Cats use their claws for many things, including using those claws to shred furniture, or in my case doorframes. Here are some tips to make them stop.
Jimmy the cat has been systematically working his way around all our upstairs doorframes and using them as his own personal scratching posts. This behaviour started when we went away on holidays and had a cat-sitter staying.
Today I’ll go through a few steps that we used to solve this little dilemma.
- First I got some Feliway and plugged it in next to the doorframes. One of the reasons cats use their claws is to mark their territory. There are scent glands under the nails that make their environment smell familiar. This is where the pheromone Feliway can help.
- I set up a scratching post near the doorframes. The key is to find a substrate your cat likes (my cat likes wood) and make it high enough that your cat can stretch out full-length. Some are way too short. For details on how to make your own cat tree, visit here.
- We stuck some Sticky Paws on the doorframes as a bit of a deterrent. Basically just double-sided tape. This also works with furniture.
- We trimmed young our cats nails.
Published by Dr Eloise Bright
Dr Eloise Bright is our resident pet care expert and Love That Pet Vet. When not working to keep her pet patients healthy, Eloise enjoys spending time with her family and pets.
