Do Siberian Cats Scratch Furniture? (Most Useful Research)


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All breeds of beautiful felines are appreciated for the priceless memories they gift their humans. But, this commonly comes with unwanted damage to caregivers’ property. So, do Siberian cats scratch furniture?

Yes, Siberian cats can scratch furniture.  Siberian cats may scratch furniture if they are not trained from a young age, do not have scratching posts nearby, or are bored or anxious. This breed is active and playful, and identifying the cause of scratching is vital for finding suitable solutions. 

While dealing with destruction in the home is undoubtedly tiresome for any cat owner, it’s vital to understand that scratching is a natural and necessary part of feline well-being, as it promotes health in various ways. 

Cat Product Note:  I will talk about and recommend some cat products in this article, which will hopefully provide your cat with a more enriching life.  These are Amazon affiliate links, so I receive a commission from Amazon, with no added cost to you.  These are my honest recommendations, so if you are interested in checking them out, please click below!

  • This cat stroller on Amazon I recommend for the Siberian Cat since it can go pretty much anywhere you need to and is quite large (Affiliate Link):  Click Here.
  • This is the cat backpack on Amazon I recommend for the Siberian Cat since it has excellent airflow and is big (Affiliate Link): Click Here.
  • The cat condo/cat tree on Amazon that I recommend for Siberian Cats – I own this for my cat, and she loves it! (Affiliate Link):  Click Here
  • The cat bed on Amazon that I recommend for Siberian cats – It has a place for the cat to sleep inside it and on top of it (Affiliate Link) – Click Here.

Stick around to find out why a Siberian cat may scratch furniture, and how to go about establishing a constructive environment for you and your adorable companion.

Do Siberian Cats Scratch Furniture? Are They Destructive?

Video: Siberian Cats Play on Furniture

The Siberian cat is not known to be destructive but may scratch furniture for various reasons, of which the most common is primary claw care.

Is This Breed of Cat Known to Scratch Furniture? 

This breed may scratch furniture if they feel the material is suitable. It’s essential to be attentive to identify reasons as to why they may be scratching certain surfaces.

Allowing your cat on furniture in the first place is a decision cat owners need to make for themselves.  We talk more about this in our article:  Click Here.

How Do I Stop My Cat from Scratching the Couch?

Video: Veterinarian talks about preventing scratches

It’s not recommended to physically stop the cat from scratching or conduct strict punishments, as this may inhibit a natural activity that is healthy for cats and cause anxiety. 

Passive approaches may be constructive for discouraging your cat to scratch the couch, and the couch can be rigged to make it unpleasant for scratching.

This can be done through the special tape, non-toxic sprays or odor repellents, alarms, and by casing the area with unfavorable materials.

In order to get your Siberian cat to stop scratching the furniture, a suitable scratching post and training must be present in unification with any of these approaches.

We talk more about if cats will scratch faux leather furniture, particularly in our article on the subject:  Click Here.

Why Do Cats Scratch Walls?

There are several reasons why cats scratch certain materials, and it’s a healthy aspect of care, as scratching shortens, sharpens, and conditions the claws.

The act of scratching walls, in particular, allows for more significant extension of the mid-section and limbs due to an increased height, resulting in a full-body stretch. Cats may scratch out of anxiety, boredom, to mark territory, or to establish dominance.

Why Do Scratching Posts Work?

Scratching posts allow felines to condition their claws, and provide freedom of scratching for situations that cause the urge.

Scratch posts promote full-body stretching as they are tall, yet sturdy. Some scratching posts have stiff woven material for resilience, and some are fitted loosely with woven fabrics that enable visible gashes.

Some felines enjoy satisfying the tactile sense, while others pursue a visual representation of their scratching. Scratching posts should be methodically positioned to be most effective, and many cats favor posts that have corners for scratching multiple sides simultaneously.

Spraying pheromones (or catnip spray – which is my recommendation) on the scratching post will attract your cat to the area.

My opinion is that scratching posts are fantastic.  I have found that my cat uses scratching posts with sisal fiber (which are also conveniently the type found on most cat condos / cat trees) and that she doesn’t really care for scratching posts made out of other materials.  I’ll include some photos to show you what I am talking about.

This is the type of scratch post I recommend. Notice that it has the sisal fibers wrapped around it. These are commonly on cat condos / cat trees.
This is the type of scratch post that I do not recommend. My cat does not spend any time with it.

Cat Condos / Cat Trees are fantastic and not just because of the scratching posts.  To learn more about if cats like cat condos:  Click Here.

Siberian Cat Behavior Issues

The Siberian cat is sociable and passive, with a relatively high activity level and an incredibly playful personality. They are tender, devoted, and observant of their loved ones, and commonly behave in a far gentler manner around children.

Jumping on Furniture

This breed is definitely prone to jumping onto furniture, as they enjoy being at great heights in the home, such as being perched on cabinets and bookcases to observe the environment. 

Additionally, they commonly learn how to open and close cabinet doors, including bi-fold sliding closet doors.

Jumping on Counters

The Siberian cat loves to jump on counters, and may commonly jump and climb onto counters to reach even higher points within the home, such as high shelves and even door tops. 

This is usually to gain a tremendous observational point as opposed to engaging in mischief. However, they may climb onto kitchen counters to gain access to faucets, as they often enjoy playing with water.

Scratching

The Siberian cat is not territorial and is hugely receptive to guests, thus they are less likely to scratch out of anxiety or dominance. The common cause is basic claw care and natural urges, and training from a young age is beneficial.

Are Siberian Cats Aggressive? Do Siberian Cats Bite?

