Cat scratching and pulling off wall paint

Babypaws

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Need help and suggestions on how to stop a cat from scratching the paint off wall. I have a 3 year old cat who has started scratching the wall and then pulling off the paint. I think its due to anxiety. She started doing this a couple of months ago. I’ve tried block the section with pillows (it’s the wall next to the bed. Nothing new has changed in house hold. No new cats, although I do have a lot of indoor cats (12). This cat usually stays upstairs and will come down when she hears my voice but only stays for a little while. I do know she gets jealous of another cat. I try to give her attention but I don’t know how to stop her ruining the wall and how to protect the wall from further damage. There’s no way I can move furniture around and even if I coul
 

FeebysOwner

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What is on the other side of that wall? Another room, or an outside wall? Because her focus is on a specific area of just one wall, I would make my first guess that there is either something in the wall or on the other side of the wall that she can hear, sense, smell. If it is an outside wall, you might want to check for signs of some sort of activity, etc. in that area. If it is a wall to another room of yours, you might check that area out as well. See if you can quietly watch her scratch while you listen for noises. Also, try to get as close to the wall area as you can and see if you can smell anything. Do the same on the other side of the wall as well. And look upward toward the ceiling to see if you can detect a spiderweb or something of that sort.

If you are in an apartment/condo, and that wall divides your place from another person's, it is highly likely something new is going in their space.

Another thing to check out is your cat's paws to see if something might be amiss with a claw or paw pad - cats will sometimes scratch at things when a paw or claw is bothering them.

If none of the above reveals an issue, you could get a piece of plywood and simply place it over that area of the wall and see what happens.
 
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ArtNJ

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While I've seen cats scratch paint generally, when they start focusing in on one area, my belief is because there is a small chip they can work on. At that point, its just a game. No other explanations needed, its just something cats do, and if you dont stop it, you'll have an actual hole in your wall before you know it.

I don't think there is any way to stop it other than blocking access. Unless maybe you know how to do a perfect repair -- putty, sand it smooth, not easy, the cat will find any flaw to work on -- that denies the cat a spot to work on. In practical terms, you want to find a way to deny access.

I get that you cant put any furniture there, but it doesn't need to be anything crazy or hard. Get some mounting putty and put a picture/posterboard there. Or a big mirror. Maybe its a stupid spot for something like that, but its not forever. The cat will forget about the spot. Worst case, if you get someone skilled to repaint the room down the road, that will solve it as well.
 
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Babypaws

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What is on the other side of that wall? Another room, or an outside wall? Because her focus is on a specific area of just one wall, I would make my first guess that there is either something in the wall or on the other side of the wall that she can hear, sense, smell. If it is an outside wall, you might want to check for signs of some sort of activity, etc. in that area. If it is a wall to another room of yours, you might check that area out as well. See if you can quietly watch her scratch while you listen for noises. Also, try to get as close to the wall area as you can and see if you can smell anything. Do the same on the other side of the wall as well. And look upward toward the ceiling to see if you can detect a spiderweb or something of that sort.

If you are in an apartment/condo, and that wall divides your place from another person's, it is highly likely something new is going in their space.

Another thing to check out is your cat's paws to see if something might be amiss with a claw or paw pad - cats will sometimes scratch at things when a paw or claw is bothering them.

If none of the above reveals an issue, you could get a piece of plywood and simply place it over that area of the wall and see what happens.
I have noticed there are two cats who sit on the bed and look at that wall as if they see something, very weird.. I’ve looked very careful and have listened but don’t see or hear anything. I know cats eye site is very good and their hearing is very good. The wall is between 2 rooms…I’ve noticed when they’re in the other room I’ve see them a few times looking up at that side of the wall but never gave it a second thought until I read your post. I’ll keep checking but need something to stop the scratching….it’s a pretty good size of an area she’s ripped…
 

arr

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I’ve had success applying double sided tape to the area they were fixating on, and then setting a scratching post as near as possible to that spot. Also, having a lot of appropriate scratching opportunities all over the house, cardboard and sisal scratchers, if you don’t already.
 
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Babypaws

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I have cardboard boxes around, i do have a scratching posts all over the house. Right now I have a plastic container cover over the spot she’s been tearing and have something learning against it. I sprayed the area with a scented spray to try and keep her away from it. This morning she was still sitting on the bed and looking at the wall as if there was something there…..there’s nothing there and I don’t hear anything. I have another cat who will sometimes sit and look at the wall too but he’s not the one rearing at it. The two-sided tape sounds good but that’s going to pull off the paint too.
thank you for your response
 

FeebysOwner

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This morning she was still sitting on the bed and looking at the wall as if there was something there…..there’s nothing there and I don’t hear anything. I have another cat who will sometimes sit and look at the wall too but he’s not the one rearing at it.
While I understand that you have to use the tactics you mentioned to try to stop this behavior, trust me, there IS something there. Hopefully, whatever it is goes away and between that and your blocking measures the problem will be resolved soon!
 
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Babypaws

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creepy if there is something there, hope you’re wrong…lol.Several years ago there was a mouse that got in between the walls but I could hear him… set a trap and he was gone…
thanks..
 
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