Your cat can be scratching its post when you get home to:
- Say hello
- Get your attention so you will do something like open the door
- Communicate it wants attention, play, needs food, water, or change of litter
- Showing you the post is their territory
- You inadvertently trained your cat to do it
- It is stretching or grooming
Scratching is a natural behavior for domestic and wild species of cats. If your cat dashes to his post to scratch every time you get home, don’t be alarmed.
Scratching is healthy for cats, and if your cat scratches a cat scratching post, you can feel grateful he’s not tearing up the furniture instead.
Still, your cat could be trying to tell you something by this behavior, or you may want to explore the reasons for this scratching behavior just because cats are so interesting.
Here are details on eight reasons your cat might be scratching his post whenever you come in the door.
1. Your cat is greeting you by scratching
Cats are great communicators. Purring, rubbing, and meowing are the basics of their language. So is scratching. If your cat scratches as the first thing they do when you get home, it’s possible this behavior is a form of communication.
The message could be as simple as your cat saying, “Hello. Nice to see you again!”
2. Your cat wants to get your attention to show you something
Many cat owners report that their cat will scratch or meow to get their attention and then lead the person to something the cat apparently wants the owner to see.
I once had a cat meow at me until I followed it around the side of the house to a deceased mouse, which it then sat down and ate as if to show me how.
Other cat owners report their cat scratching or meowing and then leading them to an empty water bowl, food dish, or litter box in need of fresh litter.
So, if your cat scratches its post first thing when you get home and you don’t know what’s up, pay attention and see what they do next.
If your cat starts to walk somewhere, follow and see where they go. It may lead you to something they want you to see.
3. Your cat wants you to do something
My cat has a peculiar scratching habit it took me a long time to figure out.
Once in a while, first thing in the morning, she comes and sits near my face. Then she reaches out with one claw and gently runs it across my face, sometimes touching my lip. It doesn’t hurt, but it isn’t very pleasant while being simultaneously cute.
She only does this early in the morning, and not every morning. Eventually, I understood she wants me to open the door, so she can go outside at her favorite time of day.
So, your cat scratching his post may indicate they want you to do something, like open the door, brush them, or something else they like.
4. Your cat wants attention
Your cat may scratch his post when you get home simply because he wants you to notice him and pay attention to him.
Most cats enjoy socializing some of the time. Scratching can be a sign that your cat is warming up to cuddle or play with you.
5. Scratching as a way of stretching
Cats reach up or stretch out on the floor when they scratch, and this gives them a good stretch of their back, legs, and paws.
Your cat may be lounging around on the couch all day waiting for you to get home, and a good stretch and scratch feels great when he gets up as you walk in the door.
6. Scratching helps cats groom their claws
Scratching a post or other object is also a way for a cat to groom their claws. Claws develop an outer layer that gets cleaned off when the cat scratches.
Scratching also helps sharpen and trim cats’ claws. Your cat may have chosen your daily arrival home as his time for cleaning his claws.
7. Your cat is marking their territory
Cats also scratch to mark territory. Scent glands in their paws leave a smell cats can detect, and cats also like to create a visual mark to let others know what area they consider theirs.
Your cat scratching when you get home may be his way of saying, “Don’t forget! This is my post!”
8. You have trained your cat to scratch
You could have inadvertently caused your cat to scratch more than it really needs by operant conditioning, or learning. It works like this.
You come home, and your cat happens to scratch his post. You immediately go over and pet the cat, or, you go right away and put food in his bowl.
If this happens a couple of days in a row, your cat will learn to associate scratching his post with getting a reward.
It may start scratching as soon as you get home because they think it will lead to a reward. If it does some of the time, your cat may continue this behavior.
If they don’t get the reward every time but only sometimes, this can make the learning even stronger.
What do you do if you accidentally taught your cat to scratch his post every time you come home?
If you stop providing a reward, the behavior will most likely eventually stop. But it may take a long time. If you ever slip up and give the reward, it will take even longer.
Cats naturally need and like to scratch things, so don’t be alarmed if your cat accidentally learned to do more of it than normal. It’s not likely to be a problem, as long as he has a scratching post to use.
Sources:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/cats-destructive-scratching