Whereas scratching surfaces is a standard cat habits, a brand new examine explains why a few of our beloved clawed floofs are extra harmful than others. And no, they are not simply trolling you with their rapscallion methods.
“We show that certain factors – such as the presence of children at home, personality traits of cats, and their activity levels – significantly impact the extent of scratching behavior,” says veterinary researcher Yasemin Salgirli Demi̇rbas from Ankara College in Türkiye.
It is very important present cats with surfaces for them to scratch on, as this exercise retains their claws sharp and prevents them from overgrowing and inflicting well being issues. Scratched surfaces additionally act as a territorial marker, permitting cats to speak with their fellow felines.
This, nevertheless, is the place issues can come up. The extra annoyed an proprietor will get on the cat tearing up the costly leather-based sofa, the extra the cat is more likely to scratch in response to heightened social pressure, in keeping with Salgirli Demi̇rbas and her colleagues from Portugal, Canada, and France.
The researchers surveyed over 1,200 cat homeowners – all of whom owned only one cat – to find stress is the main explanation for extreme scratching in home cats. Whereas self-reported knowledge is susceptible to biases, they discovered a powerful affiliation.
“We see a clear link between certain environmental and behavioral factors and increased scratching behavior in cats,” says Salgirli Demirbas.
“Specifically, the presence of children in the home as well as high levels of play and nocturnal activity significantly contribute to increased scratching. Cats described as aggressive or disruptive also exhibited higher levels of scratching.”
This tells us how we will work with our cats to change their habits.
“Providing safe hiding places, elevated observation spots, and ample play opportunities can help alleviate stress and engage the cat in more constructive activities,” advises Salgirli Demirba.
So in case your cat is scratching the place it mustn’t, you will need to use optimistic reinforcement methods, and keep away from techniques that would exacerbate the cat’s stress. Constructive techniques embody offering an alternate floor for scratching, near the cat’s chosen scratching space.
Cats often scratch in socially vital areas, doubtless as a method to specific their emotional state. So the placement of their scratching submit does matter to them.
It is usually essential to play along with your feline companion in a manner that works for them. Cats who performed for prolonged intervals had been extra more likely to scratch extra typically, probably from the stress of being overstimulated, the researchers suspect.
“Promoting regular and brief interactive play sessions, coupled with offering suitable toys, can alleviate stress and consequently reduce undesirable scratching behavior,” the staff recommends of their paper.
Cats actually are explicit creatures. They’ve robust preferences about many issues, together with how we pat them. Making an attempt to pinpoint a particular stressor behind your cat’s scratching response may assist you work out methods to mitigate the problematic habits.
“Understanding the underlying emotional motivations of scratching behavior, such as frustration, which seem to be linked to personality traits and environmental factors, allows caregivers to address these issues directly,” says Salgirli Demirbas.
Calming cat pheromones may help diffuse the state of affairs within the meantime, whereas different techniques are investigated.
“Our findings can help caregivers manage and redirect scratching to appropriate materials, which could help foster a more harmonious living environment for both cats and their caregivers,” Salgirli Demi̇rbas concludes.
Cats have been our companions for over 10,000 years now, defending our crops, entertaining us, and offering affection. Making an attempt to perceive them higher is the least we will do in return.
This analysis was printed in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
