Cats just can’t help but scratch furniture, as it’s an innate part of them. They do this to stretch their bodies, clean themselves, show they’re stressed, or even just do it for the fun of it. To save your couches, beds, and tables from the claws of your new feline friend, do these 18 things today.
Opt for Posts With Vertical Weaves
Another hack to keep your cat interested in the scratching post is to get one with horizontal weaves. International Cat Care explains that “materials with a vertical weave are considered to be better than horizontal weave as it allows cats to drag their claws downwards.”
Set Up a Scratching Post
The best thing you can do is provide your kitten with its own personal scratching furniture. Before you buy one, try to figure out how your cat likes to scratch. Some cats scratch horizontally, so a horizontal scratching post will be good, while vertical posts are great for other cats.
Use Catnip for Attraction
Use some enticing scents around the scratching post to make it your kitten’s new favorite spot. Catnip, also called catmint or catwort, gives them so much satisfaction and proves to be their favorite. Scents from sunflower, valerian, olive extracts, and basil are also great, as PD insurance shares.
Train Cats From an Early Age
Buying a scratching post is not enough. Your kitten doesn’t know that it’s supposed to use it, so your money is wasted without some training. Get your cat accustomed to scratching posts from an early age by making it their only comfortable spot to scratch. Our next tips will prove useful here.
Cover Furniture With Thick Material
You can cover your cat’s favorite furniture with a piece of thick cloth or plastic. With thick clothing material, your kitten probably still goes back to this spot, but you protect your furniture from damage. Thick plastic material deters cats, as they hate the high-pitched sound that comes with scratching it.
Surround Furniture With Deterrent Materials
If getting these materials on your furniture proves to be a struggle, you can easily create a restrictive zone around it. As the MSPCA-Angell says, “sticky paper, aluminum foil, heavy plastic, or a plastic carpet runner (knubby side up) can be placed in areas you want to be off limits.”
Cover Furniture With Sticky Surfaces
With sticky surfaces, you can make your cat so annoyed that it completely abandons its favorite furniture. Cats don’t like the limiting feel that comes with a sticky surface. Double-sided tape will do the trick here, but make sure it doesn’t have harmful chemicals.
Cover Furniture With Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is another material cats absolutely hate being around—particularly due to the wrinkly feel and scuttling sounds that come with it. Many people use them on countertops to prevent cats from climbing up there, so you can also use some around your furniture during training.
Use Deterrent Sounds
Chase your kitten away from furniture using sudden, high-frequency sounds that frighten it. The best part is that you don’t even need to be there to trigger these sounds. Motion-detecting devices make it easy and more consistent, effectively teaching your cats not to get close.
Never Shout At Your Cat
Cats double down on undesirable behaviors when they see that they get your attention. They’ll knock off objects from counters, sit on your laptop, and, yes, scratch on your most favorite furniture. As the Anti-Cruelty Society simply advises, “the best thing to do is ignore him.”
Use Scents as Deterrents
Do you know what cats hate more than annoying surfaces? Scents. With 40 times more receptors than ours, scents can get really overwhelming for your kitten, pushing it to avoid areas where they smell. Some of the best scents to use are citrus-fruit scents, garlic, vinegar, coffee grinds, and eucalyptus.
Trim Its Nails
If your kitten doesn’t seem to budge or always finds new furniture to scratch—furniture that isn’t the scratching post—you can trim its nails. Be careful while doing this, though, as without proper care, you can hurt your kitten. It’s best to hire a professional groomer or use nail caps instead.
Get Posts That Are Big Enough
Make sure your scratching post is long enough to accommodate your cat’s stretch. If not, your cat doesn’t even bother using it. It isn’t enough that it is as long as your kitten, however. You’ll also want to make sure there’s extra room to accommodate some growth.
Always Use Stable Posts
Unstable scratching posts aren’t only uncomfortable for your kitten; they’re also not functional (when rested on) and even frighten your kitten off. Instead of using these hazards that your cat wouldn’t want to be around, go with scratching posts that have wide bases that complement their height.
Put the Post Where They Like Scratching
You can set up the post beside the furniture your kitten loves to scratch. This is a way to subtly introduce it to new equipment without making drastic, and sometimes ineffective, changes. You do this now, and then move the post to where you really want it to be later.
Keep Posts Close to the Kitten’s Bed
A kitten’s favorite time to stretch and release tension in its muscles is after taking a long rest. Hence, the best place to put the scratching post later on is close to where your kitten’s bed is. You can even go the extra step to buy a cat tree that comes fitted with a bed and scratching post, giving you excellent value.
Give Praise for Using Post
Instead of shouting at your cat for clawing at the couch, put more energy into praising it for using the scratching post. Give your kitten a lot of treats when it claws at the post, and gradually reduce how much you give it with time. Also, after it has learned, give it treats for using the post once in a while.
Spray With Some Water
One way you can dismiss unpleasant behavior is to spray your cat with water. A cat may interpret your shouts as attention, but it definitely doesn’t see cold water as something it likes. Add in deterrent scents to make it more effective, and also spray mid-scratch to let your kitten know that’s what gets it unpleasantly wet.
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