Five Methods To Stop a Cat From Scratching Your Furniture

Cats are a low-maintenance pet that provides loving, furry companionship. It is not easy to own a cat or kitten. Adopting a pet means you have many responsibilities. They will need to be fed, exercised, and brushed. It is important to help them with any behavioral issues they may have. It is important to be patient and willing because there is no perfect pet.

Cats can scratch your furniture with their sharp claws, which is one of the most annoying and destructive behaviors. How can you stop your cat from scratching your couch?

This article will discuss the reasons cats scratch and how to de-claw your cat. It also discusses the control methods you can use to stop the cat from scratching on furniture.

Scratching behavior and cats

Understanding why your pet behaves badly is the best way to handle it. It is usually much easier to redirect the focus or change the reason for the behavior.

Cats love to scratch. It is important to realize that you are not trying to teach your cat to scratch. You just want to divert their attention from the furniture.

Wild cats need to scratch in order to maintain their natural manicure. This removes the dead skin from their claws and keeps them sharp. Domestic cats don’t have the same needs so why do they scratch?

Maintaining good claw health

Even though domestic cats are not required to take care of their claws, they still have to do so. Domestic cats can scratch on rough surfaces just like wild animals, which helps to shed pesky nail husks.

Stretching

Cats will also use a stretching technique to help them stretch their muscles and tendons from the neck up, just as grabbing their feet in a yoga stretch can help relieve tension.

Marking

A cat’s instinctive need to mark its territory is another reason why it scratches. The cat’s scent glands produce little odors from things they consider “theirs.” This is part of feline socialization, even if you have only one cat.

Feeling satisfied

Lastly, why do cats do what they do? Because they want. Cats find rattling a pleasant experience. Scratching is a natural stress reliever for cats and a great way to play, climb or fight with other felines in the household.

Do You Have to Declaw Your Cat?

Many cat owners have declawed their cats over the past several decades. They will then be unable to scratch the couch.

Declawing a cat can be a difficult and painful process that can cause many problems for both you and your cat.

To declaw a cat, you will need to amputate the last bone in each of its toes to ensure that its claws don’t grow back. This is similar to removing the last segment of each finger so that your nails never grow back. It would be possible to still use your hands but you’d have shorter fingers and fewer nails.

It changes everything because cats now walk on their paws. Because it’s harder for them to balance, it makes it more difficult to walk and jump. There are many complications that could occur during the surgery.

Declawing was made illegal in several cities across the U.S. because it is considered an inhumane act.

You can still choose to declaw your cat or not, but there are other ways you can train your cat not to scratch your furniture.

There are ways to stop a cat from destroying your couch and other furniture.

We begin with the most common products and methods that people use during training. These products are often not necessary for training. You won’t need to spray or wrap your furniture as often once your cat knows where it should scratch.

1. Use cat-scratch paper.

Cat-scratch tape can be used to make furniture less appealing to cats. Felines are sensitive to texture, especially their paws. Cats love to scratch. Cats love to scratch.

Cat-scratch tape is not good for furniture. It should be placed right over the area they are most likely to scratch so that their paws don’t run across it.

All cats are unique. Some cats hate the tape while others love it. Even if it doesn’t go as planned, it’s a worthwhile investment.

2. Place socks or nail caps on the feet.

You don’t have to remove your cat’s claws completely. Instead, temporarily dulling them. Nail caps protect sharp claws and blunt them. They can still use their nails but they won’t be too destructive.

The caps can be used with adhesive. You can place one cap over each nail and it will stay on longer.

Some people prefer translucent caps to protect their cat’s paws. Others prefer bright colors that make it easier to locate them when they fall off.

While you are training your cat, nail caps can be a great tool. They reduce the chance of any accidents to your couch.

3. Use cat-scratch spray.

Cat scratch spray is a great way to get your cat off the furniture. Spraying the spray on the area will reduce their destructive scratching and make them want to avoid the furniture.

4. Vinyl panels can be installed.

Vinyl panels can be temporarily installed around the furniture to protect it. These panels will not look good, but they can be used to protect your couch while you train your cat.

Vinyl panels keep your cat’s nails from getting to the sides of your couch. The fabric on the opposite side should not be scratched by your cat, even if they try.

5. Give them a scratching “outlet.”

It is crucial to give them a place to scratch. Even cats that have been declawed won’t stop scratching, which is a natural and ingrained behavior.

People give their cats a lot of scratching posts, which are vital to their training.

You must be patient when training a behavior in or out of your pet. Sometimes it can take time to redirect or change an instinctive behavior, especially if it has been a long time since you did anything about it.

The time it takes to stop and start training will increase exponentially. If you have not had positive results from a previous attempt, it is unlikely that the outcome will be the same. Try something different for several weeks and then try it again. Reward any positive behavior change, even small ones, if you see it.

1. Get the best scratching post.

Begin the process by buying a scratching board. You should try to find one that matches the fabric in their preferred area. It is less risky because they already like the texture.

It is possible to have to experiment with multiple posts, especially if you have more cats. You should give each post a chance before you swap them out. Otherwise, the cat may become confused.

2. Strategically place the scratching post.

Next, place the scratching board in the best spot for your animal to enjoy.

Pick a spot that your cat is already fond of. If your cat is social, this area might be close to their favorite spy window or in the same room as the family.

One reason cats scratch is to mark their territory. They will be less inclined to claim the post if it is tucked into an unoccupied corner. Cats love to scratch their heads after a long nap. This could be a good spot for them to rest their head.

Reward your cat if they come over to the post and investigate it, even if you are not there. This will encourage them to think of the scratching post as something positive. You should praise and reward them for being active with the scratching post.

3. You can make the furniture temporarily less attractive.

Next, make the couch less attractive to them. To make the couch unattractive, you can use cat tape, spray, vinyl lining, or vinyl decals. They will then, hopefully, turn to the scratching board when they are ready to scratch.

Repeat the protection process until they find a new piece of furniture.

4. Encourage interest in the scratching board.

After you’ve made the primary scratching spot unattractive, make the scratching place as exciting as possible. To make it more exciting, you can use catnip or their favorite toys to guide them toward the post. Let them chase a wand toy up the post to feel how wonderful it feels on their claws.

If your cat continues to scratch at furniture, you can make it less attractive by using the combination of previous methods.

Make the scratching board as attractive as you can. You can move it to a more convenient area, or keep it in the middle of the room until they are attached to it.

6. Enjoy your scratch-less couch.

After your cat has made the decision that the couch is not the best place to scratch, you can remove the protective measures one by one. You should not do this too soon, as your cat may not see its primary choice returning to its “fun” status. You should make sure that their preferred choice has been made before you remove all protections.

You can relax once they have become best friends. You should not let the post become too worn or they will stop using it. You should replace the post with the exact same product so they don’t have to test their tolerance for texture. Then all will be well in your furniture world.