By: Claire Li

Their fluffy fur and adorable nature are what most likely enticed 26 percent of United States households to own cats as of 2022. Even though cats are cute, they can be quite costly. In addition to vet visits, cat toys, beds, food, and even trips to the salon, cats also can scratch expensive furniture. Scratching furniture is a completely normal habit for cats, but oftentimes it can leave owners with costly damage.

Luckily, on June 16, 2022, a study was released that could potentially save hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage for cat owners. A team of researchers joined together in France and investigated what makes cats scratch furniture more. The team studied up to 1,211 cats to see different perspectives and what behaviors make cats scratch furniture more. According to their findings, they found that cats’ stress and aggressiveness levels are what make cats scratch furniture. The higher the stress and aggressiveness, the more likely and often cats are to scratch furniture.

“One noteworthy finding is the influence of the presence of a child at home on the high level of scratching behavior,” the researchers wrote.

Another interesting detail was that children, especially smaller children, can contribute largely to a cat’s stress levels, mainly because of the energy of children. When cats play too much, it can also lead to stress because of overstimulation from playing.

So, owners can keep their children calmer to help prevent cat scratching and double-check that the cat will not get stressed from the place they play in. Cat owners can also make sure their cats have plenty of hiding spaces and ensure that owners and other people don’t play with their cats for too long to give them rest.

Image Credit by Anya Juárez Tenorio