Cat Scratching is a must-do for kitty…

but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of your furniture!

by Linda Hall and Rita Reimers, Cat Behavior Experts

After looking at hundreds of couches, you finally found the couch of your dreams! You’ve been saving money for so long and it’s finally time to make the purchase and get that beauty into your living room.

But that very night, your cat starts scratching on it. Your beautiful furniture is about to be shredded!

What do you do?

First, we understand being angry about the couch, however some people get angry with the cat. They think the cat is doing this because he’s “bad”. We need to look at it from the cat’s perspective.

All Cats Must Scratch

Cats HAVE to scratch. When the need arises, they look for something that will do the job. They have no idea of your couch’s value or that they are harming it. They just found a good place to scratch.

How do we save the couch?

We all know that cats do as they please, so we have to make them choose to leave the couch alone!

Cat Scratching Alternatives and Deterrents

One of our favorite tools for this is two sided sticky tape. They can be found many places including most pet supply places. Put a piece of this clear tape on the couch where kitty is scratching. When he returns to that spot, he will feel that sticky stuff and will choose not to scratch there, because it didn’t feel good.

Next, you need to supply an alternative. Get a new scratcher or scratching post and put it near the couch. If he seems to ignore it, add some catnip or catnip spray to get him interested in investigating this new object. After your cat starts using it, you can begin to move it away from the couch slowly, if you don’t want to keep it there.

Some cats prefer horizontal scratchers and others prefer vertical. If you are unsure of your cat’s preference, get one of each. We want to be sure your cat likes it and will use it to satisfy that scratching need.

Need help with your cat’s scratching?

If you are having a particularly tough time with your cat’s scratching behaviors, you may want to Book A Cat Behavior Session with us to share your individual situation. Together, we can make a plan that saves your furniture and makes your cat happy, too.