Cat behavior helppppp

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jillsssss
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Cat behavior helppppp

Post by jillsssss »

Hi everyone! My cat has one of the most interesting yet annoying behaviors that I have never experienced before and was hoping for some insight... My cat consistently scratches at hard surfaces. My doors, the floor both around his food and just in like open spaces where nothing is around him. At first I was fine with it and was trying to ignore it, but at this point, it has gotten so repetitive that I just cannot continue to ignore it. I've tried different calming chews in case it was some sort of anxiety behavior, have gotten him tons of scratching posts both hung on walls and on the ground and he uses them just not in the same capacity that he does just scratching on the floor. I will get on the ground and play with him or pet him but he'll eventually just walk away and scratch at the floor or door again.

Has anyone else experienced this? I've done so much research trying to find an answer or someone who at least has seen the same thing and I truly have not found a thing other than just a cat scratching around their food and water. I really want to understand this behavior and hopefully offer different options for him to scratch on but I just don't know what his reasoning is to be doing this :(
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fjm
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Re: Cat behavior helppppp

Post by fjm »

I wonder if he just prefers smoother scratching surfaces? Have you tried giving him some planks of wood instead of traditional scratching posts? My cats have always stropped their claws on fence posts and similar structures outside, and shown little interest in purchased scratching posts. It is also a way of scent marking - could he be trying to mark your home with his scent, especially if you are using cleaning products that challenge him in some way?
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susand
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Re: Cat behavior helppppp

Post by susand »

I had a cat who had inflammatory bowel disease and did this when he had a flare up. I worked out that when he did this it meant he had a tummy ache. It is probably a reflex action that when they feel something happening with their bowels, be it a bowel motion or just cramps, that they then make a scratching motion, like they would if they were covering over their poo in the litter tray. Is it that kind of repetitive sweeping motion? My cat used to do it on the floor and also up walls, sometimes near his food, but not exclusively.

It might be worth taking him to the vet to rule out anything medical and that it isn’t a response to physical pain.
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