Why do cats scratch?

Scratching as a defence

The claws, a cat’s most important ‘tools’, so to say.

Without effectively functioning claws, cats cannot catch their prey. They need claws to catch and hold onto the prey, as well as for climbing and jumping. A cat with blunt claws would be unable to defend itself, and in battles for territory would have no chance against other members of the species. Cats are loners, and are always concerned to protect their territory. Their patch is important, because it is the source of their food. This is why cats will defend their own patch – if need be, with all the physical resources at their disposal! Failing to hold your own and losing the fight will mean having to go in search of a new territory.

Tom cats who have not been castrated are more aggressive in this respect than castrated toms or female cats. There’s a lot of show involved here – rather like in wrestling – the aim, basically, is to intimidate or impress the opponent, without seriously injuring him. When a new cat intrudes on the territory, or tom kittens turn into cats, it often leads to serious confrontations which are designed to establish the pecking order. Once this has been settled, there is usually no need to go on fighting.



Scratching as a game

Play is fun, and it is important for cats. It is a way of exercising physically and acquiring social skills; cats learn the movement repertoire that they need in order to be successful hunters; and they are also taught manners – in learning that signals have to be unmistakable, to be understood by other members of the species. The exaggeration involved in playing sends a clear signal to any cat: ‘Hey, it’s a game – got it?’ – and will be understood by the other cat as such.

But why do cats sometimes get carried away so that they go too far? Young cats in particular are sometimes so out of control that they scratch and bite: in the heat of battle they will latch onto something with their front paws and scratch it liberally.

When they are dealing with other feline friends, this is all perfectly OK – they can get the measure of what is going on, and launch a counterattack if appropriate – but humans are generally less charmed by this kind of approach and may even see it as an act of hostility.

Scratching out of boredom