitement, happiness or even anxiety by scratching.
Your cat has probably chosen the sofa as there aren’t sufficient scratching posts available for her around the house. The location of your scratching post also matters. Favourable scratching posts are ones that are found near the area where the cat spends a lot of time. Understand her preference — what kind of texture does she like to scratch? When does she scratch — after a nap or when she is in a playful mood and excited? Does she like vertical perches or horizontal ones? Based on her specific preferences, make available scratching posts for your cat as an alternate to your sofa.
Place it strategically next to the sofa that she currently scratches. Encourage her to use the scratch post and reward her with food and praises whenever she uses the scratch pad. You can use her favourite toy to draw her attention to the scratch post and entice her to try it. Meanwhile discourage any attempts to scratch the existing sofa. Use things like sticky tape or aluminium foil to cover the scratching points on the sofa. You can even try odour deterrents that are cat-safe in order to discourage her. No matter what, do not punish her for scratching.