Felines engage in the behavior of raking their claws across vertical surfaces, including household walls. This action, while sometimes frustrating to owners, is a natural and multifaceted instinctual drive for domestic cats.
This activity serves several vital purposes. It allows for the removal of the outer, dead layers of the claws, keeping them sharp and healthy. Additionally, it provides a form of exercise, stretching the muscles in the cat’s body, particularly the back and shoulders. Importantly, it’s also a visual and olfactory marking behavior; cats deposit scent from glands in their paws onto the scratched surface, communicating territorial claims and status to other cats.