i am getting a new sofa, any ideas to stop my 1 year old cat scrathing it? he,s wrecked my other!?

Answer 1

Buy a scratch post and sprinkle cat nip around the base of the post to attract your cat too it. Also use double sided tape on your couch where she likes to scratch, the feel of the tape aggravates them so they will not claw there. After about two weeks you remove the tape and the cat will stay away from it. And the tape will not ruin your furniture. But the cat scratch post is very helpfull. With the two combined you are sure to come out a winner in this situation.

Answer 2

I had this problem with my dogs always jumping on the couch and over time, the couch gets pretty beat up. Instead of investing a lot of money on a new couch (a good one can cost $3,000 or more), I simply look for decent used ones. I'd rather do that than try to keep the dogs off the couch. Once, my grandma gave me a couch, after a couple of years, I bought a used one from my neighbors for $20. As long as the couch is clean and in fairly good shape, this is the best alternative. Or, you could buy slip covers every couple of years.

I don't recommend getting the cat declawed. It's cruel and inhumane. Buy a good scratching post.

Answer 3

Definitely get a scratching post. Also, get a little squirt bottle and put water or vinegar in it - any time your cat scratches - or goes to scratch your couch (or any other behavior that you find undesireable) go ahead and spray him a little. Cats are intelligent and eventually they will learn.

If you do not want to get your cat declawed (I know many people find it cruel), you can try the clear plastic claw covers they sell at petsmart and online - They are called Softpaws - for 19.99 you get enough to last you probably 2-3 months. These are a godsend for those who refuse to declaw cats (and it is not painful or detrimental to your cat's health. As their nails grow, they will naturally shed the nail covers - and then you can replace them with a new cover)

I did this for my cats when we first got them - but I finally broke down and had to get them declawed when I bought a waterbed.

Oh, and catnip will not harm your cat or change their personality permanently. They do get a 'high' from it - mostly they get extremely playful and excitable (but only act like MAJOR goofballs in LARGE quantaties) - but this is something that cats will naturally eat in the wild to help aid in digestion. This is actually something that I will give my cats once per week - and they seem to not have as much digestive problems as they have in the past. I saw an animal planet special on this a couple of months back.

Good luck!!!

Answer 4

I have two cats and I used to have the same problem.
First off, don't declaw them! Second, buy a ton of scratching posts and put them right in front of the couch legs or wherever the cat scratches. It's unsightly, but if you leave the posts there for awhile they will get the car scent on them and the cat will be more attracted to the posts than your couch. There is also a product called Feliway that is a synthetic cat hormone that is supposed to discourage scratching...you can get it from the vet. I tried it though, and it didn't work all that great. Good luck!

Answer 5

buying a scratching post only works if the cat actually uses it - lock him in a room that only has the scratch post and food/litter tray until he uses it then introduce post to rest of house.
When you are out the house make sure the living room door is shut to stop him accessing the couch. When you are in have a spray bottle filled with water on hand to skoosh him when he makes his move to scratch.
If he is a house cat then consider declawing him, but many cat lovers would be up in arms over this. I say if he doesnt go out then he dont need the claws.

Answer 6

Use this technique on your old couch first so you don't ruin the new one...


get some baloons and blow em up. Attach them to the parts of the couch where the cat has scratched... you can also pur some water in them. When the cat scratches the couch the baloons will pop scaring the cat away.

in other words.. be around when performing technique

BE SURE TO PICK UP ALL PEICES OF POPPED BALLOON... if eaten it could causeserious problems

Answer 7

I've heard of plastic tips that can be put on a cat's claws so that they can't scratch things. Not kidding really, maybe you can ask your vet about that.

Also you can use something called Sticky Claws which is applied to the areas of furniture where you don't want a cat to scratch http://www.westwoodanimalhospital.com/ProductsToys/TrainingTools.htm#Sticky%20Paws

Also you can attach a tissue with a strong citrus fragrance to the side of the furniture.

Answer 8

Here is how I broke my cats from scratching furniture. I filled a spray bottle with water and every time i caught his claws in furniture i sprayed it and made a psst sound. then it got to where all i had to do was make the noise. He withdrew claws fast and never tore up furniture. Give spray bottle a couple of weeks and make sure u make a psst sound with it. He will learn fast

Answer 9

go to petsmart and pick up the nail caps. then put double sided adhesive on the couch where he's most likely going to scratch. cats don't like sticky paws. he'll try it one or two times and then give up. the nail caps will keep him from damaging anything, and they last for 3 months. do NOT declaw your cat! it is inhumane for starters. secondly, cats that weren't declawed as kittens are more likely to die after the surgery. if you didn't know: declawing requires them to amputate the first knuckle on each digit. how horrible!

and in answer to an earlier answer, if you haven't already, don't give your cat catnip. it is a DRUG. it changes their personalities! it's basically Kitty Pot!

Answer 10

Start now before you get the new one, when the kitty goes to scratch it bang a news paper on the sofa to scare kitty away, alternately when kitty goes to scratch it have a spray bottle to hand with water and squirt little kitty and little kitty should freak out and learn that when little kitty does wrong will either get the life freaked out of Little kitty by noise or water. Little kitty should become a good little kitty. lol