This breed is not aggressive and gets along well with people, children, and other pets. Cats commonly nibble gently on owners’ extremities during cuddling and playtime, mainly when cats are still young and discovering boundaries.

While cats can scratch caregivers during playtime or while kneading, it is mostly unintentional, or due to their claws not being conditioned. However, cats can scratch their owners to indicate a dispute, but this is generally limited to communicating the issue instead of causing harm.

The Siberian cat is quite playful and sociable as they get along with most people including strangers, but may attack other animals or humans if they feel threatened, or are provoked.

However, suppose your cat is biting or scratching you or others within the home aggressively without an apparent cause. In that case, this is not considered normal and may necessitate professional assistance to identify and resolve the underlying issue.

Can Siberian Cats Be Left Alone?

Video: Siberian Cats Left Alone! What will they do?

The Siberian cat generally does fine when left alone, unless there are specific causes as to why they may be nervous or fearful on their own.

This breed is quite independent but will long for the arrival of their owner. Investing in toys and activities may assist in keeping them distracted while owners are away, and having other pets in the home for your Siberian cat to play with will be beneficial.

If you do adopt another cat, I recommend a Domestic Shorthair cat like my cat, Charlotte.  There are usually plenty of Domestic Shorthair cats ready for adoption and they make sweet pets.

We discuss what happens when you leave cats alone and miss their owners in our article:  Click Here.

How to Make a Siberian Cat Happy?

This breed appreciates all forms of loving homes, and its playful energetic nature makes the Siberian cat great with people, pets, and children, regardless of personality. They enjoy having audiences for their comical tendencies, are loving, loyal, and adapt well to the environment.

What Can We Do to Make This Cat Breed Happy?

The Siberian cat will benefit from interactive play, affection, and physical activity. Toys and activities will increase the quality of life. Freedom of exercise should be provided by caregivers since this breed s energetic, coupled with training and learning tricks to stimulate their intelligence.

Affection with your Siberian Cat

While the Siberian cat isn’t clingy, they are lap cats and enjoy stretching out next to caregivers. They are also fun-loving and appreciate other forms of affection, such as interactive play through games or activities, and conversation since this breed is quite chatty.

Places to Rest and Hide

This breed loves cozy areas, and it’s imperative to ensure that the Siberian cat has a comfortable place to rest and lounge.

Cat Condos / Cat Trees: These provide ample space for cats to lounge, snooze, and roam. Many cat condos or trees come with built-in scratching posts and dangling toys like knotted ropes for entertainment.

  • The cat condo/cat tree on Amazon that I recommend for Siberian Cats – I own this for my cat, and she loves it! (Affiliate Link):  Click Here

Cat Beds: Cat beds provide cats with their special plush place to sleep in. They are designed to suit the copious sprawling positions and unique physique of cats for optimal comfort. They are created with fabrics that are more impervious to scratching, which allows them to knead at will without causing harm to their beds.

  • The cat bed on Amazon that I recommend for Siberian cats – It has a place for the cat to sleep inside it and on top of it (Affiliate Link) – Click Here.

Taking a Siberian Cat Outside

There is an abundance of advantages for taking this breed outside, as they will benefit from physical exercise and outdoor exposure. Also, scratching prospects can be found outside, including healthy trees and stumps which are popular scratching options for outdoor cats.

The Siberian cat is quite energetic with a high level of physical activity and will need the freedom to exercise.

Taking them outside acts as entertainment for your feline friend, and they will appreciate spending time with their loved ones. This also contributes to resolving intangible causes for excessive scratching, such as the supposed lack of attention from caregivers or boredom.

Cat Harness and Leashes: Cat harnesses and leashes are beneficial in terms of permitting physical activity, quality exercise, exploration, as well as overall freedom of movement.

This will allow your cat to engage with the outside world within the boundaries dictated by caregivers, and ensure that your Siberian cat gets the amount of physical activity that it demands.

We talk more about if cat harnesses are cruel in our article:  Click Here.

Cat Backpacks: Cat backpacks offer the opportunity for witnessing outdoor life without engaging in physical activity or being exposed to exterior conditions.

While the Siberian cat may appreciate merely being a part of their human’s daily adventures and enjoy the ability to lounge while outdoors, they may not enjoy being confined.

  • This is the cat backpack on Amazon I recommend for the Siberian Cat since it has excellent airflow and is really big (Affiliate Link): Click Here.

Cat Strollers: Cat strollers permit cats to experience the outside world without engaging in physical activity. This would reward your cat with more freedom and entertainment, as they are not entirely cooped up.

The Siberian cat may appreciate having some more flexibility to observe the environment due to its curious nature with increased freedom of movement.

  • This cat stroller on Amazon I recommend for the Siberian Cat since it can go pretty much anywhere you need to and is quite large (Affiliate Link):  Click Here.

Conclusion

Video: Siberian Cat Kitten Cam!

The Siberian cat is tame and gentle but is incredibly energetic and playful, and they are prone to jumping and climbing. For this breed, scratching will commonly come down to primal instinct, as well as routine claw care.

It’s crucial to ensure that your feline has appropriate amenities to scratch at will within boundaries, and training from a young age will be most beneficial for providing non-destructive behavior throughout the course of its life. 

If you enjoyed this article, check out a couple of other interesting articles, such as:

  • Can Siberian Cats Go Outside? (The Most Useful Answer): Click Here.
  • Are Cats Popular In France? The Right Answer: Click Here.

Christopher Carlson

I have an Domestic Shorthair Tabby named Charlotte. She is full of energy when she isn't sleeping most of the day. I share what I learn about cats on this site.

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