Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Sep 24;12(19):2551.
doi: 10.3390/ani12192551.

Unwanted Scratching Behavior in Cats: Influence of Management Strategies and Cat and Owner Characteristics

Affiliations

Unwanted Scratching Behavior in Cats: Influence of Management Strategies and Cat and Owner Characteristics

Alissa Cisneros et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Despite scratching behavior in owned domestic cats being a self-motivated and natural behavior, it is commonly reported as a behavior problem by owners when it results in damage to household items. The objectives of this study were to use a cross-sectional survey targeting cat owners within the United States and Canada, to explore perspectives on cat scratching behavior and management strategies, as well as identify factors that influence the performance of inappropriate scratching behavior in the household. A total of 2465 cat owners participated in the survey and three mixed logistic regression models were generated to explore associations between (1) cat demographic factors, (2) provisions of enrichment, and (3) owner demographic and management factors with owner reports of problematic scratching. In this convenience sample, inappropriate scratching was reported by 58% of cat owners. Owner perspectives and management strategies aligned with current recommendations as they preferred to use appropriate surfaces (e.g., cat trees) and training to manage scratching as opposed to surrendering, euthanizing, or declawing. Logistic regression results found fewer reports of unwanted scratching behavior if owners provide enrichment (flat scratching surfaces (p = 0.037), sisal rope (p < 0.0001), and outdoor access (p = 0.01)), reward the use of appropriate scratching objects (p = 0.007), apply attractant to preferred items (p < 0.0001), restrict access to unwanted items (p < 0.0001), provide additional scratching posts (p < 0.0001), and if their cat is 7 years of age or older (p < 0.00001). Whereas if owners use verbal (p < 0.0001) or physical correction (p = 0.007) there were higher reports of unwanted scratching. Results suggest that damage to household items from scratching behavior is related to management strategies owners employ, and these findings can be used to support owner education in mitigation and prevention of inappropriate scratching.

Keywords: behavior; cat; enrichment; scratching; training; welfare.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. American Veterinary Medical Association . 2022 AVMA Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. American Veterinary Medical Association; Schaumburg, IL, USA: 2022.
    1. Canadian Animal Health Institute 2020 Canadian Pet Population Figures Released. [(accessed on 7 July 2022)]. Available online: https://cahi-icsa.ca/news/2020-canadian-pet-population-figures-released.
    1. Amat M., Ruiz de la Torre J.L., Mariotti V.M., Wijk S.V., Manteca X. Potential risk factors associated with feline behaviour problems. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2009;121:134–139. doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.09.012. - DOI
    1. Heidenberger E. Housing conditions and behavioural problems of indoor cats as assessed by their owners. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 1997;52:345–364. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01134-3. - DOI
    1. de Souza-Dantas L.M., Soares G.M., D’Almeida J.M., Paixaão R.L. Epidemiology of domestic cat behavioral and welfare issues: A survey of Brazilian referral animal hospitals in 2009. Intern. J. Appl. Res. Vet. Med. 2009;7:3.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Discovery Grant.

LinkOut - more resources