Why Does My Cat Scratch the Mirror?

Your cat’s behavior can be quite perplexing to owners.

Fortunately, you can assess its needs and understand its behavior to help it live comfortably. If your cat seems restless or aggressive, it’s beneficial to communicate with it.

Your cat may be intent on getting its own way. So, why does my cat scratch the mirror?

Cats scratch for a variety of reasons. For example, cats scratch to mark their territory or to sharpen their claws on objects such as furniture or carpet.

Cats may also scratch due to dry skin or allergies. In some cases, cats scratch out of boredom or anxiety.

For example, your cat may scratch the mirror because it wants your attention or because it wants you to play with it or pet it.

Why Does My Cat Scratch the Mirror?

It Likes the Feeling

This is another possibility and is probably the reason why your cat scratches the mirror the most.

Your cat likes the warmth and scratches the mirror to feel good while stretching and enjoying the feeling without the harsh mats on the skin .

Stretching

Cat’s behavior appears to be quite complex but basically a cat has the need to stretch their body often to keep fit and feel relaxed.

Cat’s behavior appears to be quite complex but basically a cat has the need to stretch their body often to keep fit and feel relaxed.

To provide a good stretch, cats like to stretch in different locations around the house.

Cats like to stretch out and scratch themselves up against inanimate objects, such as wall and furniture.

Scratching objects, such as wall or furniture, provides the cat with a natural flow of energy to their body through stretching the muscles and tendons of their body.

This is more probable if your cat is an indoor cat as they may have not had the chance to scratch against things or another cat which may have scratches on their bodies.

Attention

If your cat is clawing the mirror or glass for no good reason, it could be because your cat is in search of attention.

They may not seem to be scratching for any reason, but if you tend to give them a little attention when they are clawing, it may encourage them to continue clawing.

Spreading Its Fragrance

Cats’ paws include scent glands which secrete pheromones through glands on their paws and beneath their tails.

Another reason your cat may claw at mirrors is to spread its fragrance around the house as the scent would attract other cats to its territory.

This is more probable if your cat paws at doors or windows as a scent would escape from their paws and them spread around the house.

To Sharpen Its Claws

Cats’ claws are very sharp and if left un sharpened may become blunt and your cat may lose its teflon coating over time which wears down.

Old claws get dull over time and cats keep sharpening their claws on things and cats quite often sharpen their claws on the mirror too.

Your cat is most likely scratching just the right side of its body of the catch sight of another cat outside or on the living room window.

Can Cats Recognize Their Reflection?

Cats may not comprehend their own reflections, but they most likely will recognize their own image in the mirror.

Cats may not comprehend their own reflections, but they most likely will recognize their own image in the mirror. Cats are extremely smart creatures that can distinguish their own image from that of other cats or other animals.

In fact, research indicates that felines can recognize themselves in a mirror by the age of eight weeks and can recognize other cats by the age of four months.

However, some cats will not look at their reflections for long and will avoid mirrors altogether.

This unusual behavior is usually caused by stress or an unpleasant encounter with another cat or human in an enclosed space like a closet or bathroom.

These are often spontaneous and spasmodic motions directed both outward and inward, appearing to correspond to the cat’s own observed image.

Is Scratching Mirrors Dangerous for My Cat?

Yes, scratching mirrors may misunderstand their reflection as an intruder – a cat or human who wants to harm them – and will attack it.

While some may see this as dangerous behavior, it is in fact a perfectly normal reaction to their reflection and subsequent anxiety.

The scratches may damage the glass and the mirror itself.

If your pet starts behaving suspiciously near a mirror, it’s recommended that you steer clear of the mirror in order to avoid any unwanted confrontations.

How to Stop your Cat from Scratching the Mirror

How to Stop your Cat from Scratching the Mirror

Ignore the Behavior

Redirecting your pet’s attention with play, petting or treats is the best way to prevent this behavior from continuing.

If the activity isn’t threatening and you suspect your pet is scared of its reflection in the mirror, it’s best to avoid using reflective or glass surfaces for household objects like food bowls and litter boxes.

If your response is what they’re searching and vacuuming for, it’s best not to use glass furniture or panes in your home or cats may view the glass as an invitation to play.

Different Behavior Should Be Rewarded

Cats learn via reinforcement, reward and punishment — or a mixture of all three.

When your cat scratches the mirror or furniture, stop them right away by clapping or yelling.

When your cat scratches the mirror or furniture, stop them right away by clapping or yelling. This is an incredibly effective method to stop your cat from scratching the mirror or furniture.

After clapping or yelling, let your cat know that their scratching is not acceptable by calmly walking away and ignoring it.

After you do this a few times, your cat should stop scratching the mirror or furniture out of sheer curiosity.

Then attempt to convince them to scratch something else by changing the environment or associating a new scratching object, like a soft fabric or cardboard scratch pad, with nice.

Surface Protection

Covering a mirror with a blanket or taping sandpaper or aluminum foil to the glass can discourage cats from scratching it.

While the mirror is covered, urge your feline friend to scratch something less offensive or pick up some catnip and rub it onto the surface to catch the cats attention.

If they are rewarded for another activity, your cat will be less inclined to scratch the mirror or furniture.

Sprays for Relaxation

You might try spraying a spray meant to relax your cat near the mirror to see if their scratching behavior stops.

Many sprays contain pheromones that cats find attractive or calming. The pheromones give off a smell that cats find soothing and appealing.

The pheromones smell similar to naturally occurring pheromones found in mother cats and kittens and can help calm cats down when they’re stressed or anxious.

Just be careful not to spray any spray too closely to the eyes or genitals, as sometimes the natural ingredients in sprays intended for cats can be irritating.

Increased Stimulation

It’s quite normal for cats to scratch things to mark their territory, so providing your cat with something more interesting to scratch might help reduce scratching behavior around the mirror.

Make sure you provide them with plenty to scratch in other areas of the house as well, as you don’t want them to get bored with scratching the mirror in order to scratch something else in your house.

If you notice that introducing a new toy every now and doesn’t work, you might want to try getting a different type of scratching post or toy for your cat.

Time

If your cat is young or if a mirror is unfamiliar to your cat, you’re bound to get scratches on the mirror as the animal tries to work out exactly what it is that is in front of them and may scratch it with their paw or teeth over and over.

As your cat gets older and becomes more familiar with the mirror, the marks will likely stop as the animal realizes that the mirror is not part of the household and won’t be damaged if they scratch it.

Some cats just take a while to get used to something new or strange in their environment.

Medication

If your pet cat’s actions are perplexing and seem to have no reasonable explanation, then it might be a good idea to consult the veterinarian.

They may prescribe medicine to calm your cat’s nerves and relieve their anxiety and stress.

Other medications may also be prescribed to help your cat’s joint pain or to reduce inflammation in the paws and joints. If all else fails and your cat refuses to stop scratching the mirror, you may want to look into replacing or covering the mirror altogether.

This is usually a last resort technique as you don’t want your cat to think their reflection is a stranger or a threat and run away every time they see something unfamiliar in the mirror.

Good luck with your cat and we hope you find a solution to stop the scratching.

Also See: Why Does Your Cat Scratch Your Bed?

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s important to understand why your cat scratches the mirror so you can find ways to stop it from doing so in the future.

If your cat’s scratching is out of boredom or anxiety, try giving it more attention or playing with it more regularly.

If it’s scratching due to allergies or dry skin, speak to your veterinarian about potential treatments.

Giving your cat the attention and care it needs will help reduce its scratching and allow you to build a stronger bond with it.