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A two-week log for tracking scratching, litter habits, and behavior changes — so a pattern is easy to spot instead of guessed at during a stressful week.
Any owner troubleshooting scratching, litter habits, or a sudden behavior change.
Behavior & Scratching Log
Track patterns before you try to fix them
A simple two-week log to spot what's really driving a behavior change.
A single bad day doesn't tell you much. Two weeks of small notes usually does — a pattern that felt random up close (why today, why that spot) often looks obvious once it's written down across several entries.
Fill this in for two weeks, even on days when nothing happens — a string of ordinary days is useful context too. If a pattern isn't clear by the end, that's still useful information to bring to a vet or behavior consultant, not a failed log.
Two logs follow: the behavior log for anything broader — hiding, vocalizing, appetite changes — and the scratching tracker specifically for scratching incidents. Skip whichever one doesn't apply to what you're seeing.
| Date | What happened | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Surface scratched | Redirected to post? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Has the behavior shown up in the same spot more than once? Has a redirect attempt worked yet, even partially?
Looking back across both weeks, is there a clearer pattern in timing, location, or trigger than there was on day 1?
A single rough day rarely tells you much on its own; two weeks of small, honest notes usually does. Whether or not a clear pattern emerged, what you've filled in here is already more useful than memory would have been.
Not every log produces an obvious answer in two weeks, and that's still useful information — bring it to a vet or behavior consultant as-is rather than waiting for a clearer pattern to emerge on its own.
Keep tracking past two weeks
The Behavior Journal is a full-year version of these same logs, with pattern-spotting prompts and space for photos to share with a vet or behaviorist.
This log is built for a focused two-week window. The Behavior Journal is the full-year version of the same idea, with the same pattern-spotting approach and room for photos, for anyone dealing with a behavior change that doesn't resolve in a couple of weeks, or who wants a longer record to bring to a specialist.
Why cats scratch, and how to redirect it explains the reasoning behind several of the triggers this log helps you rule out, and litter box training is worth a read if litter habits are part of what you're tracking.
Kestlin creates practical, print-ready resources for first-time cat owners — guides, checklists, and trackers built around the questions people actually ask in a cat's first weeks and months at home.
Created by Kestlin · Helping first-time cat owners raise happier, healthier cats · kestlin.com
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