Cat Scratching Walls

red-chilli

help before i go insane!

I have 2 cats, Smokey+Bandit.

Recently Bandit has started a nightly campaign of scratching the bedroom walls, at first it was around the windows but last night she started on one of the main walls. She knows she is being naughty because as soon as you yell 'NO' at her she runs away yet she comes back and starts again.

They have several scratching posts around the house and one in the bedroom....she does use it so it's not that.

I only decorated the bedroom in January and I used Feliway plug-ins after that as she didn't like the new smells, she is a very affectionate cat but also very sensitive and nervous.

Smokey just sleeps all night and is good as gold.

I really dont know what the solution is to this behaviour.....has anyone got any ideas/help?

cat_saving_expert

Since your cat does actually use the scratching posts you've got and she's doing this naughty behavior at night time when your in the room, I think she might be playing up to get your attention, for a lot of cats nighttime is awake time.

We used to have a cat like this, at night she would pluck at the carpet in the bedroom, not actually digging into it and sharpening her claws just plucking it, we would shout and she would run off then come back and do it over and over again. She also would use the scratching posts we had just like your cat.

She might be bored at nighttime, if shes the only one awake, you may want to try to get her tired before you go to bed, get a piece of string or a toy on a stick and play for 30 mins to and hour before bedtime (if shes the playful type), We got very good results with our cat doing this.

Also try moving the scratching post close to the wall shes scratching, and if you see her using it give lots of praise, if the wall is getting damaged you could also blutac a piece of tin foil over it temperately as cats hate tinfoil, it should put her off.

red-chilli

Taking your tips onboard and hoping that there is something that will help.

The scratching post is already by the wall that she is terrorising. It's been there since I re-decorated the room so that there would be no wallpaper scratching! It worked for Smokey :-)

I'm not sure the tinfoil would help as they love to chase after bits of tinfoil, though maybe stuck on the wall would give a different feel that Bandit would find horrible.

At the moment they are getting lots of attention as I'm currently off work with a broken arm, however most of the playtime they get is in the daytime so I will try to tire them out before bedtime and have some playtime then.

Smokey is brilliant, as soon as I say it's bedtime she runs upstairs and plonks herself down and goes to sleep, stays there all night too! Bandit never comes upstairs at that time and protests loudly if you pick her up to bring her so I leave her to her own devices, in fact I'm not sure she ever does sleep in the bedroom at night, maybe on a rare occasion so you could well be right in that she's bored and just wants to play!

I have kept the bedroom off limits today to both of the cats (Smokey's getting punsihed for something that's not her fault) and later on the scratch post is going to get a liberal dose of catnip to make it (hopefully) more attractive than the walls!

I have a big vertical scratching post thats a colourful fish that I was going to put by the windowsill but i got it out of the cupboard and seemingly bandit is terrified of it...not quite sure why, so that idea is out the window.

Anymore ideas then let me know!!!!

nottslass_2

Hi,have you tried double sided sellotape ? Stick a length of it on the wall where the cats scratch,ok i know its not ideal,but it does work,cats hate the feel of it on their paws.
Another idea, I don't know if i dare mention it,is erm,how do I put this, the water pistle,give poor little bandit a quick squirt everytime he goes to scratch the wall, he should get the idea soon enough ! (sorry bandit)

nealallen

That sticky tape does NOT work. I brought a load of it, and it's expensive, as soon as the cats know that it doesn't harm them, they are straigh back claws at the ready.

Don't waste your money, a water pistol is far better and effective.

twink

i have one cat that will scratch at the wall when he is needing out in the middle of the night, luckily i have magazines by the bed that i send flying in his direction but i usually have to let him out

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I had this problem with several cats over the years and the water pistol tip was the only thing that worked,and a plant spray that has a slight hiss when you spray works even better.

Tortieshell

Cats like to play and explore at night. I know I could never keep my two in at night so maybe let them out a little earlier and try to get them in before bedtime.

You can provide all the fun indoors but it's not the same for a cat, they need to run, chase and hunt and unfortunately they do this at nightime.

Carrera74

My cat does this too. We try and tire him out before our bedtime in the hope he'll leave us to sleep. As it's been wet he's been doing it more often as he won't go out when it's raining! Mine has started scratching on the wardrobe doors, no nails though He sits there and 'scratches' and then turns his head to wait for one of us to look up! If he's that way out and has no intention of sleeping he'll paw at us or bounce around the room. If that fails he starts in the kids rooms. Cats are great aren't they

I'd definately try tiring him out just before bedtime and take a water pistol to bed too!

red-chilli

Ok, yesterday I went and bought some spray that cats/dogs aren't supposed to like the smell of and deters scrtaching. Sprayed that over the walls (it stinks!) and then applied liberal amounts of catnip all over the scratching posts and cat toys. I even went out and bought new toys for Bandit (and Smokey too!.
I played with them a lot yesterday evening and before bedtime too.
I bought a plant sprayer (it was 49p and cheaper than a water pistol) and had that ready at the side of the bed!
Double sided sticky tap doesn't work...tried that a couple of years ago to stop them going on thr kitchen worktops!
I have to say my plan seemed to work, mainly because Bandit didn't come into the bedroom at all....seemingly the smell of the anti-scratch spray was so offensive to her! Didn't bother Smokey though who slept on the bed all night.
I also think there may be some inter cat bullying going on....Smokey always sits/sleeps in the best spots and Bandit may be feeling a bit pushed out so i'm going to give her lots more attention and see it that helps too!
thanks for all the tips!