Does Your Cat Do This Too? Scientists Discover Why
Damaged furniture is a telltale sign in the homes of many cat owners. But perhaps that can change. There is even scientific evidence to support this.
Cats have their big fans and equally big enemies. But both can be bothered by scratched pillows, carpets or couches. What makes the four-legged creatures do such things? This was tested by an international team of scientists who have just published the results of their research in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. What did they discover?
It’s all because of stress
The first step in the study was a survey conducted among more than 1,200 French residents who also own cats. It asked about their daily lives with these animals, as well as characteristic features and undesirable behaviors related to scratching. What could be influencing the increase in such situations?
According to the research results, it is certainly a matter of the presence of children in the house, but also greater general activity for play, also at night. The character of the quadrupeds is also important – the more aggressive or intrusive ones usually had a higher level of scratching.
Based on this, researchers have concluded that the main cause of these animals destroying our furniture is stress. According to the team of scientists dealing with this issue, even play, if present in large quantities, can increase this factor. And although some of the causes of this behavior are difficult or even impossible to eliminate, such as in the case of changing the cat’s personality, some things can be done better.
Among such actions is, for example, better placement of scratching posts, which will be located in places where the quadruped often wanders or near its resting place. The use of pheromones and safe observation places located at high altitudes are also important.
