Are you tired of finding your beloved furniture and couches transformed into shredded works of art by your furry friend? It’s a common scenario for many cat owners, but fear not, as there’s hope to maintain both your cat’s happiness and your furniture’s integrity. In this guide, we’ll explore effective techniques to train your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture. With patience, consistency, and a few expert strategies, you can achieve harmony in your home and keep your furniture looking brand new.
One of the biggest challenges is teaching your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture. That’s if you’re not so “lucky” to have a cat that enjoys climbing curtains. Or perhaps your cat takes issue with where you’ve placed the flower vase and other items that, in their vision, belong neatly arranged on the hardwood or tile floor.
Before we delve into what you can do to deter your cat from using their claws on your furniture, sofa, or carpet, let’s understand the root of this behavior. Why do cats scratch and dig their claws into sofas, furniture, carpets, or any other items they can find?
Why does your cat scratch the furniture, sofa, or carpet?
Before we explore how to train your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture, let’s understand why they exhibit this behavior. This habit is entirely normal for felines and serves several purposes.
First and foremost, indoor cats use scratching to warm up their muscles and tendons, essentially as a relaxation technique. You’ll often notice many cats starting to scratch the sofa or carpet after waking up, while others do it before playtime, getting ready to dart around the house.
By scratching various materials, cats sharpen their claws. A cat’s claw consists of several concentric layers of keratin that shed periodically. Through scratching, the dead layers on the surface of the claw are removed, leaving the cat with sharp and polished claws, prepared for potential attacks or self-defense. Claws are a feline’s primary weapon.
Stress and anxiety relief is another reason why some cats choose to scratch the couch, carpet, or furniture. If a cat doesn’t receive enough attention or is left alone for extended periods, this behavior may intensify.
Outdoor cats use scratching as a territorial warning to potential intruders. They scratch visible wooden surfaces or tree bark to demonstrate their capabilities to unwanted visitors. Moreover, by scratching, a cat leaves behind an olfactory imprint. There are sweat glands at the base of a cat’s paw pads that secrete a substance with a unique odor for each individual. It’s like an olfactory fingerprint, imperceptible to humans but a means by which cats identify each other. Cats are known to have a much more developed sense of smell than humans, and they recognize individuals, places, or elements in their environment by scent.
How to train your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture
Being a species-specific trait, this habit cannot be trained out of a cat. “Scratching” is as normal for a cat as purring or using a litter box.
Cats only scratch certain surfaces, those they can sink their claws into and that provide resistance when they start to scratch. If you have a fluffy carpet or a sofa with a soft and silky surface, there are minimal chances that the cat will sink its claws and scratch.
The most effective method is to provide your cat with a special scratching post or mat, preferably made of sisal.
Pet shops offer a wide range of cat playsets equipped with sisal. Most sisals consist of a sturdy wooden or cardboard base with a thick twine glued or wound onto it. This “invites” the cat to scratch it, diverting their attention from the furniture, couch, or carpet.
Sisals come in various strengths and sizes. A sisal can be as simple as a post wrapped in twine or a mat with a tough twine fabric. Train your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture with a suitable sisal.
Placing a sisal is the most effective method to train your cat to stop scratching the couch and furniture.
When you bring the sisal into your home, don’t force your cat to use it immediately. Let her explore it and encourage her with toys placed around it. Once she realizes it’s a perfect spot for her claws, she’ll adore it!
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However, some cats, even with one or more sisals in the house, may continue to scratch upholstered chair backs, sofas, or other pieces of furniture. In this case, your best bet is to protect those areas. Cover the upholstered chair back with a sweatshirt or hoodie for a while, use repellent substances/sprays, or something citrus-based. These scents will keep the cat away from that spot.
Trimming the claws is not an efficient solution. While it’s recommended for indoor cats to have their claws trimmed, they will still attempt to scratch certain surfaces.
