how do I keep my cat from sratching my furniture?

Answer 1

Scratching with claws is natural behaviour. It helps cats shed their ever-growing nails, and is also used to mark territory. and hey, it's some exercise that's FUN for the cat.

Clip your cat's nails regularly.

Cover up furniture that you do not want scratched, until you have retrained your cat.

Best bet: get an appropriate cat scratching post, and put it in an appropriate location (where the cat will use it, not where you think it should stay). Not all cats like all scratching posts - you may need to experiment to find the best solution. (some like horizontal, some like vertical, some like carpeting, some like cardboard... some will use it if it has catnip on it, some will use it if there are toys on it, etc.) Once the cat is used to the scratching post in the cat's favorite position, you can start moving it slowly to a more unnoticeable spot. Cats like to re-use the same scratching post, so even if it starts to look bad, your cat may like it better that way, and are more likely to follow it somewhere else.

There is a vinyl product called Soft Paws http://www.softpaws.com/ that can be applied to your cat or dog's nails, which keeps them from effectively scratching your items.

Above all, DON'T DECLAW. It can be a very traumatic experience to a cat (equivalent to removing the tips of all of your fingers). It'll also leave your cat defenseless should it ever encounter a threat (such as if it escapes outside).

Cats do not take to punishment very well, but can learn very quickly with rewards.


As a kid, one of my cats liked to scratch furniture a lot (preferrably laying on his back and pulling himself along the base of the furniture). My mother had an old chair that she didn't want anymore, so it was OK for the cat to scratch that. The cat liked to be the center of attention, so we put the chair next to the TV. Whenever we caught the cat scratching something we didn't like, we'd pick him up and put him on/under his chair (we didn't force him to scratch on it), and whenever he'd scratch this appropriate chair we'd praise him and occasionally give him treats on the chair. He quickly figured it out and only scratched this chair in the house. (He still scratched trees and boards outside, which was fine.)

Recently I was cat-sitting my aunt's 13 year old cat at my house while she was out on a 10-day vacation. My aunt told me to watch my furniture, as she (her cat) likes to scratch and never took to scratching posts. Sure enough, she'd like to scratch my couch or my bed, but only when I was there - to get my attention. I got her a cardboard scratching post, and put it next to the spots that she was scratching - nothing. I then put catnip on it, and showed her me scratching on it - and then she'd spend an hour at a time rolling over the scratching post and using it, rarely scratching my furniture except when meowing at me wasn't enough to get my attention to feed her canned food... I told my aunt about it when she got back, and gave her the scratching post and catnip - turns out that my aunt had never tried scenting her posts with catnip in the past, so that's probably why her cat never used them.

Answer 2

It's a cats nature to scratch. Get a scratching post or that cardboard stuff and put catnip on those to attract it there. Get something noisy to scare the cat with when it starts on the furniture. Give the cat a treat for using the post. That should give the kitty some guidence and diciplie- Good luck

Answer 3

I know that cats will scratch just about everything but the scratching post! lol. There is a spray you can get at petshops, read the label before you cover your furniture, make sure the fabric wont react to the spray. You will have to spray the furniture a couple of times a week untill the cats get used to scratching something else... Cats do that to mark their territory. Try clipping their nails with a special cat nail clipper. You have to be carefull tough, cats have veins that goes to the mid section of their nails and its not easy to spot the first few times. Try clipping just the tip of the nails once every 6 to 12 days. Make a scratching post or buy one and put some cat nip on it. Do try that spray it really works.

Answer 4

Get a few good scratchers made from corrugated cardboard and put them through the house. The corrugated cardboard ones are the only ones I've found that the cats really like. Whisker City Cat Scratcher is a good one - do a google. You might want to try the squirt gun too. Just using water in a squirt gun works wonders. Don't overuse it for too many things or your cat will get confused. There are also double sided tape things sold in pet stores that you can put on the couch which discourages scratching.

Answer 5

Take her to a pet shop and ask them to show you how to trim your cat's claws the proper way. You could also get her a scratching post. "Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements. Feed her and play with her by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Make all the asssociations with the post pleasurable. Reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it. Have her chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in her digging her claws into it. Eventually she will learn to love it and regard it as her own. It's also a good idea to put a post where Kitty sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If space permits, a scratching post in every room of the house is a cat's delight. The most important place is the area of the house in which you and Kitty spend the most time."

Answer 6

A squirt gun (if used quickly and accurately and consistently) can work, but you have to zap the cat immediately during the "scratch event" and you have to get the cat every time. Otherwise, you will only train the feline to scratch when you are not around.
The only sure-fire way to prevent scratching on furniture is to de-claw the cat. Either leearn to love shredded furniture, or bite the bullet and have Fluffy disarmed.

Answer 7

My sister uses a product called soft paws (there are also others on the market). They are little plastic caps for their claws that are humane and very effective. They don't seem to bother my sister's cats at all...check it out on the net!

I use the spray bottle on my cat (just water). Seems to work just fine! Also, make sure your cat has a scratching post. If he already does but won't use it, put some catnip on it. That should do the trick :)

Answer 8

You can't. If your cat is that aggressive, consider the shelter before it ruins your house and chases away your friends. Would you rather buy new furniture every month? How important is a cat, more important than a nice home?

Answer 9

the ONLY way to totally prevent that is declawing. i know it sounds wrong but i've had 8 cats over the years and they absolutely are 100% back to playing, jumping and imaginary scratching after the surgery and u can love it instead of get rid of it or you'll end up resenting the kitty for ruining your stuff.

spraying water, scratch posts - unfortunately, only good in theory

Answer 10

Get her a scratching post of her own. Cats have to scratch - it's their instinct. I have 3 cats, and they don't scratch my furniture because I have plenty of scratching posts around that they scratch. Then, if they do start to scratch furniture, I shoo them away from it, and rub some catnip on their scratching posts to make them like the scratching posts more.