Whoever owns a cat might already be familiar with the well-known destroying ability of cats.
Different breeds might be into scratching furniture more than others, but if you own a Bengal cat (or you are about to get one), you’ll have to get ready for some mess.
Bengal cats are indeed not only gorgeous. They also are lovely, adorable, playful, and energetic: in summary, they are perfect for families with kids or active people.
All this sounds very good, but do Bengal cats scratch furniture? Unfortunately, the quick answer is yes, as they do have a habit of scratching furniture. Despite being highly intelligent cats (or maybe because of this), this breed tends to destroy furniture in households. Mostly, they’d do that to catch the attention of the owner, and it can be a more or less common behavior depending on your kitty’s personality. If your cat is scratching everything and making a mess of your house, don’t panic! Finding the cause of such a behavior will help you come to terms with your cat and possibly find a solution.
To aid you in the process, we put together some information you can use to deal with your Bengal cat’s scratching.
Why Do Bengal Cats Scratch Furniture?
Before going deeper into the reasons that cause Bengal cats to scratch furniture, it might be helpful to get familiar with this breed. As you might know already, the Bengal cat is a crossbreed of the wild Asian Leopard cat and a domestic cat. The idea was to create an exotic-looking domesticated cat. The combination resulted in an attractive breed of excellent hunters that are agile, muscular, but also very smart.
Indeed, these cats are so intelligent that they developed a way to communicate with their owners through scratching. You might notice them ruining your favorite chair or your carpet because they need some water or food.
Also, it is very usual for Bengal cats to scratch things to mark their territory. Thanks to the scent glands in their paws, every time they scratch something, they leave a sign of their presence around the house, which makes them feel safe.
These cats are active and dynamic, but they tend to get bored quite quickly. Scratching is a popular activity Bengal cats perform when they have nothing else to do. It helps them stretch and flex their feet and body.
In other words, scratching for Bengal cats is normal behavior. But there can be several reasons that can cause such behavior in your cat. If you manage to learn to recognize them, you’ll be able to get to know what to do to limit scratching.
How To Stop Your Bengal Cat From Scratching
Sadly it is not easy to discourage scratching completely in your Bengal cats. What you can do is limit the extent of the consequences this behavior can have in your house.
Invest in a scratch post and board. Check out our guide here to the best scratching posts for Bengal cats – you’l lbe glad you invested in one!
Prefer high and sturdy posts for your cat, to allow them to stretch comfortably. Place the scratchboard strategically somewhere your cat use to scratch a lot to encourage its use. Make sure you reinforce any good behavior by running them when they scratch the post instead of your furniture!
Another option you might also wan to look at is anti-scratch tape for your furniture. You apply this to the furniture you want to protect, and it should reduce the chances of your Bengal damaging your precious furniture. Check out our reviews of the best anti-scratch tape for Bengal cats here.
You’ve also got the option of anti-scratch spray for Bengal cats, but we’ve generally found this less effective than the tape!
You may also want to read our guide on whether or not a Bengal cat will destroy your house!
