Love your cat, but hate the fact that he tears up all your furniture? Keep reading to learn how to stop your cat from scratching on your furniture.
Use A Scratching Post
Scratching is a healthy practice for cats, but it might be a good idea to give him a designated area to scratch in. A scratching post is the answer to this problem, as it will deter your cat from furniture by giving him a better place to scratch. If you have a large house, you may need two or more of these to keep your cat entertained.
Qualities Of A Good Scratching Post
A good scratching post like Whisker World Cat Scratch Tower will have a rough and scraggly surface, similar to rope. It should closely resemble the feeling of bark to your cat, like what would be found in the wild. If your cat seems to favor a certain kind of material, try finding a scratching post with a similar material. For instance, carpet scratching posts are often offered in cases like these. If you can afford it, it would be best to buy your cat a good cat tree like Armarkat Cat Tree. These are a little pricier, but can yield better results than a standard scratching post, and they'll also provide a nice comfortable "safe area" for your cat.
Place It Close To Problem Areas
Place your cat post next to the places your cat seems to scratch at the most. With any luck, your cat should switch from clawing the furniture to clawing the cat post. If your cat responds well to cat nip, you can put it on the cat post to encourage him to use it.
Attach A Toy
Toys can be a great tool in trying to get your cat to use a scratching post. Try attaching a toy to the top of it, or buy a scratching post that already includes a toy, such as the one recommended above. If your cat is hesitant to use the scratching post, he might instead end up playing with the toy, which will help your cat to get comfortable with the post and eventually use it.
Use Tapes And Scents
Tapes and the right scents will drive your cat away from certain areas so he won't scratch them.
Cats don't like sticky things, so if their regular scratching place is sticky, they won't want to scratch there anymore. Try placing double-sided sticky tape on the areas that your cat regularly scratches to prevent him from scratching there again. He'll likely switch to the non-sticky option: his scratching post.
Citrus Scent
Cats are appalled by citrus scent, and you can use this to your advantage. Consider creating a citrus spray with citrus and water and spraying it on the areas that your cat likes to claw. You can also place citrus air fresheners around your cats favorite furniture to keep your cat away.
Trim Or Cap Claws
Trimming or capping your cats claws isn't as detrimental to your cat as declawing, and can reduce the damage your cat does to the furniture.
Trimming Claws
If you decide to trim your cats claws, be sure to start young. Don't use dog claw trimmers, toenail clippers should do the trick. Be sure to consult a vet to learn the proper way to trim your cats claws without causing him any harm.
Capping Claws
It's possible to buy cat claw caps like Soft Claws For Cats that you can have your vet apply or learn to apply yourself. You can buy these in natural colors, or in more vibrant "fashionable" colors. Claw caps will fall off naturally after about six weeks or so.
With these methods, your furniture will suffer a little less damage. What methods have you used to keep your cat from clawing the furniture?
