Sophie the floor scratcher

[lizzielou742]

I know there's been a lot of threads tonight, and I don't know if everyone can keep up with them all, so I decided to add one more for y'all!!! LOL

Anyway, Sophie (who is almost 4 months old now!! ) scratches EVERYTHING. She pulls at the carpet with her claws - so much that she's actually pulled it up a little from the corners by a few doors!! She scratches our bare walls (which is the most AWFUL sound you'll ever hear, like fingernails on a blackboard). She scratches cardboard boxes. She scratches the carpet around her food bowl every time she finishes eating (marking her territory?). She scratches like CRAZY in the litterbox (which is fine with me as long as she's going in the box!). She's not too bad at scratching the furniture, though...her main passion is clawing at the carpet under her feet, wherever she may be!!

Now, the first thing everyone is going to say is, she needs more scratching surfaces, and I agree with that. She and Tito currently have 2 scratching posts in my one-floor, 1100 sq. ft. apartment, and we're building a cat tree this weekend (yay!! finally) and I'll be covering at least one post with sisal rope. I play with her as much as I can to exert her energy, but with kittens I don't think that ever happens.

As for stopping the behavior, I've been working on it since I moved in with my boyfriend and Sophie, about a month ago. I usually clap my hands and say "no!" if I catch her in the act, then pick her up and move her to the closest scratching post and put her paws on it. I praise her for using the post, and I encourage her to play on it by putting toys on top of it for her to bat off. If she repeatedly is scratching something, I'll give her a quick shot in the hips with a squirt bottle filled with lukewarm water. And I trim her nails regularly, about once a week or every ten days.

Anyway, the scratching doesn't bother me all that much. It's not bad...now. I just don't want it to continue. So, my question, after all that rambling is this:

Is she scratching because she's a crazy little kitten, and will it calm down when she grows up more? I never noticed Tito doing it this much. Has anyone else every had a cat that does this? Is it just a kitten thing?

[lizzielou742]

*Bump*

Sorry to bump, but I was really wondering about this.

If anyone has any ideas as to why she's scratching like a weirdo, let me hear them...thanks!!



PS Post was edited for typos.

[emily_the_spoiled]

I am not sure if she is scratching like that because she is a kitten or not. I have had two (adult) fosters who do the same thing, so it may just be a habit that needs to change.

One thing I have found very helpful is, if she responds to catnip, get the catnip spray (from PetSmart or other pet store) and spray that onto the scratching posts. If she has a "favorite" spot to scratch on the floor, spray some of the "cat off" on to a rag and leave it on that spot. This combination of positive and negative re-inforcement, seems to have worked for most of my guys.

Good luck

[lbaker]

It does sound a bit excessive (even for a kitten) but maybe the cat tree will help. Could you maybe buy a small sample square of carpet and rub catnip or something on it to at least confine the scritch scratching to one small area? She scratches walls too?? She's just too cute to get mad at but it really sounds like you're doing all you possibly can. What does Tito think of all this? Wish I had better advise. Good luck.

[lizzielou742]

She scratches anywhere and everywhere on the carpet, she doesn't really have a favorite spot, but she does like to especially do it in our bedroom. So, I will watch her closely and try the "Cat Off" stuff on some of the spots. Tito likes the catnip spray on his scratching post, so I always do that....I think she might be still to young to be responding to the catnip, because I don't think I have seen her react to it yet. Tito has used his nails on the walls before, rarely - usually when he's trying to jump UP them, vertically - but he's never actually SCRATCHED the walls, like they would a scratching post. She's such a weirdo!! And yes, she's DEFINITELY too cute to get mad at. I mean, houw could anyone not melt looking at this little bunny butt -

or is it just me??
Thanks for your help, guys!!

[aki]

Chuck does the same exact thing! He dosen't have claws, so we call it *pawing*. He does it on my bedroom door so I bangs in the wall over and over when he wants attention. Anything new brought into the house he paws on it like he is staking a claim. This is mine! I bought a new runner carpet for my hallway and he was practically breakdancing on it! He also does it in and around his food and water. And always does it before he lays down no matter where he is. I have always thought it was kind of a funny quirk of his.

[CatMama78]

Nope it's not just you. That little girl would definitely be getting away with murder in my household.

I think you are doing all you can. She'll get the idea eventually.

Wilber is a scratchey guy too. He pulled up a corner of the carpet in our old place (damages were only 40 bucks). He also paws around his food and water bowl. It seems to have lessened with age a little.