Why your cat shreds the sofa – and how to get them to stop for good

If you've ever seen TV cat behavioralist Jackson Galaxy at work, you'll know that while we may (well, many of us) love feline company, there's a lot we don't understand about their needs. Now, a new study delves deep into the domestic lives of cat families to find out just why furniture is being scratched up and how to actually prevent it.

An international team of researchers collected data from 1,211 French households, covering caregiver demographics, environments, behaviors and temperaments. It also assessed frequency and intensity of unwanted scratching behaviors, which was then evaluated using a combined scratching index and the cats divided into groups based on these behaviors.

"No significant difference was observed between purebred and mixed-breed cats, gender, neutering status, body condition score, and actual weight concerning the scratching index," the researchers noted in the report.

What they found was that a leading cause of undesired scratching was the presence of a young child in the house. Scientists believe this could trigger a heightened stress response from the cat, leading to more frequent and intense scratching episodes. Previous studies have shown that the presence of young kids is also one of the leading reasons people return or give up their pets.

"While most studies predominantly concentrate on the well-being and health of the human residents sharing the same household with cats, these findings underscore the significance of evaluating the quality of life for both constituents – humans and pets – to ensure the establishment of a harmonious environment," said the researchers.

The team acknowledges more work needs to be done to examine these findings, such as how children interact with cats in the house, and the age of the kids sharing the space with pets.

Kids are not wholly to blame, however. Other factors such as nocturnal activity, playfulness and other aspects of a cat's individual personality appear to influence their scratching behaviors, with "aggressiveness" and "disruptiveness" being two key traits that correlated with more claws on couches.

While playfulness in itself is not at all bad, long play sessions can raise stress levels in cats due to constant stimulation, causing them to take it out on the arm of the sofa or a seat cushion.

“Here 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,” said Dr Yasemin Salgirli Demi̇rbas, a veterinary researcher at Ankara University and first author of the study. “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.”

The location of scratching posts proved to be a significant influence on cat behavior. The study found that placing posts in high-traffic areas or near favored sleeping spots resulted in the cat redirecting their scratching to the preferable piece of furniture.

“We see a clear link between certain environmental and behavioral factors and increased scratching behavior in cats,” Demi̇rbas said. “Specifically, the presence of children in the home as well as high levels of play and nocturnal activity significantly contribute to increased scratching."

While some of these factors are difficult to change, the researchers believe you can curb the bad behavior with strategic scratch-post placement, pheromones, and being mindful of interactions with kids and overstimulation through play. They suggest short play sessions throughout the day, and acting out scenarios that mimic hunting success.

"Providing safe hiding places, elevated observation spots, and ample play opportunities can also help alleviate stress and engage the cat in more constructive activities," Demirbas said. "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."

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Source: Ankara University via Scimex