Inappropriate scratching is a leading cause of cat relinquishment, but understanding cat scratching needs provides simple, welfare-positive solutions that protect both furniture and cat wellbeing.
Scratching is not a behavioral problem — it is a normal, necessary behavior that cats must be able to express. When cats scratch furniture, the solution is providing better alternatives that meet their needs, not punishing or declawing. Appropriate scratching posts placed in locations cats prefer, with textures they enjoy, resolve the vast majority of inappropriate scratching without any welfare cost to the cat. Declawing, by contrast, removes the last bone of each toe and causes lasting physical and psychological harm.