How to prevent my cat from plowing everything?

Aranar is an innate behavior in cats, however, when It is carried out in a generalized and compulsive way in our furniture or fabrics, it can become a very undesirable and annoying behavior .In addition, we must also ask ourselves if there is any kind of problem that is promoting this behavior, such as it can be a possible problem of stress and anxiety.

Does your cat plow absolutely everything? In this article of Animal Expert we will explain why cats are plowing and most importantly: how to prevent your cat from plowing everything .We will offer you driving guidelines, education tips and we will also review some products of the market that you can use or discard in this process.Start solving this problem today!

Why does my cat plow everything?

If we study the cat's ethogram , that is, the set of typical behaviors of the species, we will observe that spreading is representative behavior and that it also has different meanings .

Cats begin to plow when they are puppies , as they explore and begin to develop their reflexes for hunting .It is important to note that both behaviors are closely intertwined.Arabs are generally made towards other members of their family, such as their parents and siblings, but it is also common to attack our ankles, the toys they have and until they try to hunt insects or birds that watch through the window.At this stage, then, the cats will plow instinctively to prepare for the hunt.

Once the socialization stage is over, when the cat enters his youth, continues to carry out this activity, but begins to also perform it as a habit that entertains them , aimed at carpets, curtains and other elements.Likewise, returning to hunting behavior, plow them to sharpen ones , essential in the capture of prey and in their defense.If they are not provided with a scraper, they will start to plow the furniture and other household objects, causing a preference for those places.

When the cat reaches sexual maturity, begins to carry out the marking behavior , which consists of rubbing, urinating or plowing, behaviors that favor the presence of pheromones in the environment in which they reside.All this allows them to feel more comfortable, so as delimit their territory and alert other cats in the area.Marking with the ones allows the release of pheromones in certain places, such as logs and poles, and it is a form of communication.

Finally, stress and anxiety are or other factors that would explain that our cat plowed furniture and other objects.Through these behaviors, which are usually unpleasant for tutors, the cat will express that their well-being is compromised, so they will look for behaviors that make feel safer .At the margin of marking, a cat with high levels of stress can begin to defecate and urinate in other areas of the home, as well as carry out abnormal behaviors, such as excessive dependence, hyperactivity or apathy.

Loneliness, changes in the home or lack of environmental enrichment can cause stress in the cat, a behavioral problem that also affects your health , as it predisposes you to get sick more easily.

How to prevent the cat from plowing everything?

Since the fact of plowing has multiple meanings and does not necessarily represent a negative behavior that should be avoided, we must encourage our cat to plow the appropriate places .To do this, we must offer you several scrapers (we recommend a minimum of two for each cat in the home) of different types and textures, in this way we can discover which is the favorite of our feline.We will locate the scrapers near the area where it is usually plowed and we can even cover the plowed furniture with textures that the cat finds unpleasant, which It will help you avoid them.

It is important to note that the punishment is totally contraindicated , as it increases stress levels in the cat.For this reason, we advise you to bet on reinforcement positive, which may include the use of kind words, tasty prizes or caresses, which will favor our cat associating the scratching of scrapers with something positive, thus encouraging behavior in objects that we consider appropriate.

To motivate our cat to use scrapers , we can use some tricks, such as the use of catnip, but in addition, there are very useful and effective articles on the market, such as FELISCRATCH by FELIWAY®, a product that contains an exact synthetic copy of the natural pheromones that cats release during marking, which encourages them to use the areas that contain it , in addition to favoring their well-being.

Likewise, we shouldn't or lvidar that the physical and mental stimulation is essential to get a cat to channel its energy properly.The use of intelligence toys, socialization with their caregivers or physical activity is basic to make happy our feline, in addition to guaranteeing the sensation of safety through proper feeding, preventive medicine and care are essential.

When we talk about cats with high levels of stress and anxiety, we must be aware that providing only scrapers we are not going to solve the problem.In these cases we advise to have the opinion of a veterinary ethologist , as well as make use of other complementary products, such as the synthetic pheromones for cats , which They improve the well-being and transmit calm in the home.

Finally, and not less importantly, it should be noted that cleaning is essential to eliminate the smell of pheromones from the cat itself.We advise you to use enzymatic products and/or ethyl alcohol to remove traces in inappropriate places, such as furniture, carpets or curtains.

Is the use of cat repellent spray effective?

The market is full of products that ensure that cats do not plow furniture, are already caused by marking or stress, however, it is important to note that most of these articles are not endorsed or supported by studies .In addition, in some cases, these products may be uncomfortable for our cats, which will increase their stress and discomfort at home.

For this reason, we advise you to inform you previously before acquiring any product and looking for serious and committed companies that carry out a scientific research that supports its use , such as the one mentioned above to motivate the cat to plow.

If you want to read more articles similar to How to prevent my cat from spreading everything? , we recommend you go to our Behavioral problems section.