How To Keep Your Cat From Scratching Your Furniture

A cat’s natural instinct is to scratch his nails. If your furniture in your home is being destructed, read the following tips on how to show your cat where it is appropriate to scratch.

First, it is important to know why your cat scratches and why it is important to provide the ability for your cat to sharpen his nails. The reasons why a cat scratches his nails are:

• It conditions the claws by removing the dead outer layer or sheath.
• It is a way of marking territory by leaving both a visual mark and an odor or scent (cats have scent glands on their paws).
• It is a way of stretching the entire body and flexing the feet and claws.
• It is used during play.
• It may be that cats communicate dominance by scratching in front of other cats.

In order to convince your cat he shouldn’t scratch your furniture, follow these steps:

• Try giving your cat posts made of cardboard, carpeting, wood, sisal and upholstery – all different qualities and surfaces. Some cats prefer horizontal posts. Others like vertical posts or slanted posts. Some prefer a vertical grain for raking, while others favor a horizontal grain for picking. Once you figure out your cat’s preference for scratching, provide additional posts of that kind in various locations.
• Encourage your cat to investigate her posts by scenting them with catnip, hanging toys on them and placing them in areas where she’ll be inclined to climb on them.
• Discourage inappropriate scratching by removing or covering other desirable objects. Turn speakers toward the wall. Put plastic, double-sided sticky tape, sandpaper or upside-down vinyl carpet runner (knobby parts up) on furniture or on the floor where your cat would stand to scratch your furniture. Place scratching posts next to these objects, as “legal” alternatives.
• Clip your cat’s nails regularly.
• Consider putting plastic caps on your cat’s claws so that he’ll do no damage if he scratches on something in your home. These special caps attach to claws with an adhesive. They’re temporary, lasting four to six weeks.
• If you catch your cat in the act of scratching an inappropriate object, you can try startling him by clapping your hands or squirting him with water. Use this procedure only as a last resort, because your cat may associate you with the startling event (clapping or squirting) and learn to fear you.