Some may even resort to having their cat declawed. Thankfully, the answer is no. Although it takes work to deal with the natural feline desire to scratch, success stories are plentiful and include the cat, the claws, and the happy owner. It's important for all cat owners to understand exactly what scratching means to a cat and to realize that it is a perfectly normal feline expression, rather than a personal attack. In reality, she is simply expressing a natural behavior, much like stretching, yawning, and grooming.
Some cats scratch as a way to say hello when their owner enters a room.
No one really knows why some cats use this form of expression more frequently than do others. The key to controlling a cat's scratching is not to focus on eliminating the behavior, but rather to redirect where the behavior is being exhibited. Just like dogs, cats need to be taught the rules of the house. Since scratching is as natural as rubbing up against furniture, a cat assumes that both behaviors are equally acceptable. A cat needs to be taught where to scratch, and with proper teaching and training, these places will become preferable to other ones.