Cats are known for their playful and curious nature, sometimes showing unwanted behaviours such as scratching furniture.
If you’ve owned cats for any time, you’ve probably experienced a ruined sofa or a destroyed table leg!
While scratching is natural for cats, it can be frustrating and costly if you need to repair or replace damaged furniture. One of the most common questions we get is how to get a cat to stop scratching furniture.
Read on to discover why cats scratch furniture, how to teach your cat to stop this behaviour, and how to protect your home.
Why Does My Cat Scratch Furniture?
The problem of cats scratching furniture can be frustrating. To understand this issue better, you should know the underlying causes and how to identify them.
Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats, as they use it to mark their territory and maintain the health of their claws. When their preferred scratching surface isn’t available, cats may turn to furniture as an attractive alternative. Cupboards, couches, curtains or chairs can serve as appealing targets.
To discover what triggers your cat’s scratching behaviour and correct it in appropriate ways, first observe their patterns of scratching.
If they seem fond of particular surfaces or objects in your home, you should redirect them towards more suitable items for feline claw care, like sisal posts or cardboard scratchers which you can teach your cat to use instead.
Scratching Is Natural for Cats
Scratching is an instinctual behaviour for cats, enabling them to remove the dead outer layer of their claws, stretch and flex their bodies, exercise, and leave visual and scent marks. Their paws contain scent glands, so cats like to scratch in different areas of the home.
Stevie scratching a rug
It is a natural part of feline development, so while you may want to stop cats from scratching furniture, you don’t want to prevent cats from scratching altogether.
You should recognise scratching as an essential aspect of a healthy feline lifestyle. Cats can enjoy satisfying this vital instinct safely indoors by providing attractive yet durable alternatives such as scratching posts or cardboard scratchers with catnip sprinkled inside them.
Regular nail trimmings can keep their claws healthy and reduce the impact on furniture.
You can keep your cat content in the domestic environment while avoiding destructive habits by accommodating this normal behaviour, providing designated scratching outlets throughout your home and playing with your cat.
Triggers for Scratching
You should know the potential triggers for scratching that can lead to destructive behaviour. Though cats may scratch to sharpen their nails, certain environmental or social factors could contribute to their urge to scratch outside their scratching post.
Over time, you will learn what events incite cats into destructive scratching,
For example, with loud noises or unfamiliar smells and people, a cat might feel threatened and instinctively seek out any surfaces they perceive as more secure than others.
Changes in a pet’s daily routine, such as food consumption time or family members leaving the house, often result in an increased need for scratching on walls, doors and furniture.
Paying close attention to your pet’s behaviour will help you realise what triggers your cat to start scratching, where your cat already likes to scratch and how you can get your cat to stop.
For example, my cat Vespa loves to scratch after she wakes up and has a good stretch, so having a scratching post next to her favourite bed helps keep her from scratching our new sofa!
Just look at those claws!
How to Stop Your Cat From Scratching Your Furniture
If you’re struggling to find effective methods to stop your cat from scratching furniture, there are several techniques that you can use to discourage unwanted scratching.
These tactics involve distracting cats with alternatives for scratching and providing positive reinforcement to redirect the behaviour.
Additionally, pheromone diffusers and sprays may help reduce a cat’s urge to scratch, as these products mimic calming scent cues in nature.
Ultimately, educating yourself on the root cause of your pet’s discomfort can provide more insight into how best to manage your furry friend’s behaviours over time.
Protecting Furniture
One of the best ways to protect your furniture from damage and wear is by using blankets and covers.
Using sticky tape to secure the covers in place will make sure they don’t move if your cat is scratching them and will save you from ruined furniture.
I put blankets on all the sofa arms in our new house as both cats LOVE to scratch these every time they walk past. It’s time to get a new scratching post for them to use.
Do Not Declaw Your Cat
Declawing a cat is an inhumane and unnecessary procedure that causes great harm to the animal.
The procedure involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe, which is equivalent to cutting off a person’s fingers at the last knuckle.
Cats use their claws for climbing, hunting, and self-defense. Removing them can have long-term physical and psychological effects.
Declawed cats often experience chronic pain in their paw, balance issues, and difficulty walking. Some may resort to biting as a means of protection.
Declawing can also lead to behavioural problems such as aggression, depression, and increased stress.
Instead of declawing, you can provide your pets with appropriate scratching posts, regular nail trims, and positive reinforcement to discourage unwanted scratching.
You must educate yourself about the negative consequences of declawing and seek alternative solutions for managing your cat’s behavior. By choosing not to declaw, you can ensure the health and well-being of your beloved pets.
The Humane Society of the United States advises that “Declawing is banned or considered unethical in dozens of countries around the world.”
