Wall Scratching

I've noticed lately that everytime Harley is done using his litter box - he will turn around and scratch the heck out of my walls! Is there anything I can do to make him stop this behaviour? I've been abel to stop him a few times by telling him NO - but I'm sure he goes to town with it while Im @ work! He has a scratching post that he uses too!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated

Rosie does it as well mackenzie, but only after she's had a poop not a wee?!.

Their litterboxes are in the guestroom which is their room so i'm not bothered about the wall because no one sees it.

What about putting a bit clear perspex up against the wall. If you lived over here i'd be able to get you some from work no problem!

From all I've read/heard it's a BAD idea to discourage this habit.... it's part of your kitty trying to cover his droppings and discouraging it may create litter box habit problems.... Oliver used to do this ALLLLL the time and when he was living with my parents and before I had a covered box, he got some good gashes in my wallpaper... what I did then was grab a carpet remnant from the basement and kinda just stood it up in the corner around the box and he could scratch on that.... now I have a covered box for him (all this scratching and digging was making the cat room into one giant litter box with how he was flinging the litter!).... so when he's done pooing, he covers and digs and then scratches on the inside walls of the box, so no more wall damage..... I only notice that he does this after pooing too - kinda interesting, he covers his pees but doesnt do the wall scratching after....

Hmmm....maybe I'll get some carpet and put it up behind his litter box so he can stratch there - the only thing that worries me is that we live in an apartment

Originally Posted by babyharley

Hmmm....maybe I'll get some carpet and put it up behind his litter box so he can stratch there - the only thing that worries me is that we live in an apartment

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As do we, so that's another reason I went with the covered box... Oliver also started wearing soft paws after the wallpaper situation, so that's another option.... you should be able to tack up the carpet with relatively small nails if you need so it shouldnt destroy your walls too much (at least not as much as the scratching would)... good luck

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

As do we, so that's another reason I went with the covered box... Oliver also started wearing soft paws after the wallpaper situation, so that's another option.... you should be able to tack up the carpet with relatively small nails if you need so it shouldnt destroy your walls too much (at least not as much as the scratching would)... good luck

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I've always wondered about soft paws - maybe I will look into those as well?
I don't want to discourage any behavior of his - he's such a great cat - this is just the only problem that we have!

I have that problem but not afta they poo, my boyfriend and i made a giant cat post and they use it but just lately theyve been using the corner wall and have totally ruined it! Time for redecoration but theres no point if they will do the same. x

Originally Posted by BuzbyJLC10

As do we, so that's another reason I went with the covered box... Oliver also started wearing soft paws after the wallpaper situation, so that's another option.... you should be able to tack up the carpet with relatively small nails if you need so it shouldnt destroy your walls too much (at least not as much as the scratching would)... good luck

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May I make a suggestion that might work for Harley a little better? Instead of carpeting which could catch on his claws when he is simulating covering his poo, tack up a small piece of smooth linoleum, which will give him the sensation that he is getting somewhere with his digging. My cats' box is between a washer and dryer. So they just scratch at the smooth surface of the machines, and this seems to satisfy them. Just a suggestion

Originally Posted by sbw999

May I make a suggestion that might work for Harley a little better? Instead of carpeting which could catch on his claws when he is simulating covering his poo, tack up a small piece of smooth linoleum, which will give him the sensation that he is getting somewhere with his digging. My cats' box is between a washer and dryer. So they just scratch at the smooth surface of the machines, and this seems to satisfy them. Just a suggestion

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Thats a really good idea too - why do they scratch on walls, ect after they are done in their litter box?

Originally Posted by babyharley

Thats a really good idea too - why do they scratch on walls, ect after they are done in their litter box?

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I believe as someone said in this thread, that they are continuing to "dig" and cover their poo. They will scratch whatever surface is closest to their box. There is also another time they use that digging instinct to no avail, and that is with food that they havent finished. They will try to "cover" it, by scratching on the floor next to the bowl etc. It is all just instinct, and I find it quite cute in its silliness, though I sympathize with you, since sweet Harley is ruining your wall. Good luck

My boys do it too! Sometimes they don't even bother to actually cover their poop, they just scratch scratch scratch at the sides of their litterbox. Both of their boxes are covered, so that keeps any damage they might do to nothing.

My Scarlett does that also. We tried a covered box and she would simply climb out and scratch the floor. We switched to a deep rubbermaid bin thinking she would scratch the walls of the bin but she simply stands on the edge and scratches the wall.

Just curious. My Scarlett is the house "snitch". She always finds the hairballs and other excretions that are not in their place around the house - she stands over them and scratches to bury them. I hear her scratch and get the cleaning goods. Does yours do this also? I chaulk it up to her being meticulous.

Chay and Billy will do this when one or the other has tracked a little bit of poop out of the litter box or something. Its like "Here's a smelly Meowmy, clean it up!"

HA! not Oliver! If he pukes up a hairball (when it's not directly on me when I'm sleeping) he leaves it for mommy to find by stepping in it cuz the color of her carpet is very close to the color of puked up hairballs (gotta love older apartments...).... it'd be nice if he let me know!

...good to know we're not the only ones who have a cat who does that.

Freddy would rip down the wall if he had the physical ability, I swear!
He's also a tuxedo cat...go figure.
We try to verbally correct him when we catch it but he won't stop. Carpet on the wall is a fantastic idea, we never thought of that and will give it a shot.
Thank you for posting.
We just wanted you to know Harley is not alone and we're not upset about the wall scratching over here because Freddy was in bad shape when he was rescued. We're glad he has the strength to behave in that manner and he seems to put so much effort into it.
When we catch him and say something, he looks at us like we have no clue (maybe even rolls his eyes) and struts off...does Harley do that to you?

**keep some drywall putty and sand paper handy for simple repairs, since you're renting.

Ours does it too, and it has nothing to do with pooping, since the only wall she likes to do is in the kitchen sliding door. The litter box is out on the covered/screened in patio when she is sleeping outside. Gotta re=paint and re-stucco that wall.

One of my kitties regularly scratches the floor after using the box...I just make fun of him and tell him he's a goofball.