How can I get my 9 month old cat to stop scraping the walls and windows?

Question

I have a 9/10 month old cat who has recently developed an annoying habit that is driving me crazy. He is constantly scraping the windows and walls and making that noise like fingernails on a chalkboard. Worse: He does it while I'm trying to sleep at night. He obviously knows it gets my attention, because he'll do it and look right at me...and then when say "no" or shoo him away from the wall or window...he will just run away and do it again. Squirting him with water doesn't work, because he will run away before I get a chance to squirt him and then he'll be right back at the wall/window. I've tried putting him outside my bedroom at night, but then he just scrapes the door and cries. I'm at my wit's end. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a month. He has plenty of scratching posts around the house, and honestly, he's not doing it to sharpen his nails, he's doing it because of the noise and to get my attention. Help??? Advice????

Answer 1

Your cat is bored. Let him be. Ignore him and he will realize that bothering you will not cure his boredom.

DO NOT GET YOUR CAT DECLAWED!

Answer 2

Inappropriate urination is a fairly common problem but has many causes. There are generally two reasons why a cat will urinate (or defecate for that matter) on your bed. Behavioural or medical. With this in mind, it is always important to take your cat for a physical check up at the veterinarian if it starts urinating outside the litter tray as there could be a medical reason for this. If your cat gets the all clear, then you will have to try & figure out why it has stopped using the litter tray. Some possible causes include; Litter tray is too dirty Placement of the litter tray is also important. Just as humans like privacy, so do cats. Placing the litter tray in a busy area may result in your cat's refusal to use the litter tray. Also, some cats will enjoy the privacy of a fully covered litter tray, while this may be too confining for other cats. Generally I prefer to have a combination of both trays to suit my cat's different preferences. Another thing to remember is that cats do not like to go to the toilet near where they eat. So make sure the litter box is placed far from your cat’s food and water. Doesn't like the brand/type of litter in the tray Stress is major cause of inappropriate urination in cats. Factors causing stress in cats can be moving house, the introduction of a new family member (pet or human), a neighbours cat roaming your garden etc. Helping your cat overcome these stresses may well result in the inappropriate urination stopping, however this isn't always the case. Sometimes the behavior can become so ingrained in the cat that even once the stress has been removed, the behavior continues. If this is the case it is a good idea to seek advice from your veterinarian as to how to re-train your cat. Some cat owners have had great success using Rescue Remedy on their cats, although this isn't advisable until you have spoken to your vet. Declawing sometimes leads to refusal to use a litter box. Often the cat's paws are tender & scratching around in cat litter ........................

Answer 3

Ok i will help you ....

I hope this helps, as I would not want this animal to cause anymore disturbance to you.

Ok, my idea is to buy a scratching post and everytime the cat tries to scratch the wall place him/her in front of it. This should eventually drag on and get into the little pests brain.

If this fails to work use treats if it uses the post praise it then give it a reward.

Do not give it attention in the night etc because it will find a way off overulling your authority!

The de-clawing is a bad idea, this would be uncalled for and very unatural this should only be used in extreme cases and the vet should inform you off this, theres no need to do this and pay money .. a little time and care and the cat will soon be under you control, also dont let the cat sleep with you as it will find other things to get its on way with


Good Luck

Answer 4

Their are some sprays you can buy at petsmart and most other pet stores that have a scent that cats do not like. You can buy some of that and try spraying it where your kitty likes to scratch. And also, try getting him a lot of toy mice and other entertaining toys so he is not bored at night. Cats are nocturnal, so it is normal for him to be up at night. The best thing you can do is to make sure he has things to do while your sleeping.

Good Luck,
Chihuahua~Chic

Answer 5

If you can't find anything that will occupy his attention, then check with your vet. They actually give a lot of animals that have habits like this "kitty prozac." It seems behaviors like this are often nervous habit (kind of like OCD), and the prozac helps. (It isn't necessarily real prozac, but some sort of anti-anxiety drug. Often though, they use the same drugs as humans.)

They also sell little covers for cat's nails that are like little rubber tips at places like Petco. They are usually for keeping your cat from clawing stuff, but they may muffle the scratching sound enough for you to sleep.

Answer 6

My cat does the same thing, and it is to get my attention. I have found one thing that works: I taped a piece of aluminum foil on the window, and leaned another in a corner that she liked to scrape. She avoids the foil as if it were a plague. Also keeps her from jumping on the counter...

Please don't declaw!

Answer 7

Ok well you really only have maybe two options.

1. You could get him declawed. This will definatly stop the scratching, but it will be more expensive.

2. Whenever he starts scratching go and take him to one of his scratching posts. Then he will start to learn that, that is where he is suppost to scratch and he is not suppost to scratch on the windows and walls.

*Hope this helped*

Answer 8

You can always get him declaws if he's an indoor cat. If you're not a declawing-supporter, try letting him sleep with you at night. That could be all he wants. Or you might want to look into getting another cat so he'll have a companion.

Answer 9

You might just have to have him declawed if the water doesnt work. Its not terribly expensive if you just have the front out, however this only works if he is an inside cat only. Or you could put him in a carrier or cage with food and water at night.

Answer 10

You shouldn't try to keep him from scratching completely, rather redirect his attention to things he is ALLOWED to scratch. This little toy has been insanely popular with my cat. It has a scratcher pad in the center and I usually sprinkly some cat nip on the top of it to attract him! :)

http://www.petsmart.com/media/ps/images/products/detail/standard/SpringCatalog05/53591_41379.jpg

only $11 at pet smart ;)
Good luck

Answer 11

Ignore him...my cat does the scratching at the door thing, and i just stay silent and dont make any sounds eventually he gives up......