Train My Cat To Stop Scratching Furniture!

How Can I Prevent My Cats From Scratching My Furniture?

While cats may require scratching to remain calm and healthy, you no longer want them to trample on your expensive furniture or other possessions. Here are some strategies to get your cat to quit scratching your furniture:

Purchase some toys and scratching pads: Purchase some toys and scratching pads: Provide your cat with at least one suitable scratching post, this will help your cat ignore the furniture in your home. Sounds good? I think you also think so.

Place the scratching posts in areas where your cat enjoys playing or relaxing. These include spaces near windows and the family room.

After waking up, cats like stretching and scratching, so keep a cat close to where they often sleep. Place one close to any furniture that they tend to scratch. Each post needs to be placed in an obvious location where your cat can use it to define their territory.

Put a sheet around the area where the cat has scratched to prevent it from being accessed by the cat in order to deter it from doing so on couches and other pieces of furniture.

To cover the area, you can alternatively use aluminum foil or double-sided tape.

Another approach is to spray a citrus-scented fragrance on the couch, as cats don't enjoy the aroma of citrus.

Make the posts scratchable for your cats: Smear catnip or spray honeysuckle on the posts. The cat will be drawn to this and become more enthusiastic about scratching the posts. Another option is to play with a wand toy next to a post, then put the toy on the post so the cat will find it and scratch it.

Bad scratching should be diverted: If you see your cat scratching in an inappropriate place, make a loud noise to distract them and guide them to a scratching post. Give them food or catnip as a positive reward when they scratch a post.

Keep your cat's claws trimmed: Keeping your cat's claws trimmed is an essential strategy to reduce scratching. Uncontrolled claw growth can hurt and occasionally infect your cat's paw pad. Trick your cat's claws every few weeks to prevent them from becoming too long.

Cats scratch, but why?

Understanding why your cat scratches your couch (or other furniture) in the first place will help you train her not to do it in the future. Cats scratch objects for a variety of purposes, such as:

To extend. The muscles and tendons in a cat's body, from her toes to her neck and shoulders, are stretched and exercised by scratching.

To note. Scent glands are found on a cat's paws, and when she scratches something, the smells help her mark her territory. Using this mode of communication is crucial to feline social systems. He will feel the urge to communicate this way even if you only have one cat in your home.

To keep the claws healthy. To maintain the health of the claw, scratching aids cats in periodically shedding the outer nail husk as needed.

Feeling good. For cats, scratching simply feels wonderful. It reduces stress and the likelihood that your cat may exhibit other undesirable habits.

Knowing why cats scratch is essential, you might ask if it would be wise to declaw your cat simply so you don't have to worry about damaged furniture.

Should I Declaw My Cat?

Even though cat scratching might be a bothersome problem, declawing your cat is not a smart move. Pet owners frequently view declawing as a quick, simple repair. Declawing your cat can actually lead to significant, lifelong problems.

"The Humane Society of the United States opposes cat declawing, with the rare exception of a malignant nail bed tumor, according to numerous articles on the subject"

There are a lot of good reasons not to declaw kittens and cats. Cats naturally scratch to feel protected and secure, and they rely on their claws to do so. Declawing, which involves amputating the terminal bone of each toe, is not a little trim. It's like having every finger severed at the last knuckle. There is no medical advantage for the cat from this serious procedure. It actually has a number of ways to hurt the cat. The following problems may result from declawing your cat:

Infection: There is a substantial danger of infection if each toe has a significant wound. After getting their claws removed, many cats develop life-threatening and agonizing infections.

Physical discomfort: Declawing hurts the paw. This frequently goes beyond the standard recuperation time following surgery. Following declawing, many cats continue to experience pain. Muscle soreness can also result from not being able to stretch out their muscles while scratching.

Lameness: Cats that have had their claws removed may become permanently lame due to chronic discomfort and other issues. Some people have a persistent limp.

Hope these tips are helpful for you guys, thank for reading ✿✿