Cats belong to the family of predators, so having sharp incisors and even sharper nails is a part of their anatomy.
Even when they are tamed and domesticated, their hunter instincts still linger there. Scratch marks on various surfaces around a house with pet cats are evidence enough to prove it.
Cat owners are familiar with scratch marks as they are subjected to that torture too many times in their initial days of having a cat. Cat parents would relate wouldn’t you guys?.
Cats scratch at surfaces due to numerous reasons, but can the surfaces be recovered or repaired from the scratches what matters. Replacing everything after your cat scratches the commodity could be very heavy on your pockets.
Let’s find out if we can fix some of this stuff or if the marks of having a cat will stay with you forever.
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Do Cats Scratch Painted Walls?
Cats belong to the hunting species, when they feel something is up they hiss, lunge scratch maybe even bite when they feel threatened. If your cat feels unsafe, it may be a remote possibility that it may scratch the object irrespective of its texture.
Cats usually prefer rougher surfaces that provide resistance if they scratch out of boredom or seek attention, but some might not regard whatever surface they are scratching. So yes, a cat may scratch painted walls.
Your cat though should be steered clear of freshly painted walls. The paint fumes are very harmful to cats but their ever-curious nature might drag them towards the forbidden.
There are various possible reasons your cat might scratch objects, not just a painted wall.
If scratching a particular wall or a region of the painted wall gets the cat’s attention, it may do it. Cats like control and they thrive on attention, so if you give them attention if they scratch the painted wall they might as well do it.
Your pet cat might also scratch the wall if it falls under its territory, this is a common occurrence in households with more than one cat or any other pets. Cats are territorial and like having their own space. They usually pee or scratch to mark their territory.
So if the wall falls under the cat’s territory you might find scratches on it. You shouldn’t be too surprised by it as it can be fixed with ease.
Can You Repair Cat Scratches?
Pet cats before getting trained scratch at various things in the house. May it be expensive leather, the walls or doorframes, many, and any other accessory around the house one of these are adorned with cat scratches. There might be no pet home without one of these.
Pet scratches are very frequent and you cannot replace expensive items that are ruined by cat scratches. There are ways to fix things around the house for scratched items.
For example for scratches on leather, it can be fixed by polish among other things. Walls that are scratched could be repaired by sanding and spackling the spot.
Nowadays, special products to repair scratches, especially those made by cats are available on the market.
Commercialization of this issue was inevitable as cats don’t understand that whatever they are scratching would be too expensive to replace or hold sentimental value.
It is hence advised to make your house pet-proof just like new parents, baby-proof their houses, you need to pet-proof your house by putting away expensive things and creating enough room for them to move without knocking things over.
Repairing cat scratches is easy and also not too costly so it may be more reasonable to repair the scratch than replace the affected item.
How To Fix Cat Scratches On Painted Wall?
A cat scratch can be either deep or on the surface, usually, they are only on the upper layer so the process is not much of a hassle.
To fix a scratch on the wall first off you should scrape a little paint from the said wall to find the right paint. Make a trip to the nearest hardware store then and buy the matching paint, spackling knife, spackling paste, and sandpaper.
Once you have all the required materials, level the wall if needed. If the scratch is deeper level the wall with spackling paste once.
Use the spackling knife to apply the paste on spread it evenly over the scratch. Once you are done using sandpaper smoothen the surface over.
After sanding down the affected area, apply the matching paint until it matches the rest of the wall.
Following the above process should resolve your issue. It is easy to do and its no point in hiring someone to do such an easy task.
You can easily find the materials listed above at the nearest Home Depot or a hardware store. At a Home Depot outlet, you may find better matches for your paint, as they have databases that store details of paint and other possible options.
You can also seek out employees at the hardware store as they are way more experienced in these kinds of stuff and finish the task at hand.
So next time your cat scratches a wall, you may wanna be ready.
How To Fix Cat Scratches On A Wallpaper?
Wallpapers are beautiful and in the right places they multiply the beauty of the space, but adding a cat into the mix becomes a minor issue.
This minor issue becomes a major issue if the cat scratches the wallpaper and tears it apart.
Fixing a wallpaper is a more complex process than fixing a scratch on a painted wall.
You would need a kitchen towel, lukewarm water, a matching piece of wallpaper, and spackling paste(based on requirement).
First with a towel dipped in lukewarm water dab the affected area to loosen the wallpaper. Then cut the affected piece of wallpaper very carefully.
Take the matching piece of wallpaper and cut it in the shape of the tear or the spot which is torn and set it aside.
You can use the spackling paste to level the wall if the scratch runs beyond the wallpaper.
Then use the new piece you set aside and stick it according to the shape cut. while sticking it make sure you align your prints and pattern or else it would look out of place and kind of a huge mismatch blotch on your wallpaper-clad wall.
Once you have stuck the new piece make sure it is properly stuck on the edges. If the wallpaper is not stuck it might come off quickly and you’ll have to redo the whole process.
In my opinion, you should not let your cats in such vulnerable places until itis trained properly as the cat would be clueless about the things in the room so it would just add more work for you.
How To Repair Drywall Scratched By Cats?
Cat scratches on drywall can be repaired similarly that on a painted wall.
The materials required for the process are also similar. You need spackling paste, spackling knife, sandpaper, and a scrapper (if required).
First, you need to prepare the surface of the drywall by scraping the area clean and leveling it.
Then you need to apply the spackling paste onto the affected area with a spackling knife. Repeat the process until it is covered and not noticeable on the drywall.
Finish it off by leveling it with sandpaper.
The whole process is nearly the same as the one we used to carry out in a painted wall sans the paint.
Cat scratches are pretty common so fixing them is also easy. So if you encounter one now you are equipped with how to fix them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should one scold their cats if they scratch the wallpaper?
Your cat might be scratching at the wallpaper to get your attention, if you scold the cat it would get the attention it wanted and so would be prompted to do it again.
What to do if my cat does not stop scratching?
A reason behind your cat scratching frequently could be out of boredom so you may need to engage in various activities with your cat. Another reason might be anxiety, try to ease and relax your cat, that should work if the scratching is induced by anxiety.
Summary
Cat have nails and they are not hesitant to use them if they feel threatened. Cats also scratch at surfaces out of boredom or to mark their territory. So if you see a cat scratching a surface, you should probably save the object before the cat ruins it.
Walls are common victims of scratches made by cats. But fixing them is not a very hard job to do.
Cat scratches on walls can be easily fixed with the help of spackling paste and sandpaper. These items are also easy to find and are available around.
You can save the trouble of doing so by finding the cause of your cat’s scratching or diverting it to other places like scratching posts or toys among other things.
So if you find scratch marks on walls around you after having a cat, it is pretty normal and could be easily fixed if wanted.
Also, check out How To Fix Cat Scratches On Wood?