Most cat owners are well acquainted with the sound of fabric tearing. Perhaps you've spent hours attempting to remove claw scratches from a wooden floor or observed even as the legs of your favorite armchair turned shaggy with torn threads. The responsibility of owning a cat includes scratching. But that doesn't mean you have to submit your stuff to their capricious whims and severely armed thugs.
Why Does My Cat Scratch So Much?
You should understand why your cat scratches your furniture before making any attempts to train it to stop. Cats need to regularly exercise their muscles, which they may do by scratching. In between each of a cat's paws are smell glands. The glands produce smells that they might use to mark the limits of their territory whenever they scratch something. Your cat may remove the old skin from the tips of its claws by scratching. The claws remain healthy and sharp as a result. Cats may release tension by scratching, and it also helps them avoid harmful habits like reckless defecation.
Here are ways to stop cats from scratching furniture.
1 - Purchase some toys and scratching posts.
At least one good scratching post should be available for your cat. Choose posts that are strong, tall, and made of a material that encourages scratching, like sisal fabric. This is important because if your scratching post does not have a surface they can scratch on, cats may overlook it.
2 - Purchase cat nail caps.
Cats vary in their levels of tenacity and destructiveness. You might wish to take into account a product like Soft Paws, which are tiny caps that you put over a cat's natural nails, if you frequently return home to damaged furniture. They enable your cat to scratch normally without creating as much damage. Everett claims that some veterinary facilities will apply them for owners, despite the fact that they can be a bit laborious to apply and that they last for roughly a month to six weeks. They come in a variety of colors as a fun extra, so your cats will appear to have had a vibrant manicure.
3 - Avoid declawing your cat.
Declawing is not advised for cats. In order to prevent the claws from coming back, the last bone on all of the cat's toes should be removed during surgery. It can also cause behavioral issues like biting, refusal to use the litter box, and even cat fear, according to many experts.
4 - Use cat-scratching spray.
4 - Use cat-scratching spray.
By making your cat believe that it has claimed its territory, a cat scratch spray will deter it from scratching in places you don't want it to. Although you can buy a spray to prevent cats from scratching furniture, it's simple to make your own at home with vinegar, citrus essential oils, or even garlic and peppermint! Also, if you want to keep your cat off the kitchen counter.
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5 - Encourage the cat not to scratch the furniture by saying.
To prevent the cat from getting to the scratched area, you can accomplish this by putting a sheet around it. You can also use double-sided tape or aluminum foil to cover the area. While cats don't like the scent of citrus, another strategy is to spray a lemon scent on the couch.
6 - You must occasionally let the cat win.
Sometimes you just have to give up. For instance, it's kinder to leave a piece of furniture available for cats to use rather than completely remove it when they show such a strong liking for it.
7 - Tape around cat scratches.
Cat scratch tape is the solution if you're wondering how to prevent cats from scratching leather furniture. The same holds for carpet, cloth, and hard surfaces like doors and walls. Similar to ordinary tape, the double-sided sticky tape is available in rolls or panels and may be applied as needed before being quickly removed. Since they dislike the sensation, cats refrain from scratching when their paws are sticky. Read This: 10 Affectionate and Cuddliest Cat Breeds
8 - Make the posts scratch-able for your cats.
On the posts, smear catnip or spray honeysuckle. This will draw the cat, who will then become more eager to scratch the posts. An additional choice is to play with such a wand near a post, then place the toy on the post where the cat will discover it and scratch it.