Furniture is one of the most expensive items to occupy an interior space. Unfortunately, it’s also a lovely (and common) place for your cat to scratch something to shreds.
It’s easy to think that your cat is out to get you when you find scratch marks in your furniture. Don’t worry, your cat has a natural instinct to scratch. Help him by educating yourself about why this happens and by providing an alternative place to get his scratches out.
Click to skip ahead:
- Reasons Why Cats Scratch Furniture
- Deterrent Spray
- Declawing Risks
- How to Stop a Cat From Scratching Furniture
The Why Do Cats Scratch Furniture?
1. To remove outer layer of claws
One instinctual reason cats scratch objects is to trim their nails. When they scratch, if an outer layer of their claws are ready to come out, running them through a nobby object will catch the dead layer and take it off for them.
2. To mark their territory
When cats scratch a surface, they obviously leave marks that all can see. But, did you know this method leaves their own scent behind too? Cat’s paws contain special scent glands that put their territorial smell on whatever they are scratching.
3. It’s a byproduct of stretching
Cats stretch a lot. When they stretch, their claws come out. They don’t have the forethought to keep their claws in just for your sake, so to get their full stretch on, the claws come out automatically.
Can I Use a Deterrent Spray?
It’s not recommended to only use a scratching deterrent spray. This is because, when you are training any pet, the most effective method is to deter an undesirable behavior while providing an alternative, desirable behavior at the same time.
Just using a deterrent spray (or tape, or nail covers) is ineffective because the cat still needs to scratch, so he will just move on to something else to scratch. Sprays are especially assaulting to a cat’s sensitive sense of smell. When he comes into contact with the smell, he will cough and sneeze.
Declawing and Why It’s Not Recommended
Declawing a cat is a pretty extreme measure to prevent the annoying scratching habit. We don’t recommend declawing because it can end up causing more behavioral issues in your cat.
The declawing surgery is invasive, as it is essentially an amputation of the lower parts of a cat’s toes. It can be painful for the rest of a cat’s life, so it might act out in other ways like through aggressive behavior or litter box problems. A declawed cat also loses a defense mechanism toward any potential threat from the outside world.
How to Stop a Cat From Scratching Furniture
Now that you have the basics of why a cat scratches your beautiful carpet or sofa, let’s dive into how you can discourage the behavior and redirect it towards an authorized scratching area.
1. Discourage scratching where it’s not permitted
Figure out where and when your cat scratches, deter immediately
You have to know where your cat is scratching and be aware of when he is doing it. Trying to discourage unwanted scratching won’t work unless he’s in the middle of doing it. If you try to train your cat after the fact, he won’t understand what’s going on.
Cats tend to scratch when they are excited, when they want to mark territory, or right after they wake up, so pay attention to these specific times.
Sound
When you catch them in the act, make a loud noise (like clapping your hands, slapping a wall, or something else that’s alarming). Try not to yell at the cat or hit him as this will probably cause him to be scared of you and avoid you.
Cover up the area with something undesirable
Some cat owners cover the unwanted scratching spot with double-sided tape or tin foil. This will also surprise your cat enough to jar him out of instinct so you can successfully redirect his scratching efforts.
Redirect
Now that you’ve got your cat’s attention with an unpleasant and startling sound (or with a cover of some sort), gently direct the cat towards the spot where it’s okay for him to scratch. You won’t want to aggressively pick him up or toss him. Be calm and place him next to the “green light” scratching spot.
If he takes the bait, praise your cat for good behavior. This should help your cat understand where it’s okay to scratch.
2. Give your cat an alternative
Like we mentioned earlier, in order to effectively keep your cat from scratching furniture, you need to provide something for them to scratch on (because they are not going to stop). Here’s a list of things to consider while deciding on an alternative scratching place.
Select a scratching material that cats like
Cats like to scratch knobby and textured things. Here are some examples:
- Things covered in thick, course rope
- Thick, knobby carpet
- Tree trunks or logs
- Anything they can sink claws into
You could come up with a DIY solution or purchase an item made for cat scratching, like a scratching post or furniture protector.
Use the Sofa-Scratcher Furniture Protector
Handmade in the USA, this Sofa-Scratcher works by placing it directly on your cat’s favorite scratching place on the couch. It protects your couch and your cat gets to keep scratching away. Everyone wins!
Put the “ok” scratching spot where they usually scratch
No matter what your alternative scratching spot is, you need to have it in close proximity to where they usually scratch, so they get the idea more quickly. It will be easier to successfully train a cat that can see the “ok to scratch” place near the “bad to scratch” place.
We're quite fond of cardboard as a material in cat scratchers, which is why we love the Hepper Hi-Lo Cat Scratcher. Encased within a well-constructed, modern birch plywood frame, this scratcher is designed with both cats and their owners in mind. It offers three versatile configurations to keep your feline friend active and entertained while enticing them to fulfill their natural scratching instincts (and away from scratching things they shouldn't). For more details, click here!
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
3. Keep those nails clipped
One way to prevent damage from scratching is by being proactive and keeping your cat’s nails dull yourself. Yes, you can clip a cat’s nails! Here are some ways to make the process easier.
Trimming your cat's nails at home can be hard, but having a professional do it can be expensive. With the help of great tools like Hepper's Cat Nail Clipper Set, you can easily and quickly trim your cat's nails at home. This set includes two pairs of stainless steel clippers with safety guards and locking mechanisms, plus a built-in nail file and a convenient pouch.
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Start when they are kittens
When you start the habit when they are small, it won’t be as difficult to get your cat to comply when they are bigger.
Clip every 2-3 weeks
Just like humans, a cat’s claws can be clipped every 2 weeks or so. It might help you remember to do it right after you clip your own!
Try to do it while they sleep
If you’ve ever cared for a newborn baby, they also can be averse to having their nails clipped. A perfect time to clip their nails is when they are in a deep sleep and have no idea what’s happening. The same goes for a cat. You can have most of them clipped before they are stirred at all.
A relaxing setting is best
When your cat is awake, entice them with some relaxing petting before attempting to clip their nails. They will be less prone to freak out in this state.
Just cut the tips
There’s no need to clip a big part of their nails off. If you just cut the sharp tips off, this will give them enough nail to keep scratching, but not the edge to destroy your furniture.
Conclusion
Now you have tools in your cat-training arsenal to help your cat keep away from your expensive furniture. We hope your training is successful and you and your cat can live in peace again!
Featured Image: AllNikArt, Shutterstock
