I want to buy a nice couch but dont want the cats to scratch it? Any ideas? I WILL NOT DECLAW?

Question

I have tried soft paws and they dont stay on long enough. I was hoping someone knew of like plastic protection you stick on couch or something like that or maybe a behavioral thing that will stop them. I just bought a new house and want to keep it clean and neat! Thank you!

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with declawing your cat. Have you ever tried it? Try it and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Have a good vet do it for you.

Answer 2

Cats have scent glands in their paws, so when they scratch, they are also marking territory, and the scent encourages them to scratch in the same places each time. This is why it's worth spending time teaching a cat to use a scratch post, because once they do, they will always want to use it. If cats get anxious or stressed, they will scratch more or in new places. Using a water pistol on an already scratching cat will therefore make it even more worried. It may just wait until you are not around to begin scratching, or it may even begin spraying. So never punish or frighten a scratching cat. Cats also use scratching as a way of asserting themselves and will scratch in the presence of another cat. Finally, some cats scratch to get your attention. They often will look at you as they start scratching. Saying "no" or shouting at it is attention. If your cat is an attention seeker make sure you don't 'reward' it. Walk out of the room when it scratches. Temporarily cover the furniture that you want to protect, or put double-sided sticky tape on the floor in the spot where your cat's back legs are usually positioned when they scratch. (If it's uncomfortable to stand there, they won't be able to scratch). Put additional scratch posts next to the furniture, as many as necessary and encourage them to use those instead. Remember to reward them with either food treats or praise when they do. Cats are smart, and they much more inclined to adopt certain behaviour if it benefits them in some way. When the new scratch posts are well established, you can remove the covers from your furniture. If this goes smoothly you can then move the scratching posts, a few inches every 3 days, to a better area in the house. If the cats continue to scratch the old area, this is because it is more attractive than the scratch post. The old area still SMELLS like the place to scratch so the cat keeps topping it up. If you can do so, cover this area with something that can be transferred to the scratching post. Ie. a piece of cloth or newspaper which, impregnated by the scratch scent, is then tacked on to the scratching post. Feliway mimics the scent found in a cat's cheek glands and they will rarely scratch areas that they have chin rubbed. Try spraying the affected areas with Feliway on a daily basis for minimum 21 days, as this can also deter scratching. Aplogies for the long post, but hopefully there are some suggestions that will help you. Where I live declawing is illegal on the grounds of animal cruelty - enough said.

Answer 3

I can understand why you don't want to declaw your cats. If I'm not mistaken, declawing involves cutting the cats toes, essentially, in half. Ouch...

I'm not a cat person, but I know there are a number of sprays and products that you can apply to your furniture and it will keep them away. Aside from that, keep the cat stimulated with a good scratching post and lots of toys. Perhaps you can try gating them into a room with a scratching post for awhile. Once they've become accustomed to the post, they should be ok to roam since they should also return to the post whenever they feel the need to scratch.

Aside from that, your only other option is to declaw. I don't really have an opinion, although I do see the argument against it. My brother got it done to his cat and the cat is perfectly happy. But, you do what you feel is right and healthy for your animal.

Answer 4

You have lots of suggestions for how to keep the cats away, but you might want to really look at the sofa coverings. I've heard that sturdy ultra suede or sueded microfiber is less likely to snag, but it must be very sturdy and a tight weave! Keep a scratching post, or a very attractive cat tree in the same room, so there is something they can "maul" a bit without damaging your furniture... And keep in mind- a pet is family, and my kids do lots more damage to furniture than my cats ever have!
Good Luck!

Answer 5

Some of these answers are great, like the sticky paws. I've never tried it but I heard it works. Just remember, what works for one cat may not work for another. For example, I got a new sofa and put double sided sticky tape on both sides and on the front and left it there for about a month. When I thought my cat got the message, I removed only one small strip of tape and my cat started clawing that spot again. I put the tape back on left it and the next week pulled of a small piece of tape in another spot. She never got the message not to scratch so I had her declawed. This was before soft paws and before I knew the implications of declaw.

And the citrus thing doesn't always work either. I have a cat that will roll around on the coffee table for about 5 minutes after I clean it with lemon scented furniture polish. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen. I asked the vet about it and he just shook his head and moved on to something else. I think he was just baffled about that.

Give the soft paws another chance. I've had varying degrees of success depending on how determined my cat is to get them off. Once they all fell off about two weeks after putting them on because her nails were in a sheding cycle or something. It took about 3 days for all of them to fall off but that was only once. Usually they last for several weeks. And you can get so many nifty colors.

And one of my declawed cats rubs her paws on the sofa but since it doesn't make any noise, she will bite and pull at the sofa threads with her teeth. It shounds just like a cat clawing. Fortunately, the damage she has done in two and a half years has only resulted in about 4 or 5 threads hanging and I can just snip those off and it's no big deal. I should try the bitter apple on those areas. I didn't think about it until just now. It might give the sofa a longer life.

Answer 6

You can get plastic strips to protect the corners of your couch, but that will only work if your cat likes the corners. Sticky Paws is great-it worked wonderfully with my cat. There are also several deterrants available as sprays-all you have to do is apply it to the cats' favorite spots and they should stop scratching. One of these is citronella, as other people have mentioned, but there's several others available at places like Petco and Petsmart.
Do you have a scratching post for your cats? Try getting one covered in sisal-the texture is similar to burlap, only rougher, and most cats LOVE it for scratching. Rub some fresh catnip on it to make it more appealing. You can probably get them to scratch only the post and not your furniture.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 7

You're right about not declawing - don't listen to the people who says it's OK. They only say it because they don't understand the true implications of removing bits of an animal to suit themselves.

Right, rant over. You have three options:

+ cover the sofa with something, but note that most cats will get through it eventually!
+ try the squirt-with-water method if he ever claws the sofa - remember he may not. You could also try the 'Getoff spray' type stuff, it is supposed to work for clawing as well
+ the only sure way to make the sofa safe is to ban the kitty from that room. You may need to do this anyway at night when you're not around.

Good luck, and HURRAY that at last someone understands the ethics (or lack of) of declawing!

Chalice

Answer 8

You can buy cat repelling products, that you sprinkle around the area you want your cats to avoid. They will hate the smell, but you won't notice it at all. (Can be picked up at garden centers.) Also try a scratching post, or a plastic slip cover. Or ANY slip cover (then you don't have to like how your new couch looks!). You can get slip covers at most home decor stores.

Also try clipping kitty nails periodically. It isn't declawing, it's just like when anyone does their nails. Clippers can be bought at pet supply stores.

I have leather couches: they are easy to keep clean.

Answer 9

Thank you for having the sense to not declaw.

Get one or a few scratching posts and treat with catnip.
when your cat scratches stuff you don't want, say No formly and go and put the cat onto the scratching surface, enough times should show them this is where you land up if you scratch, may as well scratch here. Encourage them to scratch there by rolling the paws.
Get a water-pistol or water-squirter spray, and whenever they want to scratch, just give 'em a quick spray, it enfirces where not to scratch.
There are also various home remedies (citrus scents) and commercial products you can get for them to deter them, and also, you can clip the nails a bit yourself, as this site describes step by step.

http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm

Answer 10

You are a very good person, and cat owner of doing that , declawing is wrong, good for you,go to the pet store, and they have spray away , that cats hate the smell, and buy a sraching post, and put cat nip on it, and get a water spray bottle, and everytime your cat does something you dont like, spray the cats and say no.

Answer 11

You can train your cat to stop doing something by taking a spray bottle and giving them a squirt whenever they are going to do something. You can also buy covers for your couch corners so that the cat doesn't scratch it.