If you’ve ever seen TV’s famous “cat charmer,” Jackson Galaxy, you know that, although we love feline company (okay, most of us), there’s a lot about your needs that just escapes our understanding. A new study dives head-on into the homes of cat pet owners to understand once and for all: why furniture is the preferred targets of scratches and, more importantly, how we can make it stop.
An international team of researchers gathered data from 1,211 French homes, investigating everything: from pet owners habits to feline behavior. They also measured the frequency and intensity of attacks on couches and other furniture and categorized cats according to their “gifts” to scratch.
The result? There was no great difference between purebred cats or mutts, males or females, or even weight or body condition.
But… tchan tchan tchan… the presence of a small child in the house? That made all the difference.
According to researchers, children can trigger a stress response in the cat, resulting in more frequent and intense scratches.
It is something that previous studies have pointed out: living with young children is one of the main reasons why people end up giving up their pets.
“Although most studies focus on human welfare, our results show that it is essential to think about the quality of life of both humans and cats to create a harmonious environment“, scientists emphasize.
Other factors also influence the destructive behavior of cats, such as night activities, games and, of course, the cat’s personality.
More “excited” cats with “aggressive tendencies” are more likely to use their claws on furniture.
And if you think playing too much is just fun, watch out: long play sessions can end up stressing your pussy, and he can get revenge on your favorite couch!
“ We found that the presence of children, the personality of the cat and its levels of activity have a significant impact on scratching behavior,” explains Dr. Yasemin Salgirli Demi And most importantly: discoveries can help direct these scratches to suitable materials, such as scratchers.
Speaking of which, the location of scratchers It makes all the difference! Putting them in busy areas or near the cat’s favorite resting areas increases the chances that they will leave the couch and head for the scratcher.
It’s a simple but efficient strategy.
“We noticed a clear relationship between factors such as the environment and the behavior of cats with increased scratching behavior“, said Demi “Especially the presence of children at home, intense games and night activities are major contributors.”
Of course, you can’t send the kids away or completely change your cat’s lifestyle, but scientists suggest some practical solutions:
- scratchers well positioned,
- use of pheromones
- and be attentive to interactions with children and the excess of games.
Short and well distributed sessions throughout the day, imitating hunting, can help a lot!
In addition, creating safe and high spaces for cats to observe everything, offer opportunities for stimulating games and understand the emotional motivations behind scratching behavior are essential steps for peaceful coexistence and away from scratches on the couch.
In short: understand your cat, manage the environment and, with a little effort, your couch can finally have days of peace!
