This post will show you a number of possible reasons why your cat scratches the bed and what you can do about it.
So, why does my cat scratch my bed? Possible reasons why your cat scratches your bed are that it likes the feeling, it is kneading, it is maintaining its claws, or that it is anxious.
Your cat might actually be doing it for a number of reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat scratches the bed
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely.
To sharpen its claws
Cats’ claws are growing all the time. The old parts of the claws become dull over time and are usually worn away when the cat scratches at hard surfaces. If your cat scratches the side of your bed, where it is hard, the reason why your cat scratches your bed and other hard surfaces is likely to be that it is maintaining its claws. In this case, it would help to give your cat a scratch post to use instead.
Anxiety
It could be the case that something has been causing it to feel anxious. This would be more likely if does it more when it might be feeling anxious such as when you are about to leave home. It would also be more likely if it also shows other signs of being anxious such as pacing or crying when you are leaving.
Kneading
Another possible cause is that your cat is actually kneading which is where it presses its paws into the bed and pats it with its paws and claws repeatedly. This would be more likely if your cat does it when it is on the soft part of the bed and if it shows signs of being happy when doing it such as by purring.
Things to consider about your cat scratching the bed
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.
If your cat has always scratched the bed
If your cat has not always scratched the bed, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. For example, if it started doing it when you started petting it on the bed, it would be more likely that it started doing it due to kneading.
If there is a certain time that your cat tends to scratch the bed
It would also help to consider if your cat does it more at a certain time since the timing might have something to do with it. For example, if your cat does it when you are petting it and it pats its paws up and down instead of scratching, it would be more likely that it is kneading.
What to do about your cat scratching the bed
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it a scratch post
One option would be to give your cat a scratch post so that it is less likely to scratch at the bed.
Give it distractions
Another option would be to give it things to be distracted by such as toys, when it seems likely to start scratching the bed.
Get it to stay in a different room
If your cat has been doing it excessively, another option would be to get your cat to stay in another room so that it is unable to scratch your bed.