Why do cats do this?!

Why do cats claw there nails in the carpet, couch, and on the walls?

My 2 cats keep doing this, not all cats do it, but my cats do it ALOT.
There messing up my couchs and walls, and I rent a house, so I have to pay for the damage.

My second Question : What are some ways to help make the cat stop doing this as much?

They do it because it is natural instinct. This is the way Nature intended a cat to sharpen it's claws to defend itself. Unfortunately, house cats don't really require defending themselves for survival, unless they are outdoor cats.

There's really no way to "prevent" this. It's necessary for the cat. The best thing to do is to supply plenty of things for the cat to claw on that are okay for kitty; a couple scratching posts, a cat tree, a scratching mat...etc. Also...cats like to claw things that have a tighter weaving and don't snag their claws. If you don't want kitty to claw your couch, try putting a blanket with loose weaving, or something that easily snags there claws. Kitty won't like this as much and won't claw there.

Some folks opt for the declawing method. This is not the best option for any cat...especially if they are going to be outdoors at all. Many people are against declawing (as I am), and the primary reason I will never declaw a cat is that in order to remove the claws, the vet actually has to FRACTURE the bones in the feet of the cat in order to remove them. It can be quite painful for the animal and leaves them defenseless.

Hope this helped.

Ive heard about the declawing method, but I will never do it.
For the simple reasons that you said- and because thats just like tearing off human nails.
I look at it as abuse, in a "legal" way.

But thanks for the tips- I will try them out and see how it goes, and ill even give you an update on how there doing about the scratching if you would like.

Also, My cat keeps clawing my other cat on accident while playing, and he has a few sratches.
Have you heard of the pedipaws, that files down there nails, and if so is that safe?

It is natural instinct to sharpen their nails. Male cats do it to mark their area as if saying "hey, this is mine, stay away". They do that in the wild to let other males know that the area is occupied. They also spray the area with urine, but I take it that is not an issue. If the cat is under 5 years old you can have he/she declawed. They don't like to do it after 5 years due to psychological effects. Also, buy the scratching posts you see at walmart for like $10 and put them in front of the furniture where the cat usually scratches.

You cant stop a cat from this as long as they have claws... as others have mentioned cats claw at things to sharpen their nails - they do this by removing the sheath that covers the nail, hence the scratching. A cat owner can never have to many scratching post in the house -

sorry but I disagree here. watch animal planet and you will see there are many approved and successful ways of stopping a domesticated cat not to claw at things.

one of their ways that have come in very handy for both cats clawing and dogs chewing has been a can of dog and cat repellant. you can buy it in the grocery store where pts foods and supplies are sold and in any pet shop. when you catch the pet chewing or clawing you pick up the can take it over and say no firmly then either spray the spot ot the air where the clawing and chewing is being done.

Another animal planet approved and successful ways to stop cats from clawing is just like how you train a dog not to bark needlessly. in dogs you hold their muzzle firmly and say no firmly. cats clawing you hold their paw firmly so that the claws are reveled then say no firmly "no claws" then let go of the claw.

Another pet planet tried and successful way is to take the paw in hand hold paw firmly and say "no claws" then clip the claws.

the "no claws" method by animal planet also works for training your cat to play with you, children and others without drawing claws.

I have used all these methods and have three full grown cats that do not claw the furniture, walls nor curtains and 2 dogs that do not claw nor chew.

Another animal planet tried and successful way is to place two sided carpet tape where the cats are clawing. they don't like the stickiness of the tape and will stop clawing the second their paws touch the tape. A friend uses this on all her own cats and those she fosters through the ASPCA. works every time.

Cats do this not just to sharpen their nails, but also to stretch out the joints in their paws. Removing a cat's claws is actually more the equivalent of removing the last digit of your finger, rather than just removing your fingernail.

Buying a scratching post isn't always enough to make a cat stop clawing furniture. How are they supposed to know that's the only place they can claw? It kind of has to be trained. If your cats have specific areas they like to claw, you may want to consider putting sticky tape over them as a deterrent. I hear some people use things like lemon scented sprays as well. Then rub some catnip over the new cat post and play with your cat in that area. It's not a for sure thing, but they're much more likely to get the picture.

