Do your cats scratch your furniture? Why they do this and tips to make them stop
Any home where a cat "deigns to reside" will typically have some feline "signatures" around: somewhere in the living room or bedroom there will be a scratched-up piece of furniture. It could be a sofa or an armchair, a bed or a wicker basket, window frames or the legs of a table or chairs.
As annoying as this may be, most of us continue to love our cats deeply - but this love will not stop one from wishing that our 4-legged friend can learn to be respectful of the furniture and going to express its scratching urges elsewhere.
First of all the bad news: your cats will never stop scratching - it's in their nature and you can't do anything about this. The good news, however, is that you can get your cat to leave your furniture alone by drawing his/her attention to other scratchable objects chosen specifically for this purpose.
So, why do cats love to scratch furniture and how can we convince them to leave the furniture alone? Well, let's find out:
Why cats love to scratch furniture
There are several reasons why your cat/s scratch your furniture:
- Psychological well-being: scratching has a relaxing effect on your cat, reducing stress and inhibiting other negative behaviors;
- Claw health: scratching helps the cat remove the superficial surfaces of its claws, helping to keep them healthy;
- Stretching: the act of scratching allows cats to stretch themselves, which is good for the muscles and tendons of their entire bodies; for this reason, cats prefer to scratch high up on tall furniture;
- Marking: last but not least, cats scratch furniture to mark their territory, leaving their pheromones on the furniture they scratch (and now "own).
For all these reasons, declawing your cats is not a good idea. Not only this, but declawing is very painful for your cat and can upset its overall well-being.
The 6-step method to get your cat to stop scratching the furniture
You can easily dissuade your cat from scratching your furniture by following this simple, 6-step method:
1. Buy new scratching posts and toys for your cats, selecting those they like best and in materials that they love to scratch and bite on;
2. Place the new scratching posts in strategic spots in your home: for example, in the living room next to a window or in a place where your cats take their naps, so that they can stretch and scratch when they wakes up. Finally, make sure that your scratching post is positioned in a clearly visible spot;
3. Now make your sofa, armchair or bed unattractive to your cat: cover access gaps with sheet so that the cats cannot crawl under it to scratch it; cover the areas that are usually targeted by your cat with duct tape or aluminum foil; alternatively (or additionally), spray the furniture with a citrus spray, which cats find unpleasant;
4. Get your cats interested in the new scratching posts by using catnip or other treats. You can also try leading them to the posts by using their toys as "lures";
5. If your cats are still not interested in the scratching posts, consider using a pheromone-based product, which will be very effective at drawing your cats;
6. Taking this steps, your cats should have learned to leave your furniture alone; make sure you protect any new furniture using these methods and replace any worn-out scratching posts in a timely manner.
Following the above method, your furniture will be protected from feline paws!