Provide Scratching Posts for Cats
Once you know why cats scratch, you’ll see the importance of providing scratching posts for your furry friends. With the right post, cats can safely practice their natural behaviour without damaging furniture or carpets. .
Different scratching posts are designed to accommodate cats of different sizes and ages. They also come covered in durable materials such as sisal rope, which provides resistance to a cat’s claws and creates a captivating experience that helps sharpen a cat’s nails.
Some posts come with various entertaining cat toys to stave off boredom and provide hours of amusement for your pets throughout the day. This helps them stop scratching your furniture.
Investing in a quality scratching post can help meet all your pet’s physical and mental needs at once – promoting healthy habits like stretching and scratching, strengthening muscles and relieving stress or anxiety!
Different Types of Scratching Posts
Scratching is a natural, healthy behaviour for cats, but it can quickly become problematic when scratching your furniture. Investing in a scratching post is ideal for protecting your furniture and your cat’s health. Several different types of posts are available, each featuring its advantages and drawbacks.
The most common scratching post option is the classic vertical post design. This type of post stands tough against vigorous cat scratchers with the help of sturdy materials like sisal or carpeting.
Stevie shows Vespa one way to use the vertical scratching post
This design may not be stable enough for larger cats who tend to lean on the structure to scratch, causing it to tip over. This can easily startle a cat and may make them avoid the scratching post.
Alternatively, horizontal posts lie flat against the ground and provide stability for relentless scratchers; these often feature fabric-covered wooden frames that house corrugated cardboard inserts, allowing cats to dig into them during scratching time.
Despite their sturdiness, however, some disadvantages exist, such as difficulty in replacing worn-down liners since they only come sized as complete units rather than individual inserts as needed with vertical post designs.
You could choose from wall-mounted options that use specialised brackets that attach securely to walls.
If you’re on a tight budget, consider making a DIY scratching post instead. Some rope tied around a piece of wood will work fine, providing your cat with a new outlet for scratching.
Put The Scratching Post In The Right Place
Choosing the right location for your cat’s scratching post is crucial for their satisfaction and your furniture’s preservation.
Look for a spot easily accessible to your cat, such as near their favorite lounging area or where they tend to scratch furniture. Placing the scratching post in a central location of your home can also encourage your cat to use it more frequently.
Ensure the post is stable and won’t wobble or topple over when your cat uses it. Keep the scratching post away from high-traffic areas where it might get bumped into or knocked over.
You may want to avoid placing the post near food and water bowls as cats prefer to keep their scratching and eating areas separate.
Considering these factors and carefully observing your cat’s behavior, you can find the perfect location for the scratching post to keep your feline friend happy and your furniture intact.
Encouraging the Use of Scratching Posts
Bringing a scratching post into your space gives your cat an outlet that can easily replace more destructive activities like clawing your furniture or carpets!
Providing access to comfortable scratch poles will often be welcomed by cats; their height and materials used normally make scratching posts attractive enough for regular use by your kitty friends!
If they don’t seem to take to it immediately, you can encourage their use over time.
Putting the scratch post next to places where your cat usually scratches will help encourage them to use it.
You can also play with your cat around it or involve it in playtime to get them interested in the scratching post. I found that putting a popular toy at the top of the post would encourage my cats to climb the post, they would then realise it was a good surface to scratch.
Rewarding them with treats will train your cat to use their new post instead of scratching your couch.
You could also use catnip pray on the scratching post to encourage them further.
Don’t Punish Your Cat For Scratching
Unlike people, cats and other animals do not always understand the purpose of punishing them for misbehaving.
This can make the punishment as a form of discipline counterproductive when trying to resolve the strain between cats and cat owners.
Punishment can even be harmful, leading to fear or anxiety in felines, which is why it’s essential to exercise caution when deciding whether or not to use punishment as a corrective tool.
More beneficial than punishment is the use of positive reinforcement when attempting to modify the behaviour of cats.
Positive reinforcement will strengthen the relationship between you and your cats by rewarding good behaviour.
Rewarding forms of discipline such as this can give lasting results while keeping emotions in check – something that punishing a pet cannot guarantee.
Final Thoughts
Having a cat as a pet is an immense source of joy, comfort, and companionship.
You will benefit from the unique bond they can create with your cats – one that often goes beyond expectation.
Providing a safe environment and being mindful of cats’ trust and well-being will help any cat owner form a friendship long after the adoption papers have been signed.
You need to understand why cats scratch to take appropriate action when it comes to them scratching furniture. Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats. Providing appropriate alternatives like scratching posts and rewarding their use helps prevent future damage.
If you’re looking for more tips on providing care and comfort to your feline friend while avoiding damage due to their natural behaviours, sign up for our newsletter today!
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