Cat Peeling Paint Off Door

[PawprintsOnMyHeart]

My cat is always trying to get into the laundry closet. Yesterday, the first picture happened. Today I woke up to find the second picture. How can I stop this from getting any worse? They do it when I am sleeping so that I can’t stop them. It’s like they are literally peeling the paint off the door. I think they are both scratching at it and biting it to peel it. I live in an apartment and it feels like if they’re not tearing one thing up, they’re tearing something else up, so I’m on my last nerve.

 

[ArtNJ]

I've had cats scratch paint off walls. For me, the issue was related to scratching compliance generally, and getting them to consistently use scratching posts. Speaking about scratching generally since I don't really remember which cat(s) were wall scratchers, at various points in time with different cats, I've addressed these issues by trying different posts to find ones they like, training, nail cutting, nail caps, sacrificing a chicken and praying. Ok, maybe not the chicken, but everything else.

Of course, if they are just bored, or think they can open up those doors, those are different issues, and you may need the chicken after all. Or at least a different approach. But for me it was scratching related.

If you think this is a scratching compliance issue, let us know and folks will have a lot of tips. There is an article in the links above as well. If you think its boredom, folks will have suggestions for that as well. Let us know.

 

[PawprintsOnMyHeart]

A ArtNJ I have one cat who has a scratching compliance problem but I don’t suspect that he is the culprit (though I’m not sure.) I definitely feel you on the sacrifices and prayer, I’m pretty sure he’s possessed by an ancient demon and immune to anything I try though. They have 6 different posts all over the house, all different textures, sizes, height, etc. but my boy still prefers the couch. My younger cat is very good about only scratching her posts but she has some sort of fascination with the laundry closet. Whenever I open it she runs inside like there’s an amusement park in there. I’m trying to catch one of them in the act so I can know for sure, but my suspicion is that she originally was just trying to open the door (I have heard one of them trying to open it before by pulling on it with their paw and shaking the doors but I didn’t see who did it) but at this point it could be either one of them peeling the paint now that they know they can and know how to. So I believe this is boredom/fascination.

 

[Willowy]

You can put a thin sheet of plexiglass over doors and walls they scratch, held on with Command strips. Most hardware stores will custom-cut plexiglass.

 

[ArtNJ]

I have a tough time recommending stuff for boredom related destruction. I mean, other people on here recommend stuff, but my general feeling is that with some cats, trying to address boredom by playing more or providing a new toy is like trying to drain the ocean with a thimble. Being honest, I had paint free areas on my walls for years . . . so maybe I should just say I feel your pain rather than try to help. Hopefully someone else will offer some good tips.

Edit: The tip above to cover up the area is probably the right idea -- I'm a big believer in starving bad habits by denying the cat access to perform the habit.

 

[catsknowme]

A ArtNJ great observation with humorous comments! you really brightened up my morning.

PawprintsOnMyHeart I feel your pain! I have two cats who are insisting on clawing the doorjambs at the entrance to my mom's kitchen. My mom won't allow me to install scratchers nearby nor use the standard deterrents.
If the fascination with the laundryroom is recent or happens in the night, it might be some sort of nocturnal critter that is coming into the walls or is under the machines, possibly a critter that is slowly coming out of hibernation. Cats have such excellent senses of smell and hearing that it is so difficult to know for sure. My uncle had a little papillion dog who kept clawing open a bottom drawer in the kitchen so he installed baby locks; a little later, I came for a visit and when we got items out of that drawer, we encountered a small scorpion in the drawer! it had been living in there for months, apparently, and must have been coming out at night to hunt insects, which was perplexing because my uncle uses professional pest control and we saw no signs of bugs in the house except occasional flies and mosquitoes.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Lay down a rubber mat - maybe a bath mat - in front of the door with the pointy stubs laying upward, just in case they are the type of cats that don't like to walk on those surfaces. I would also cover the doors with a scratching mat - even a cheap floor runner rug that they can scratch on - and then perhaps use the same rug material to make a couple cat scratchers that you set nearby to see if you can entice them to use the cat scratchers.

You could also use cat deterrent spray in the laundry room to see if that helps stop them from being interested in trying to get in there.

But, as catsknowme suggested, I would be checking to see if there is a critter that can get in there that is attracting the cats to that room.

 

[cessena]

Have you tried double sided tape? They sell a wider kind at most pet supply stores that peels off easily. (It comes between 2"-4" wide and isn't as sticky) You may find you have to re apply it, but cats hate the sticky feeling. I have basically every door jam in my apartment covered with it because wood is what my cat likes to scratch. But generally she doesn't scratch an area once that's there. I've also used it on couches and other furniture when I was training my cats on the scratching posts.

I've also bought cardboard scratchers and any place she's going after the base boards a lot I put one of those down nearby so she can mark there. And that has helped a lot too.

 

[ArtNJ]

Have you tried double sided tape? They sell a wider kind at most pet supply stores that peels off easily. (It comes between 2"-4" wide and isn't as sticky) You may find you have to re apply it, but cats hate the sticky feeling.\

Not all of them, thats for sure. One of my current cats loves eating tape off of things, and doesn't mind if it sticks to his mouth a bit as he peels the tape off. Heck, maybe that is the appeal, don't understand why he likes doing it.

 

[danteshuman]

They sell these large vinyl couch stickers (peel & stick) on amazon. (Vinyl couch guards.) I would peel and stick s couple large ones to block their scratching. That said can you just leave those doors open?

 

[cessena]

One of my current cats loves eating tape off of things, and doesn't mind if it sticks to his mouth a bit as he peels the tape off.

That's funny! I've seen my girl do that a few times. But she still doesn't claw those areas, which is all I want.