Cats scratch things, and sometimes that means our furniture. This doesn’t have to be the end of your favorite couch or chair, though; you can use some common household items to make sure they stop ruining the furnishings in your home. Plus, it will help them use the scratching posts you bought them instead of making holes in the things you care about most.
If your cat scratches up your furniture, it’s time to put an end to this destructive behavior. But how can you stop cats from scratching furniture when all they seem to want to do is scratch? This guide will help you effectively train your cat to stop scratching up your furniture. It’ll also help you keep your expensive leather couch, ottoman, or recliner safe and looking good! Before starting any of the following training techniques, make sure that your cat has access to plenty of different scratching options.
Tips For Keeping Kitty from Scratching Furniture
#1. Invest in a kitty tower: These allow your cat to indulge their natural urge to scratch, without you having to do it for them. Simply place one near or on top of the items your cat is destroying most often and let them at it! This saves your furniture and prevents the unpleasant smell of cat urine from settling into everything. Kitty towers come in all shapes and sizes and can be found at any pet store. They’re usually quite inexpensive so there’s no reason not to buy one!
#2. Put plastic carpet runners over upholstery-type furniture: The softer material attracts your cat much more than the hard surface does, making this an ideal deterrent for scratching. Cats may still claw but the plastic carpet runner will protect the fabric better than if there was nothing on top of it to cushion the impact of their claws against fabric.
How To Stop Cats from Scratching Furniture – A Guide
Cats scratch because they need to sharpen their claws, mark their territory and stretch their muscles. If you provide them with a suitable surface for clawing, such as a cat scratcher or other scratchable items, they will be less likely to scratch your sofa. Try the following -Provide your pet with a suitable scratching post (e.g., sisal rope post). The posts should be tall enough so that your pet can fully extend its body while scratching.
-Some owners use aluminum foil or double-sided tape on surfaces where their pets have been scratching; this is not an effective long-term solution, however, since it doesn’t address the underlying issue of why the animal is scratching in the first place. -Consider using scented sprays and oils that discourage cats from doing what they don’t want to do—in this case, scratch at furniture.
What NOT To Do When You See Your Cat Scratch
This post will give you advice on what not to do when your cat scratches, plus why they are doing this in the first place. Here is a list of some things not to do when your cat scratches:
* Do not throw the cat out of the house. Throwing a pet out of the house is against all animal laws, plus it can lead to more problems.
* Do not take your anger out on the cat by yelling or hitting it. If a person yells at their cat for ten minutes straight every day, then that person’s brain will get messed up, and so will their heart. And if you hit a pet every day as well, then they won’t want to be near you anymore and eventually they’ll run away. They need love, patience, and care. Cats don’t scratch because they’re mean or bad; sometimes the nails grow too long which causes them to scratch and damage furniture. Give them toys to keep them occupied with something else!
The Best Ways to Get Rid of Bad Habits
Cats are notorious for developing many bad habits, and that’s not just limited to their litterbox. Scratching the furniture is a common behavior for some, but thankfully it’s also one of the easier problems to fix. A few different strategies work well, so try a couple out until you find one that works best in your household.
1) Place a sturdy post or other scratching post next to anything they’ve been clawing on 2) Put double sided sticky tape on all posts they like to scratch 3) Train them with Pavlovian conditioning 4) Rewire them by attaching wires across scratches on the object they want to use as a scratching post 5) Confine them to an area where they can’t scratch the furniture (a small room, ike bathroom) 6) Groom their claws
6 Fun and Simple Ways to Keep Cats Off Furniture
While some scratches are minor, others can completely destroy furniture. The question then is: how do you teach a cat not to scratch up your precious possessions? Here are five tips and tricks that have been proven effective with some felines.
1) Spray the Object with Water 2) Place Tin Foil on the Furniture 3) Replace the Scratching Area with Something Else 4) Apply Baby Wipes to Your Furniture 5) Make It Interesting for Them Somewhere Else 6) Use Catnip
Conclusion
Scratching is a natural and important activity for a cat. It stretches their muscles, relieves tension, sharpens their claws and spreads their natural oils from the paw pads over the fur. Cats will scratch not only horizontal surfaces but vertical ones as well in order to stretch and relieve their muscles. When they are hungry, they use it as part of their hunting instinct and finally, when they feel scared or anxious the behavior serves as self-assurance. If you have bought a new sofa that your cat seems hell bent on destroying then you should probably stop taking your frustrations out on him and instead think about what might be going through his mind which is leading him to react in this way. There are many possible reasons why he is doing this so you need to consider these before deciding on the best course of action:
If he is hungry – Feed him first and see if that solves the problem
If he has been spayed/neutered – Have his vet check his hormone levels
If there is some other type of disorder – Get an expert opinion
Otherwise, there may be something else at play like an insecurity issue or old age-related probles..
