In many cases, what humans experience as “nuisance” behavior is a necessity for their cats. Scratching on things like end tables and sofas is a good example. But for cats, scratching is not a luxury (or a pathology). Repeat after me: scratching is not a luxury for cats. It’s how they stretch their back and chest muscles, how they exercise and de-stress, and how they shed loose nail sheaths. But scratching serves two even more important and Mojo-rific functions for your cat: Scratch marks are proof of ownership. Scratching allows cats to mingle their scent with ours (and one another’s).
