How can I redirect attention of my kitten to scratch boards

Question

My kitten of 4 months old just started scratching at the wallpaper. So I thought I buy some extra scratching things which she can destroy if she wants. But it doesn't help. I place them all around the room (as well as a scratching post and scratching tree thing) so she has a lot of choice.

I don't think she is really bored either. She has a lot of toys to play with. We actually play fetch with some toymouse which I throw around the room, she then chases it and parades it in her mouth until she brings it back and drops it in front of me waiting for me to throw it again. She has easy access to some windows to look out of.

She is also pretty affectionate, we cuddle, she likes being around me, she chases me to every corner of the house if I move around. She only goes outside when I come along with her even though she is allowed to go explore on her own.

The only thing is that she scratches the wallpaper, sometimes just next to the approved scratching places.

Is there anything I can do to make those places more attractive to scratch at?

Answer 1

Scratching is a natural territorial behavior. Cats may scratch more if they're bored, but it's something they'll do anyways as part of the normal routine. Cats have different preferences for scratching material, scratching position, and location.

If there is a specific spot the cat is scratching, physically block it with a scratcher, so it has no choice but to scratch the scratcher. In the case of scratching the walls, there are actually wall-mounted scratchers you can buy.

Also experiment with various scratchers and see if you can work out what scratching material and position your cat prefers and see if you can replicate that as closely as possible. In the case of scratching the walls, it may be that your cat prefers harder surfaces, rather than the more carpet-like types, and therefore I would try out scratchers made with sisal or cardboard. Scratching at the walls also seems to indicate your cat might prefer a more vertical position while scratching.

You can also try to make areas that you don't want the cat scratching less appealing for scratching. Those areas that it particularly likes scratching, you might try applying double sided tape, or covering it with aluminum foil. Cats tend to dislike these textures and therefore may be dissuaded from scratching.