Is your cat leaving your furniture tattered and frayed, all the while shredding away at your nerves? If so, you are not alone. Scratching is a problem that many cat owners must face at some point in time if you keep your feline friends indoors.
Here are some tips on how to stop cats from scratching furniture..
Why Do Cats Scratch?
Half the battle is understanding why your cat is scratching in the first place. Scratching is in a cat’s nature. This fact is obvious when you look around at your shredded drapes and tattered sofa.
Although it does not always seem so, cats do not scratch because of the enjoyment they get from angering humans. Cats are simply born with a need to scratch, just as they are born with a need to purr and to breathe.
Cats in the wild scratch to let other cats know they are there, claiming their immediate environment. This type of territory marking is both olfactory and visual. Other cats will see the claw marks and smell the released pheromones that indicate a spot is taken.
Many people mistakenly believe their cat is sharpening their claws when he or she scratches, but that is not exactly true. While it is true that scratching removes the outer layer of dead cells on the cat’s claws (known as nail sheaths) the larger reason for a cat’s scratching is in maintaining physical health; it is a form of physical therapy for the tendons and muscles of the paws.
To think that you stand a chance at getting your cat to stop scratching is futile. However, it is possible to stop your cat from scratching furniture.
Provide An Alternate Scratching Target
Cats like to scratch most after sleeping and eating. Therefore, you will need to provide multiple scratching alternatives to keep your kitty happy. Make sure to place something to scratch close to where your cat eats and another near their favorite napping area.
Experiment with a variety of scratching posts to find the one that your cat prefers (check out our Combo Scratching Platform). After all, if your cat does not like it, he or she will just go right back to scratching the already preferred spot, your furniture.
Keep in mind that you do not have to fill your home with scratching posts. Cats also enjoy a number of other surfaces, including wood, rugs and cardboard. In addition, cats like to scratch both vertically as well as horizontally. There are a number of cat furniture products (cat condos, etc.) that will fit the bill, and keep your home looking nice as well.
Success With Cat Scratching Posts And Furnishings
The scratching targets you provide must fulfill both the physical as well as the physiological needs of the cat. Following are some final tips to help you successfully introduce a scratching target for your cat:
- Remember one reason cats scratch is to mark territory. Therefore, alternative scratching targets should be placed in areas used frequently by family members, not hidden in a corner somewhere.
- Gradually introduce your cat to the scratching targets by placing them near where your kitty would normally scratch.
- Make sure scratching posts and other alternative targets are secure to appeal more to your cat.
- Never “show” your cat how to scratch, or risk insulting the feline, resulting in lack of enthusiasm to please you by doing as you ask.
With some care and effort in introducing your posts, after a while your cat will learn to prefer their alternative scratching targets, so you can enjoy both these precious pets and a lovely home.
