Why Is My Cat Scratching the Floor? 3 Vet-Reviewed Reasons

Cats are known for their quirky behaviors, and one of them, unsurprisingly, is scratching. It's a natural behavior that cats exhibit to mark their territory and to maintain their claws. However, if you notice your cat scratching the floor, it may appear very quizzical. Let’s look at a few possible reasons why your cat is scratching the floor.

The 3 Likely Reasons Why Your Cat Is Scratching the Floor

1. Attempting to Cover a Scent

Sometimes, a cat may instinctively try to cover up a scent by immediately scratching the floor next to it, much like how they cover up their business after using a litter box. At other times, a cat might be using a litter box that is too small for them and may scratch the floor after they’re done using it (not knowing they aren’t covering it with litter).

2. Sharpening Their Claws

Another reason that cats may scratch the floor is to sharpen their claws. Cats use their claws for various activities like climbing, playing, and defending themselves. Scratching a floor is definitely not a common trend or choice among cats when it comes to selecting a surface, but it might be the case for some cats. Though many cats prefer scratching posts or pads, cats that find their textures too unagreeable (for whatever reason) may experiment on a floor.

For cats with no suitable scratching surface though, offering them an appropriate scratching surface usually leads to them leaving your floors alone. You can get a scratching post at your local pet store or online.

One of our preferred scratchers, the Hepper Hi-Lo Modern Cat Scratcher, is a surefire way to keep your kitty out of trouble (or at least away from scratching the things they should not!). It's not only stylish, but it's functional as well. It's made of sturdy cardboard with a durable plywood and metal frame and can be set up in three different ways – high, low, or lower. The different positions encourage maximum engagement, exercise and stretching, and of course, intense scratching (they can throw their whole body into it). 

Our recommendation

Hepper Hi-Lo Cardboard Cat Scratcher with Real Wood & Metal Frame

• Premium Materials - Hepper's cardboard scratcher is made with dense, B-flute cardboard, and a metal core. Encased in a 1/2" plywood frame with gloss coating. Stable and beautiful, use after use
• High, Low and Lower - A single cat scratch pad won't keep your cat engaged. 3 unique positions keeps them coming back, and back, and back again. Finally, something to get them away from the couch!
• Activates Muscles - The Hi Lo isn't just a cat nail file to stop the chief cat couch scratcher. The deep cat scratcher wave encourages maximum musculoskeletal activation for a healthier workout

Check Price on Amazon

With the Hepper Hi-Lo, your cat gets to have a blast scratching like a maniac, and you don't have to worry about them causing so much chaos or scratching your stuff. There are even replacement cardboard pieces available, so you really can let your cat go to town on this, and know that it will be long lasting. Click here to learn more about this awesome scratcher.

At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!

3. Your Cat Hears Another Animal

If there’s a space under your floorboards, your cat might sometimes pounce or scratch at the floor if they can hear a rodent under the flooring. Cats are able to hear the sound frequencies that rodents normally produce and communicate with (we humans can’t pick these sounds up). Therefore, it might be worth investigating your house for rodents if you notice your cat suddenly pouncing on and scratching the floor. They may also do this in response to other unwanted pests, such as a beehive or a critter that’s seeking shelter under your house.

The Importance of Scratching

One of the most interesting aspects of feline care is coming to terms with the fact that cats scratch. At times, they may scratch a surface that we want them to. At other times though, they may not be so accommodating and may take to scratching something that we don’t want them to.

To further complicate things, sometimes cats may be approving of a scratching post, until they decide that it’s so worn down that they want to sharpen their claws on something else. Worse yet, sometimes we think their scratching post is too worn down and try to “spruce things up” by offering them a new one or by “repairing” it and all of a sudden a cat may refuse to use the post.

What’s important to keep in mind is that our cats are not trying to make our lives miserable when they scratch. Instead, they are doing something that is completely natural to them and is expected of them. Cats love to scratch to mark their territory and to file down their claws.

Allowing your cat to scratch an appropriate surface is important because an overgrown claw can be very painful for a cat, because cats are digitigrade animals. A digitigrade animal is an animal that walks on their toes and the ball of their feet. This is also part of the reason why their claws are normally retracted; having to constantly walk (and catch prey!) on their claws would be a very difficult task.

Why You Shouldn’t Declaw Your Cat

Some people resort to declawing their cats to save their furniture from their wrath. However, declawing is something that most veterinarians strongly advise against and is generally regarded as unethical when it concerns animal welfare.

What About Nail Caps?

Nail caps are not without their fair share of controversy either. Though seen by many as a safer alternative to declawing, others still consider them unnatural for cats because they prevent cats from exhibiting behaviors that are completely natural to them (scratching, clawing, and any other action which involves their claws).

Opponents of nail caps do make the very valid point that the caps may stress a cat out, which may, in turn, lead to other health issues for the cat (including medical complications). Ultimately, the decision to use nail caps on your cat is something you should carefully consider and ideally discuss with your veterinarian first.

Wrapping Things Up

Cats are natural hunters and their claws play a huge role in their day to day activities. A cat scratching the floor isn’t entirely unheard of, and there may be several reasons as to why they exhibit this behavior.

Above all though, it’s important to keep in mind that your cat needs to scratch and as such, you shouldn’t attempt to put a stop to it by declawing them.

Featured Image Credit: mariesacha, Shutterstock