How do you get a kitten from scratching a leather couch?

Question

I love my kitten, and wouldn't thinking of getting rid of her, but when we jumps up on the couch, she scratches it to shreds. Just the surface but they're brand new! What do I do?

Answer 1

You trim the nails, silly! I'm amazed how rarely anyone seems to think of this simple solution. If you start trimming the nails while they are kittens, they become accustomed to it. Cat nail scissors are available at petstores & often at Kmart, Walmart, etc., are inexpensive - usually $4.00 or less, & trimming nails takes only a few minutes once a week. Just take off the very tips, be very sure not to cut into the quick, which usually starts between the nail curve & the tip of the nail. Nail trims will help a lot, but kitty has a natural instinct to scratch, so provide a scratch post that is tall & won't fall over or nail a sisal wrapped board onto a wall - you want something that won't move & fall over & scare them - your sofa doesn't move, that's why they like it. You might also want to protect your sofa with a cover or quilt when it is just you or your family there & just expose if when you know guests are coming. Also, give kitty a comfy bed of her own & leave treats & toys there to encourage her to sleep in it - they sometimes like beds that are off the ground & are in private areas as they become mature cats.

Answer 2

I also have leather furniture and when I first got my kitten he would jump around on them and it left little scratches. There are a few options you could try:

1.) Soft Paws (but they fall off all the time and you have to replace them, so I stopped using them).

2.) Declaw...I was going to get my cat declawwed, but then I decided that just in case he ever got out he might need his claws, so I didn't go through with it.

3.) Keep her nails trimmed constantly (about ever 4-5 days). If you keep them trimmed flat, then they won't scratch the leather even if she jumps and slides across it. I also have a throw blanket thrown across the back of the couch so that when my cat jumps up there, he has something to grab ahold of instead of the couch and he likes to lay on it and look out the window.

You can also put leather conditioner on the furniture to help cover the scratches and it will make the leather more slick so it won't scratch as easily...

Answer 3

The number one bad thing about cats! OK there may be no way to do that. You'd have to get her to be an outside cat or a garage cat with the option of venturing outside. If you put a triple layer couch covering that may help if you find a some good ones that are not tacky. If the real problem is that she uses it as a scratch post, some cats respond well to scratching posts if you again find one that's not tacky. Another thing you can do is keep an eye on her and get a squirt bottle. Squirt your cat whenever he scratches the sofa and when you're away form the couch room just take her with you or put her in another room or the garage. Declawing is another choice but not a good one as it is considered animal cruelty.

Answer 4

Get Soft Paws for her, that way it won't damage the funiture. Also if you don't have a scratching post, now is the time to get one. I had the same problem with my 7 month old kitten and he stopped shredding the couch after I got the scratching post. When you see her scratching the couch spray her with a little bit of water. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Keeping the cats claws trimmed often is a good way to help this. I have about ten or so marks on my leather from my kitties.

I have also heard of these claw covers that cats don't even feel that would prevent the scratching. You can get them done at the vet and I have also seen them online.

I would definately NOT declaw the cat though. I have had a bad experience with two cats I declawed when I was young. I have two different cats now that I have not declawed and they have been much better pets.

Answer 6

You can get nail clippers from any pet supply store and clip the nails regularly and there would be no damage. Have a scratching post available for your kitten. If you dont like those choices they have caps that you can put over the nail of your cat. The sizes range from kitten to X-large. De-clawing would be another alternative, but I would check up on that and see what side affects it has.

Answer 7

Barbnefer's reply included it, however I simply desired so as to add yet another tip: tape a few aluminum foil onto the corners of the couch wherein they prefer to scratch. Cats do not just like the believe of it. Worked like a appeal with my kitties. You possibly ready to take away it after a while has handed, however I am no longer so fortunate! My cats go back to scratch the second the foil is long gone.

Answer 8

If Soft Paws aren't around by you (cushion tips you put on the kitten's claws) then look for that double sided sticky tape and put strands of that where the likes to scratch. They make that kind for furniture now and you can find it online. Cats hate to touch their feet to some thing sticky.

A vertical scratching post helps, as they do need to exercise their claws. Or one piece of furniture they're allowed to scratch, but I think the sticky tape will be the most effective.

Answer 9

I had the same problem when i first got my cat.

1st i suggest to get a scartching pole , if the cat goes to scratch the couch pick it up and put it near the scratching pole.

If that doesn't work

2nd everytime the cat goes to scratch the couch sqirt the cat in the face with a sqirty bottle.

Good luck :):):):)

Answer 10

You can go to a groomers and get these things put on her nails that are just like fake nails, but plastic, so when she scratches, nothing happens. It doesn't hurt the cats, and they come off in a few months. It's a lot less cruel than it sounds. My cat has had them once or twice, and she just seemed a little surprised the first time she got them, but she got used to them. I think you can get them done at the groomers in petsmart, but I don't know if you can give them to kittens. Good luck :)