If all else fails there are nail caps for cats. I personally would only take this route as a last resort though. We clip our cat's claws in the winter (only the VERY tips as going too far down can be damaging), and this helps too.

I have nothing new to add just so happy to see so many people unwilling to abuse their cats by declawing.

I am not sure if you can learn them to use the scratching posts. They still prefer to scratch on furniture and the doors.

But I love my cats more than my furniture, so they are forgiven in the end. After all felines are beasts of prey.

Hi Rainbowz,
I have had some cat issues that try my patience. (Waking me up at 6am!) Good for you for searching out the humane, long-term answer.

As for scratching the other cat while playing... the next time you are at the vet ask the vet to show you how to clip the cats' nails.

I agree with getting a good scratching post. Also, I think you can get some "stay off" spray for cats to know where they shouldn't scratch. You might ask your vet about that one too. Good luck.
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I used to prevent it by cutting their front nails myself and just keeping them really really short. They had stubs. I'd cut the whole point off. It doesn't hurt them, you can cut a cat's nail down a lot smaller than a dog's. They'd still stretch and scratch but they had nothing to make marks with.

Other than that.. you CAN train cats. They can learn what to claw and what not to claw. Ugly chair in the basement is OK but not my speakers.They also LOVED shredding cardboard boxes. I guess the texture of a box is more natural than a couch. Cut a hole in a box and put a pillow or something in it to sleep on and throw it under a table or something.. so it becomes a "cat house" and eventually it gets shredded. But if you don't throw it out soon enough there's little cardboard pieces everywhere to clean.

I've heard of this nail fileing device that files down the cats, and dogs nails.
I've bought one, but I dont know if I should use it.
I keep wondering if it's safe or not to use it, and I put it near one of my cats (Toodles) while it was on, and hes scared of it, but on the other hand my other cat (Jones) is not scared of it at all.

I dont want to hurt them, do you think its safe to use this? I dont want to get my cats nails cliped, alot of things can go wrong with getting that done.

Is this safe, or should I ask my Vet?

I don't think they do it to sharpen their nails but their nails continuously replace themselves (like bear fur, moose antlers, snake skins, etc.) and it itches and they scratch to relieve the itch and get the old nail off and make way for the new one underneath. That's why you can often find the curved, old nail around if you look closely, caught in material around where they spent a lot of their time.

You can try some of the special scratching posts, etc. but they generally have to be taught to use that as kittens (like if you want to walk them on a leash outside); if they've been using your furniture for awhile, it might be next to impossible to get them to stop. I have heavy material all ready to redo the bottom of my couch where my cat has wrecked it :-) My old cat was an "outdoor" cat so used trees, etc. and I didn't have a problem but the two I have now are indoor types. Fortunately I have really cheap furniture and will probably replace it in a year or two.

If you don't understand how to use the nail filing device, then I'd hold off on it. Instead, try desensitizing your cats (especially Toodles) to the noise, while you find someone to show you how to use it. You do not want to cut the quick on a cat. This isn't an issue so long as you only cut the very tips of the nail (which you might do in the meantime if you're desperate), but if you cut the quick it will be painful and bleed. So find someone to show you the 'technique,' such as a vet, so you don't risk making a mistake.

The younger one of our 2 kitties always uses the scratching post, her mom always claws at the carpet and sometimes the corners of furniture. I think I should buy some more posts and put them where she usually scratches their biggest temptation are corners, whether on the furniture or in the carpet.

Yes... I agree 100% that there are ways to help deter your cat from scratching on certain things (ex: furniture, walls, the dog) - all I meant by my statement is that you cannot stop a cat from wanting to claw as its their nature instant to do so, but you can takes steps to try and keep your prize possession from becoming the cats new scratching post.

My friend had the PediPaws also, and showed me how to use it. Jones nails are now filed down, and he does not ruin things any more, and he doesnt do it often.
For Toodles, he freaked and would not let me do his nails. I tryed the cat nip idea on the scratching post, but instead of scratching it, he trys eatting the post!.
I dont know what I'm gonna do about Toodles. He's so terrified of the PediPaws.

When a cat starts clawing at something that you do not wish it to claw, just give it a spurt of water from a water pistol or water bottle.

They hate the water and they will stop doing the unwanted behaviour.