How To Stop Cat From Scratching Door Frames - Best Tips! ⋆ Happy City Cat

This post may contain affiliate links for products I recommend, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not change the price you would pay.

Are you one of those cat owners whose cat(s) is absolutely destroying the door frames in the house? You must be wondering what can you do to stop this annoying habit?!

The most obvious solutions would be (even if you have tried them all just keep reading, below are given extra techniques worth trying):

as a responsible cat owner you know that cat declawing is extremely painful and cruel so a declawed cat is simply out of the question
Nail clipping should be done anyways when you keep a cat indoors – unless your cat is so against it that you can only manage a few nails in a single clipping session
Plastic nail covers, like soft paws, can work for some cats but not in all cases: some cats won’t let you put them on
(Standard) Cat scratchers around the home can solve this problem but some cats will still prefer door frames, you know: cats – no logic 🙂 BUT there are some cool scratchers listed below that will solve this problem easily

If you have tried all of the above and you still have the same problem, then check what else you can do, that actually works, to get your cat to (finally) stop scratching door frames.

Reduce Your Cat’s Scratching Behavior

Besides grooming the cat’s nails, cats often scratch when they’re feeling frustrated or angry. You can tell your cat is nervous by various signs: your cat is pacing or scratching the furniture a lot, you have cat litter sprinkled all over the house and fur everywhere…

Please keep in mind that it’s never a good idea to punish a cat for scratching. This is because it might not understand what it has done, and only sees it as playing.⁣

Instead of punishing your cat, you can try to redirect it to something more appropriate such as a scratching post (see the above suggestions) or you can try calming it down.

One of the fastest ways to calm down a stressed cat is this calming feliway spray:

Click here to view on Amazon

Feliway Spray is synthetic cat pheromones that mimic those a cat can produce. It has been proven to calm and comfort cats when they are stressed or anxious and is used by vets in many countries.

When scratching, cats tend to use their pheromones to mark their territory (coming from their paw glands), so when you use the feliway spray this can confuse the cat and make it think it has already marked the spot so it will not repeat the scratching.

I wanted to include this review as proof that the spray will truly stop a cat scratching. It’s always helpful to see how something has worked for other people in real life.

I really like that this is such a simple product to use: you just spray the surface and it’s all done! There is a Feliway plug on diffuser that you can also use, but I prefer things to be as simple as possible so I recommend the spray (no electricity involved which I think is a safer option).

Word of caution: with 9 out of 10 cats the man-made cat pheromones will work, but there is a possibility that some cats will mistake the new pheromones for a strange cat and might behave even more aggressively than before. So for the first time use, you need to watch over your cat, and hopefully, it will work for you, as it is truly a great way to stop your cat from clawing your door frame (and furniture).

Put A Door Frame Scratching Post

In my cat facebook group one person posted this corner scratching post as very efficient:

Click here to view on Amazon

This cat scratcher is specially designed to cover unusual places in the home where a cat might scratch like corners, door frames or walls. You can see that it can be folded which has proven to be very practical when a cat chooses a weird place to groom its nails.

If you are handy or on a tight budget you can just put a piece of carpet instead of this scratcher but this is more aesthetic and more convenient for those who don’t have time or are not comfortable with DIY stuff.

Here are the great points about this door frame cat scratcher:

It is made of two linked and foldable boards covered with natural sisal
It saves you space in the home so it is a great cat scratcher for small spaces
You can use it in many unusial or hidden places where a normal scratching post wouldn’t fit like door frame, window side, curtain side, wall corners…
Easy to install: you just need to screw the scratcher to the desired surface
By getting this cat scratcher you can only win against cats destroying your home

I truly can’t see how this product will not be of use once you get it, it is such a simple but extremely practical scratcher for any cat lover that has an indoor cat(s).

This Round Wall Mounted Scratching Post Is Also A Good Choice

Click here to view on Amazon

This vertical cat scratcher has so many positive reviews regarding this exact problem of a cat scratching door frame that I don’t know where to begin describing it!

So, first of all, you can see just how small of a space it takes and it is installed vertically so this makes it a perfect scratcher for a door frame.

