how can i stop my cat scratching my sofas - fabric sofas?

Answer 1

Scratching posts. Lots of them. When you see kitty scratching the sofa scold her and moveher to the post. Be very consistant.

Answer 2

There are several products on the market to help with this. Soft paws are plastic nail caps that last about 4 - 6 weeks.
Sticky paws is a double sided tape that is designed to not hurt your furniture, but the cat will not like the texture.

Invest in a good scratching post. It should be tall and sturdy - enough to let your cat stretch up on it and really dig in - that's why your cat is choosing your sofa to scratch. It's tall, sturdy and an appealing texture. A good scratching post should be around $50. Don't go cheap here because you will waste your money if the post is short, unstable and an unappealing texture.

There are also small scratch pads that look like corrugated cardboard with catnip at the bottom of them. These are only about $6 and most cats are attracted to them and like the texture, but they do not last very long.

Answer 3

You can do either or both of these: 1. Cats need to scratch because it helps to file and sharpen their nails. You need to give your cat an alternative place to scratch. I would recommend you either buy a scratching post or make one from wood and a piece of carpet. Make sure the scratching post is tall enough for the cat to scractch and even stretch their paws. 2. Go to the $ store and buy a spray bottle if you don't have one already. Fill it with water. Everytime the cat scratches the sofa, spray the cat and soon the cat will associate the spray with the sofa and will no longer scratch your sofa.

Answer 4

You can get your cat a scratching post or a cardboard scratcher. You can also try Soft Claws http://www.softclaws.com

You cannot prevent your cat from scratching, but you can train her to scratch only in certain areas. A scratching post or even furniture with scratching areas will give your cat the alternative place to scratch. Cats scratch most frequently right after waking so it is critical that the scratching post is convenient to where they spend much of their time. Some cats prefer real wood posts and will not touch rope sisal posts. Others prefer cardboard, and still others, carpeted posts. Find out which kind your cat prefers and then spray with a catnip spray or keep a catnip toy nearby. If your cat has already scratched your furniture, use an enzyme cleaner to eliminate the cat's scent which it will return to. Then spray daily with one of the products designed to keep pets away by leaving an odor they prefer not to be around (but is OK for you). Citronella sprays are a good first start.

Answer 5

Cats enjoy scratching items with a vertical thread, hence their attraction to curtains and soft furnishings.

Part of a cat's desire to scratch, is to mark territory and for this reason, it's always a good idea to provide them with at least two scratch items around the home. Does he have a scratch post or other item? A good post should be tall enough for your cat to fully stretch his body, usually at least 28 inches tall, and should be very stable. Cats have preferences for the types of item they like to scratch, so offer him alternatives like corrugated cardboard, heavy duty door mat etc. until you find what he likes using best. Place the scratch post/item next to where he's currently scratching as once he begins using it, you can always move it (gradually) to another spot in the room. Remember to reward him with food treats or lots of praise when he uses it. The web article below offers lots of good advice on training your cat to use his scratch item instead of your furniture.

http://www.catscratching.com/

As your cat's claws will have scent marked the sofa where he has scratched, you need to remove his scent to discourage him from using the same spot again. Cats really dislike the smell of of menthol or eucalyptus oil, so try adding a few drops to water and spraying those areas. Curiously enough, cats won't scratch areas that they have chin rubbed and Feliway mimics that scent, so you can also spray that on areas you don't want him to scratch, but you must do this once a day for at least 21 days in order for it to be effective. You can also put double sided sticky tape on the floor in the area where his back legs are when he scratches. Thus he won't be able to stand in the place and therefore cannot scratch. Remember that you must provide an alternative scratching area, otherwise he will just scratch the sofa in another spot.

Keeping his nails trimmed will also limit their potential for accidental damage.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Answer 6

The sprays that cats find stinky I find stinky as well. I used them and found them to be offensive. If you want to protect your upholstered furniture there is a very simple solution...cheap too! Go buy a roll of clear contact paper. Apply the adhesive paper to the corners of your sofa, loveseat, chair. Cats do not like the slick feel of the contact paper and will not touch your furniture.
The clear paper allows your furniture to remain looking like your furniture. It does not contain chemicals which may damage the fabric. Give it a go and let me know how it works for you. It was the solution that worked perfect for me. Saved my sofa from going to the boneyard for couches.

Answer 7

Cats are highly intelligent but also from this have logical answers to get them to do what you want. For animals that work solely on their quality of life and their own needs quite simply in the decision to manicure their claws or maintain the state of your sofa they will pick their claws everytime. Smack 'em or shooo them, well their do it when you are not there. Buy something else for them to scratch and make it more appealling.

Answer 8

PLEASE don't get your cat declawed! It's cruel. Definitely follow the advice of others and make sure your cat has a scratching post. In the meantime, if you put double-sided tape on your furniture where the cats scratch, they won't like they way it feels on their paws and they won't scratch there. When you see them going to scratch, move them to the scratching post. You can purchase catnip spray. If you spray it on the scratching post, they'll be even more drawn to the post. Lastly, shooting them with a water bottle always works.

Answer 9

Put some lemon juice on the areas the cat is scratching. It will not like the smell and it covers up the scent left there from the pads on its paws. If this doesn't work then try putting small balloons there. When they pop it scares the mud out of them. Or try using a water gun on it when you catch it scratching. The lemon juice worked for my cat. Hope it works for yours.

Answer 10

Get scratching posts.. this will help but may not totally stop your cat from scratching the sofas.
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