how to make a cat stop scratching furniture

Training Tips to Stop Cats from Scratching FurnitureProvide appropriate scratching alternatives, such as scratching posts.Make your furniture less attractive to scratch on.Keep your cat’s nails trimmed so they’re not so sharp.Consider a claw cap for your cat, such as Soft Paws, to block damage from scratching.

Provide appropriate scratching alternatives, such as scratching posts.

Make your furniture less attractive to scratch on.

Keep your cat’s nails trimmed so they’re not so sharp.

Consider a claw cap for your cat, such as Soft Paws, to block damage from scratching.

Why Do Cats Scratch?

Understanding why your cat scratches your couch or other furniture in the first place is necessary before you can teach her not to do so. Cats scratch things for several reasons, including:

To stretch. A cat’s body’s muscles and tendons, from her toes to her neck and shoulders, benefit from exercise and stretching when she scratches.
To mark. Scent glands on a cat’s paws release scents when it scratches objects, designating her territory. It’s critical that feline social structures employ this communication technique. She will feel compelled to communicate in this way even if you are the only cat owner in your home.
To maintain claw health. When necessary, scratching aids in a cat’s periodic shedding of the outer nail husk, maintaining the health of the claw.
To feel good. Scratching just feels great to cats. It reduces stress and lessens the chance that your cat will pick up additional undesirable habits.

Now that you know why scratching is important to cats, you might wonder if it would be best just to have your cat declawed, so you dont have to worry about ruined furniture. Its important to understand that declawing a cat is an amputation of the digits up to the first joint. Its painful, fraught with possible complications during and after surgery, and changes the way your cat walks, balances, and interacts with her world. You can learn more about why declawing is considered inhumane by many people, is banned in several countries, and may be made illegal in some US cities soon in this article: “Declawing Cats: Banning Declaw Surgeries.”

Why do cats scratch furniture?

Cats like to scratch. Additionally, a lot of cats will scratch furniture if they have nowhere else to satisfy their scratching urges. Cats can stretch, stay in good physical condition, and mark their territory by scratching.

In an effort to decompress or when they are bored, cats will also scratch furniture. While it may be annoying, knowing why cats scratch furniture is essential to creating solutions to put an end to it.

Cover your cat’s favorite scratching places.

You will need to cover your cat’s favorite spots if it has already developed the habit of scratching your furniture. For example, you can protect the corners of your couch by tacking on some thick fabric. If the leather on your furniture is leather, you can get covers specifically designed to fit over the piece and keep your cat out of it.

FAQ

Can you train a cat to not scratch furniture?

You can train your cat to scratch only in the areas you want to — yes, cats can be trained! You can try: Having scratching posts available: Get sturdy scratching posts and position them to protect your furniture. A post will keep your kitty occupied and let them satisfy their scratching urges.

How do you protect furniture from cats scratching?

Put double-sided sticky tape on the areas your cat likes to scratch the most – this is a more extreme measure but it is effective. Placing double-sided sticky tape on the areas your cat tends to scratch will eventually discourage them from using it when their paws stick to the surface.