How to Keep Your Cat from Scratching the Furniture

If you're anything like me, you love your cats... you just don't love the way they treat your furniture! So how do you keep Fluffy from tearing up all your couches? If you don't know the answer, then read on.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scratching Post(s)
• Catnip
• Double-sided tape
• Soft Paws (optional)

1. First and foremost, you need to accept that your cat NEEDS to scratch. If you don't want Fluffy ruining all your furniture than the very first step is to provide an alternative that will make you both happy. I recommend a tall, sturdy sisal post. Sisal posts--while admittedly not the prettiest things in the world--provide your cat with a surface they'll really enjoy digging their claws into. Make sure the post is tall enough that your cat can get a full stretch and sturdy enough that it won't ever fall over on her.

2. If your cat has already started scratching the furninture cover her favorite spot(s) with double-sided tape. Cats dislike the texture and won't scratch there once they discover the unpleasant new surface of their favorite corner of the couch.

3. Place the post near your cat's favorite scratching spot. Putting the tape on the furniture won't keep your cat from scratching, it will just keep her from scratching THAT SPOT. Fluffy will be looking for a new place to scratch and the closer the scratching post is, the more likely she'll turn to it.

4. Rub catnip into the post. This will further entice Fluffy to choose the sisal scratching post over another piece of furniture. Do this every couple of days, or whenever you think of it during this adjustment period. Fresh catnip will have a stronger smell and therefore be more attractive to your cat.

5. Keep your eyes and ears open for further inappropriate scratching. There's always a chance that Fluffy won't turn to the new post immediately, so you may have to discipline her (a sudden, loud noise, or a squirt from a spray bottle will do the trick) and/or cover more of your furniture with tape.

6. If you see Fluffy scratching her new sisal post, reward her with a treat, or even just some love and attention. The important thing here is that you reinforce this good behavior.

7. OPTIONAL: Cap your cat's claws with Soft Paws. Once Fluffy stops abusing the furniture these might become a little superfluous, but in the meantime they can help prevent further damage. See the link below for more information.

8. Once Fluffy is consistently using the scratching post, feel free to remove all that double-sided tape from your furniture and start making/buying slipcovers or otherwise fixing the damage that you were too late to prevent.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a big house, or the cat has been scratching multiple spots, get more than one post. The easier you make it for the cat to go to a scratching post rather than furniture, the faster and easier this transition will be.
• If your run out of double-sided tape, or don't feel like picking any up, you can also cover the furniture with tin-foil. Like the tape, cats hate the feel of this under their paws/claws and won't scratch anything you cover it with.
• If regular catnip is too messy for you, try some of the spray stuff. It's not much more expensive and can be found right next to regular catnip in most pet supply stores.
• Do NOT declaw your cat. It is incredibly inhumane and will not prevent them from digging their toes into already damaged furniture and ripping it further.
• This process may take several weeks, so be patient. It will work if you just stick with it.

Resources

• Feline Design (sisal post)
• Sticky Paws (double-sided tape)
• Soft Paws nail caps

[powerkat]

on 12/6/2009 It's my first time sharing a space with cats and this info is very useful.

[NuttyMomma]

on 3/31/2009 thanks for the tips! I have new furniture and so far so good but I should get a sisal post.