July 3rd, 2024

Can't stop your cat from scratching the furniture? Science has some tips

The article discusses strategies for managing cats' scratching behavior, emphasizing science-backed methods over extreme measures like declawing. A study explored factors influencing scratching, highlighting stress relief and territory marking. Owners can improve behavior by addressing stressors and providing scratching posts.

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Can't stop your cat from scratching the furniture? Science has some tips

The article discusses strategies for dealing with cats' scratching behavior, which can be a stress response, especially when caused by factors like the presence of small children in the home. Extreme measures like declawing are discouraged, and the focus is on science-backed methods to reduce or redirect scratching. A study involving 1,211 cats explored various factors influencing scratching behavior, such as environmental elements, play levels, and stress. The research emphasized the importance of understanding the dynamics affecting cats' behavior to improve their welfare. Synthetic feline facial pheromones were also investigated for their impact on undesirable scratching. The study highlighted that cats may scratch to relieve stress or mark territory, particularly when feeling threatened or insecure. By addressing stressors and providing appropriate outlets for scratching, such as scratching posts, owners can help manage their cats' behavior effectively.

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By @tamimio - 8 months
I have noticed cats do this when they are ready to ‘play’ with you (or fight from their perspective). Sometimes the cat is just sitting there, and I ‘antagonize’ it with a feather or string. It will jump to the couch and start scratching while looking at the feather. I think it’s just a natural reaction to fight back, babies or not.
By @peanut_worm - 8 months
weird way to frame an anti-children article
By @lifeinthevoid - 8 months
Great tip in the article to not punish your cat when it does something wrong. It just gets worse when you do that. Learned it the hard way after once yelling at mine.
By @twerkmonsta - 8 months
tl;dr; 1. Don’t have kids 2. Put a scratchpad where they scratch
By @unsupp0rted - 8 months
> We love our furry feline overlords

No, many of us don’t love cats. We see all the negatives (“overlords”) and they’re not outweighed by the positives. But people who love cats often distrust people who don’t.

How can a human being not love something so cute? You must be a robot/monster.

There was a time 15-20 years ago when the internet was a superhighway for cute cat pictures and videos. Futurama even did an episode on this weird cat relationship people have.

I’m glad that trend (?) seems to have died down by at least 50%.