Six Ideas to Prevent Cats From Scratching Furniture

Cat lovers know all too well that one of the biggest challenges of owning a cat is trying to figure out how to stop your cat from scratching furniture. Cats scratch for two reasons. The first reason everybody thinks of is your cat's need to sharpen its claws. But the second reason, the one that's not so obvious, is your cat's desire to leave its territorial mark. This is especially true when you catch your cat scratching and clawing the furniture or carpet in particular.

 Nothing can be more frustrating than watching your lovable kitty scratch and claw your new couch to shreds. What to do? Understand that scratching and clawing are natural behaviors for your cat and you cannot prevent it from happening, but you can train kitty to scratch only in certain areas. Here are some

1. The first thing to stop cats from scratching furniture is providing at least one scratching post, several would be better. Cats like stretch and scratch after sleeping or after meals. It makes sense for a scratching post to be near the cat's food bowls. Cat trees provide for many feline activities at the same time. Cats can scratch and climb them rest on them and even use them as observation posts.

2. It can also help to reduce the cat's need to scratch by keeping the claw tips trimmed. After all one of the reasons cats need to scratch is to get rid of excessively long claw tips.

3. Keeping them entertained is another way to prevent cats from scratching furniture. Boredom and lack of exercise can lead to frustration and silly ideas which are often taken out on the furniture. Actively playing with the cat promotes the bonding process, and the cat gets rid of excess energy. Creating a comfortable spot near a window can provide mental stimulation for when the human is absent.

4. Yet another trick to prevent cats from scratching furniture is to change the texture of the item. Usually, cats decide what to scratch based on how it feels under the paws. Taking that away can be very effective. Double-sided tape, as well as silver or plastic foils, can be used for this purpose. But this method is only recommended with cats they don't chew or even eat non-edible things. Where this is a problem citrus or eucalyptus oils can be applied to the endangered objects. Such oils are non-toxic, but they will keep most cats at a distance. Tea tree oil must be avoided!

5. When they're caught in the act, one can stop cats scratching furniture with a direct squirt of water or a shout. But cats are smart. This will not deter them in the human's absence.

6. A new invention, soft vinyl claw caps, can help cat owners in their effort to prevent cats from scratching furniture. Many happy customers testify to the effectiveness of this method. Though it should be considered that a cat's personality can play a role in the success.