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| Humane Ways To Get Your Cat To Stop Scratching The Furniture |
Humane Ways To Get Your Cat To Stop Scratching The Furniture
Cats can be a joy to have as a pet. Unfortunately, they can be a terror when they use your furniture as a scratching post. They don’t do it out of hostility. Scratching is normal for cats and they need to do it. Scratching cleans out their nail sheaths, outer layer of dead cells from the claw and it helps keeps the nails healthy. Plus they scratch for communication or for marking territory.
So what can you do to keep your cat from destroying your furniture? First of all you must understand it’s only natural for cats to scratch and they are going to do it anyway. Read also: The Rudeness of Claw Elimination.
Fortunately, you can train them to not scratch your furniture and prefer using a scratching post.First of all when choosing a scratching post you need to consider the type of material your cat will like. Some cats like hard surfaces, while other cats prefer soft materials. You can experiment with different materials using scratching pads to get an idea of what appeals more to your cat. Keep in mind, the post needs to be sturdy enough to support your cat’s weight and long enough for him to stretch.
To make using the post more pleasant for your cat to use, try putting catnip and his favorite toys around it. Read also: How to train a cat.
Make sure your cat gets plenty of mental stimulation and exercise, otherwise he will destroy your furniture with his claws due to boredom and frustration. Spend at least fifteen minutes a day playing with him.
Here are some things you can do to keep your cat from scratching the furniture.
Keep the furniture covered with something the cat hates to touch; double sided tape, some plastic or aluminium foil. Cats usually don’t like the feeling of foil and the noise it makes, plus they dislike things that cling to their fur.
Another thing you can do is use sprays like bitter apple or actual orange peels around the furniture. Cats hate the way those smell and will repel it everytime.
The worst thing you can do is use physical punishment to try stop your cat from scratching the furniture. It will only make him afraid of you and want to avoid you. Plus, it won’t solve the scratching problem. Read also: Guidelines With Regard to Presenting Kittens and Cats
It is unreasonable to expect cats to stop scratching, they need to scratch. At least you can condition them to not to scratch inappropriate areas and train them to use a scratching post or pad.