It might be fun to watch a cat try to catch a laser dot, but your couch might end up paying a price. That's one of the takeaways of new research published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, reports NPR. Researchers assessed the behavior of more than 1,200 cats in France to try to better understand what makes them scratch furniture and found that stress, frustration, and overstimulation appear to be factors. And, for reasons that appear to dovetail with those three factors, cats living in homes with children appear to be more prone to the behavior, per Gizmodo.
"The presence of children in the home as well as high levels of play and nocturnal activity significantly contribute to increased scratching," says lead study author Salgirli Demirbas of Turkey's Ankara University, per a release at Phys.org. Whatever the reasons, the researchers suggest some remedies:
- Hiding spots: Make sure the cat has a number of safe spots to which it can escape, anything from a crate to various "nooks and crannies" around the house, per Gizmodo. In particular, high observation spots are recommended. (As are multiple scratching posts.)
- Staggered play: Instead of prolonged play periods, "establish multiple short play sessions that mimic successful hunting scenarios," per PhysOrg.
- Laser dots: Think of it from the cat's perspective, the researchers suggest. The cat chased and chased but ended up with nothing to show for it—"he felt like he's an unsuccessful hunter," as Demirbas puts it. That pent-up energy will get channeled somewhere, maybe the furniture.
- No squirting: Demirbas recommends positive reinforcement to nudge the cat toward better behavior, which is "much more effective than yelling at your cat, or trying to chase them away from the couch, or squirting them with water—all methods I do not recommend."
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