How to Protect Leather Furniture From Cats

Keep cats from scratching leather furniture.

Cats mark their territory through scratching. In the wild, this wards other cats away from their territory. Domestic cats feel the need to do the same, especially if sharing a home with other animals. They also scratch to sharpen their claws. Unfortunately, sometimes cats' territorial needs end up ruining your leather furniture, which is difficult and expensive to repair. The best solution for this problem is to stop your cat from scratching the leather in the first place.

Things You'll Need

• Scratching post
• Catnip
• Cat treats
• Double-sided tape
• Cat nail clippers
• Bitter apple spray
• Blankets

Instructions

1. Give your cat a scratching post. Cats need to scratch; by giving him a place he is allowed to scratch you lessen the risk of ruined furniture. Cylindrical posts wrapped with natural rattan rope work well.

2. Rub the scratching post with catnip to attract your cat. Set your cat near the post so he can smell the nip. If your cat seems confused, place his paw on the post and make a scratching motion with it. Never scratch your cat's post yourself; the cat will think it is yours and avoid it.

3. Give your cat a treat whenever she shows interest in the post. Slowly decrease the number of treats you give him until she only gets treats for scratching it vigorously.

4. Place double-sided tape around the corners and arms of your furniture where the cat has tried to scratch. Cats hate the sticky, plastic feeling under their claws and will avoid those places. You can remove the tape after your cat learns not to scratch the piece.

5. Spray the edges of your leather furniture with bitter apple spray. Cats hate the smell and should avoid the furniture. Reapply every three or four days. Place blankets on the backs of leather couches and chairs, especially if they face windows your cat likes.

6. Clip your cat's nails each week. Gently hold your cat in your lap, pick up one paw and hold a toe between your thumb and forefinger. Snip the very end of the claws only. Clip only the front paws and take two days to clip both paws, doing only one paw each day.

References

• Apartment Therapy: Good Questions
• Cat Scratching: Solutions
• Humane Society: Trimming Cats' Claws