Your cat scratches to mark her territory using the scent glands in her feet. The scratching provides both a scent and visual marker to any animals that happen by, even when it’s just you in your own house. Your cat will also scratch to remove old, worn out nails and expose new, sharp ones. Scratching is an instinct so it is unlikely you can eliminate all scratching but you can teach your cat to scratch appropriate places rather than your furniture, carpets and drapes. Cover all inappropriate places your cat favors for scratching with aluminum foil strips or double-sided tape. This feels strange to your cat’s feet when scratching and act as a deterrent. Next offer a number of scratching posts and pads so you can redirect your cat to them whenever the need to scratch hits her. Contact your Garden City, NY vet to learn more.