How to Keep Cats from Scratching Furniture with Home Remedies?

Cats scratch for many reasons, including stretching, marking their territory, filing their claws, and communicating with other cats. Unfortunately, inappropriate scratching can leave an enormous mess behind!

At-home remedies to keep cats from scratching furniture: Here are a few solutions:

1. Scratching Posts

Provide your cat with several scratching alternatives to reduce its scratching behavior. Cats typically love stretching and scratching when they first wake up from naptime. So having a scratching post or tree nearby will meet this need while protecting furniture. Place the scratching post in a prominent place so your cat will see and use it often; reward him/her when using the post instead of scratching the sofa or carpet. And it should eventually lessen over time.

An ideal scratching post is typically constructed of sisal or coir material and features a scratchy surface for cats to scratch on, such as sisal or coir ropes, making them attractive choices in pet stores, online retailers, and home improvement centers. To get your cat using the post, offer treats or sprinkle catnip over it as incentives; play games near it so it learns to associate its presence with enjoyable experiences like wand toys or treats nearby.

If your cat still scratches your couch, try using deterrent spray or noise to discourage it from returning to its old spot. Wrapping aluminum foil or double-sided tape around the couch might work; failing that, use a plant sprayer or squirt bottle with water instead.

If you own a large cat, investing in a tall scratching post with a sturdy base may help your feline avoid damaging furniture and to prevent house destruction. Consider purchasing scratching covers – plastic sheets that cover fabrics.

2. Deterrent Sprays

Many pet stores sell deterrent sprays designed to stop cats from scratching furniture. These usually contain an unpleasant scent or taste such as citrus or bitter apples that is off-putting to cats and applied directly onto areas that you want protected, discouraging cats from returning there again and again.

These sprays are easy to use and may work for some cats. But others may need other means of deterring scratching. One simple strategy is covering an area with double-sided tape, aluminum foil, or plastic sheeting – cats dislike sticky surfaces so will often avoid these places altogether. You could also try placing clear vinyl panels – available in various sizes. And attached easily via screw pins – instead of plastic covers which may look unsightly on furniture.

Water can also help discourage scratching by flooding an area with it. When your cat attempts to scratch something, use a water spritzer – it won’t hurt them and may help them associate scratching that piece of furniture with negative feelings, like being sprayed.

Scratching may be an indication of anxiety or boredom for cats. To combat this behavior, keep them engaged with toys and playtime to reduce these feelings. Also, have your vet regularly trim their claws. Finally, for any special furniture or items of importance to your family that your cat tends to scratch at, consider keeping them in an inaccessible room to reduce potential scratching incidents.

3. Scratching Pads

Cats that lack adequate scratching surfaces often resort to other less desirable locations to sharpen their claws. This often includes furniture such as chairs and sofas. Luckily, there are several home remedies you can try to stop misdirected scratching by your cat.

One solution is a scratching pad designed specifically for cats. These pads typically consist of fibrous paper that mimics the texture of furniture that your feline likes to scratch on and can even be flipped over when wearing and tear begins to show. Most are even reversible so when their effectiveness wanes you can simply flip them back over.

Attractive scratching pads can also be moved around the house to give your cat different scratching surfaces throughout your home, providing him with various scratching surfaces that he may prefer. If he proves to scratching certain furniture items, consider placing an attractive scratching post/pad near it (you may have to gradually move it back once he starts scratching more often).

Many people have had great success using attractants on scratching posts and pads to lure cats there. Some cats respond well to catnip, while others react better to different scents and flavors. Try scattering some dry catnip on desired scratching surfaces or spritzing some catnip oil on them to gain their attention.

When training your cat to use appropriate scratching surfaces, always employ positive reinforcement instead of punishment; punishing will only serve to scare and confuse them further, possibly damaging the bond you share with them. If they occur to scratch furniture you don’t wish for, simply redirect their behavior by telling them gently what they should be doing instead and offering plenty of praise when they finally do so.

4. Plastic Covers

Some pet owners will try anything they can think of to protect their furniture from scratch marks caused by cat claws, including purchasing furniture covers that claim to prevent claws from ever touching its surfaces. Although these covers might provide some relief in certain households. They could potentially pose risks for both you and your cat; damaging nails may cause pain while providing only a short-term solution for scratching issues.

Before resorting to plastic covers, try diverting your cat’s scratching behavior in other directions. Offer various scratching posts and pads made from different materials (carpet, sisal, and wood) near objects you wish to protect and encourage it with toys such as catsnip or honeysuckle spray to use them more regularly.

If your cat has already taken to scratching on furniture pieces such as couches and other pieces of furniture, it may be more challenging to retrain them away. A plastic cover could provide a temporary solution. These covers can be purchased at most pet stores or online retailers and feature sticky backs that adhere to furniture, making scratching more difficult for cats.

Remember that scratching is a natural cat behavior and should not be seen as sign of aggression. Scratching will stretch and strengthen muscles while marking territory and keeping claws healthy by scraping away old outer layers. Declawing should never be attempted as this may lead to health complications as well as prevent them from protecting themselves. When threatened or attacked by other animals.

5. Cat Scratching Posts

Cats need to scratch, it is biologically in their nature and helps keep their claws healthy as well as mark and territorialize territory. But if they use your expensive couch as their scratching surface it can be hard to change their behavior.  Therefore, cats must have access to other objects they can use for scratching so their focus shifts away from furniture towards these other objects instead.

No matter their scratching needs, every cat deserves the chance to scratch on something they enjoy. Whether that means simply providing a simple sisal scratching post or going all-out with multi-level posts featuring lounge and climb spots, or something even fancier like toys to stimulate them and keep them coming back for more scratching action! There’s sure to be an appropriate scratcher out there just waiting for them! And some come equipped with added features, like toys your kitty can interact with to encourage frequent scratching sessions!

When introducing a scratching post into your home, be sure to place it prominently and close to any furniture your cat likes to scratch. Add catnip or treats as lures and use positive reinforcement when they start choosing the post instead of other objects like sofas or carpets. Over time, this should train them to appreciate and prefer scratching the post over other objects – which means avoiding inhumane declawing while giving your kitty the exercise needed for proper functioning.