Outdoor cats will usually scratch trees and fences and prefer to use that kind of rough texture.
Why do cats scratch on the carpet.
Outside if they scratch visible marks on trees or the outsides of doors they re writing that warning down.
Although your cat will scratch your carpet on a regular basis carpet is not actually a scratching substance that they prefer to use.
Most often the cat is claiming territory.
Why do cats scratch in the first place.
Cats scratch surfaces such as carpet to sharpen their claws to stretch and to leave scent marks.
Reasons for the behavior include.
Cats love to scratch at the carpet.
As we mentioned in the first section of this article cats scratch as part of their natural instinctive behavior.
Scratching is an everyday activity for most cats.
Scratching is an important part of a cat s health and wellbeing.
Cats scratch by digging their front claws into a horizontal or vertical surface then pulling their feet down or back.
Relieving stress and tension.
But carpet isn t a preferred scratching substrate for cats because the loops can catch their claws and pull on their toes.
Cats scratch because it is ingrained behavior.
Think of it as a manicure.
Why cats scratch carpet upholstery and other surfaces.
While this often damages the item being scratched it provides a benefit to the cat.
So why is your cat scratching your carpet.
My cat scratches stair carpet.
Cats have scent glands in their paws and by scratching at a place where other cats might try to trespass they are depositing their own smells as warnings.