How to Stop Cats Scratching and Clawing Your Sofa
If you own a cat you will probably already be aware that they can scratch your furniture. That nice wooden dining table and chairs you have is a lovely place for them to sharpen their claws – at least as far as they are concerned. As for your beautiful new leather sofa, it’s fair game to them, and a great scratching area if you’re not prepared for it.
So how can you make sure your cats don’t go anywhere near your sofa (or any other furniture come to that)? We’ve put together some tips to make sure your furniture is cat free and intact for a long time to come.
Understanding Why Cats Scratch and Claw is the First Step to Stopping It
It’s no good scolding a cat if you catch them scratching. They don’t associate being scolded with doing something wrong. If you know why they scratch you can make sure they do it in the right place for you, instead of on your furniture.
They do so for a number of reasons. Firstly it helps to sharpen their claws (not good news when they pick your furniture to do it on). It also helps them to scent their surroundings; they are marking your home as their own. They will also scratch as a form of exercise – watch them stretch while they do it.
As such all these activities are necessary for a cat. You just have to make sure they do it in the right place.
Position a Scratching Post in the Right Place
Take note of where your cat wants to scratch. This is where you need to put the scratching post. Providing this post on its own isn’t enough to solve the problem; you need to put it near the sofa. Ideally you should put it right next to the area of the sofa your cat wants to scratch. Be prepared to buy more than one post if they have several areas they want to scratch.
Changing Habits
This is the real challenge. Even if you provide a scratching post your cat can still ignore it and scratch your sofa. The final step is to provide a deterrent that won’t harm or stain your sofa. There are several natural repellents you can use. Citrus works particularly well; put a few orange or lemon peelings in a small bowl or on a plate next to the area they want to scratch. Replace them regularly and your cat won’t go near them. Once they have developed the habit of scratching the post rather than your sofa, you should be able to get rid of the peelings. You can of course use the same trick wherever else your cat scratches if it is a problem.
As you can see there is no need to buy expensive sprays or to spray your furniture with anything. By using distraction therapy and one or more scratching posts and encouraging some play with them as well, your cat will soon forget how appealing your sofa once looked.
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