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.
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