It provides a great distraction from a door frame by providing a so much attractive scratching spot for your cat. Many cat owners have enticed their cat even more by rubbing catnip on the scratcher and it has worked perfectly for them.

Here are many examples that I have found:

This example is a case of a severe door trim destruction by cat’s claws: the cat was taking off wood chunks, which is crazy, and this door frame scratch protector was able to stop it
Highly recommended for cats that like to scratch vertically (it allows your cat a full stretch which must feel great)
Since the scratcher is fixed to the wall and has a metal frame it is really sturdy and can take on the most temperamental cat
It saves you space and if you need that extra floor space you can completely remove the bulky cat tree and replace it with this vertical scracher
It is simple to install: you just fix it to the surface with screws, so you don’t have to worry about this part
Looks very aesthetic and eye pleasing, it will match any home style easily
The scratching post is made from natural sisal, which is an environment-friendly material. Furthermore, it is durable enough to last a long time with all the use it gets by your furry friends!

I read that refill packs are available from the seller but I believe once the cat goes through the rope and destroys it, you can buy new rope and replace the old one, and in a way refresh the scratcher. It should be easy to do and it’ll save you money. That’s what I would do anyway as the installation holes will be permanent so you don’t want to throw away the whole thing and be left with useless holes.

In conclusion: this vertical round cat scratcher will absolutely save your door frames, it has been proven so many times – as you can read above from satisfied buyers.

Good Alternative Solutions For Cat Lovers To Save Their Door Frames From Cat Claws

A plain firewood log piece just laying in the hallway has helped with some cats. It just might be the texture that your cat needs to sharpen its nails. Another suggestion is that the wooden piece must be stable and firm, not movable as that could be the reason why your cats likes the door frame.
A carpet attached (nailed) to the door frame is the one of cheapest solutions and best for those on a budget
Your cat might really like a simple (and cheap) cardboard scratcher. Some cats love them but some just ignore them like mine does (the below image is just for show off :), she never even touched it after the initial sniff)

Most door frames are cardboard materials or fake wood and that is the reason I recommend you try with a cardboard scratcher. Since these cardboard scratchers are pretty cheap, it is worth checking if they work and if they do you’ll have a cheap and efficient solution to divert your cat from scratching the door frame.

You can use aluminum foil to cover the door trim – this is a well known material that cats don’t like, particularly the noise and the feel of it and avoid it. You can use double-sided tape to hang the foil and keep it the as long as it is necessary to train your cat.
Many have been satisfied with double sided sticky tape (a little maintenance is required: when the tape loses its stickiness you need to replace it to avoid new scratching)
You can get wooden scratch posts that is not carpeted, for the texture that your cat loves, or a cat pole that is all wood.
Someone solved this problem by getting a planter made of raw wood, the kind you plant trees in. The cats absolutely loved to scratch on the corners. So you get a double purpose: an acceptable spot for cats to scratch on and a place for a plant in your home. If you choose the planter to have an eartly or natural look the scratches will even blend in.
The good old spray bottle! When your cat tries to scratch or do something bad give it a squirt. After a while just leave the spray bottle by the door frame and this will stop your cat. This method has been tested counless times and it works perfectly every time.
A wall sisal cat scratcher – this one looks so cute and is perfect for hanging next to a door frame to serve as door frame scratching post
Put catnip in locations you’re ok with your cat scratching, like around cat posts, hopefully your cat will start liking the scratch post more than the door frame
Cat scratch deterrent furniture protector – these are transparent self-adhesive sheets that you can put on doors where your cat is scratching
This is the least effective method but some people have used it successfully: consistent correction. You can raise the voce, or tap your cat a bit when it tries to scratch. Basically, showing you are the dominant one. After a while the cat will learn BUT – some cats are extremely hard to train and I must admit to be the first to not have the nerves for this solution. If you have enough patience and are at home most of the time you can try this.

You can take measures and precautions to stop your cat from scratching furniture and have more or less success, but always remember:

You can either keep cats or keep the house clean and tidy. I bet you are willing to endure some spoiled woods and sofas because we all love our fur babies that much!

And finally for those of you that feel crafty here is a good DIY video on how to make a corner cat scratcher: