My cat scratches at the wall while using the litterbox-she also will paw at the couch in a digging motion

Question

She will sit on cushion of the couch almost like she is pretending to dig a hole-what does this behavior mean?

Answer 1

1. cats like to bury their poo.  they are innately clean creatures, and they always go poo in the same spot, so they like to keep their areas clean.

2. one of my cats pretends to dig holes too.  he does it when he is really playful.  i dont know what it means though.  you could ask on the about.cats.com forum, there are some real cat experts there who probably know the answer.

Answer 2

She/He may need a bigger litter box. If not then you may want to get a covered litt. box. Cat's also will do that out of instinct if they feel the need to go but are too lazy to do so. They will also do that if they just feel the need to groom their claw's.  

Answer 3

Using the litter box and doing that could just be a bizarre habit where she is trying to cover up the mess a little better. If she is sitting on a cushion doing that it is more likely she is kneading and this is a comfort habit. Some cats do this before drinking water and before laying down on something. It is not a bad thing and is the cat trying to be more comfortable, a habit that goes back to when they were kittens.

Answer 4

its just something they do.

on the couch she is probably trying to "make a bed"..and in the litter box..my cat scratches the wallas the floor..everywhere i dont know why..but i guess its calming..

Answer 5

1. 4 of my 5 inside/outside cats do this, and for a long time, I wracked my brain trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, thanks to some very close observation, I did.

Wild cats, as well as outdoor cats, bury their waste as a matter of course. Inside cats have this instinct as well, which is why they use a litter box. For many cats, however, the feel of litter against their paws is uncomfortable, as well as making them feel dirty. In an effort to clean their paws WITHOUT having to l**k the nasty-tasting litter off of them, they will scratch their paws against any available surface close to the box. My cats are almost obsessively clean, and will actually wash their paws under the kitchen tap after they use the litter box, and after they come in from out of doors. More than likely, your cat's behaviour just means that she really likes being clean, or she may not like the feel of the litter against her paws. Try a different litter brand, or get her one of those door mats that have little bumps on them, so she can wipe her paws off. Or you could always teach her to turn on and off the tap, like our boys do. [:

2. I have a kitten that does this. He is doing two things: sharpening/cleaning his claws, and playing. Is your couch material textured? If it is, your cat may be playing with the feel of the texture against her paws when she digs. If not, she may be 'revving up', so to speak, to get herself excited about playing. If she does it while you're sitting on the couch, like she's trying to dig a hole underneath you, she's trying to get your attention, so you'll play with her.  Many cats also dig when they make themselves a bed, instead of patting.

As for the claw-cleaning, it is fairly easy for a cat to discover that claws sunk into thick fabric come out cleaner, especially in the areas that are awkward to reach. The hard fabric of a couch also sharpens claws, and if a cat has very sensitive paws or claws, it is a better alternative than, say, a wooden or carpet-covered scratching post.  

Answer 6

cats attempt to bury their faeces- as a sort of submissve sign of acceptance that they are not the dominent force in the house- if they lived with other cats the most dominant would do the opposite of this and pile their poo up to demonstrate their dominance. When ure cat is scratching the wall etc, its sort of cleaning/ buring their c**p.

when ure cat pretends to dig on ure couch it could be whats called "paddling" kittens with their mother do this to stimulate their mothers teats and help get milk.

hope this helps x

Answer 7

Sometimes they get litter caught in their pads/claws and are scratching on the side of the litter box or wall trying to get it out.  As far as the couch goes, I agree with the other user that it's just a kneading action.  You might want to get her a toy where she can do that kneading action to it and then she'll leave the couch alone.