Does anyone know any tricks to stop a cat from scratching your furniture?

Answer 1

Buy various kinds of scratchers / scratching posts / cat trees. Example- http://www.petco.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=776076&cm_ven=shopping&cm_cat=33&cm_pla=776076&cm_ite=776076). Encourage positive behavior by doing the following: Place kitty's toys on or around the scratcher. Put his/her treats on the scratcher. Pet him/her, congradulate him/her, and give him/her treats and other rewards after he/she uses the scratcher.

Keep his/her claws trimmed regularly. If you don't know how (or are uncomfortable with doing so) have a vet or groomer do it for you. You could also try soft paws-- http://www.softpaws.com

Oh, and you could try putting a little catnip on the scratcher.

And please, if someone suggests declawing, DON'T. Here's some info. on declawing:
http://www.petstation.com/declaw.html
http://www.geocities.com/catcl/declaw.html
http://www.straypetadvocacy.org/html/declaw_law.html
http://domania.us/catique/declaw.html
http://www.declawhallofshame.com/wst_page5.html
http://www.pawproject.com/html/faqs.asp
http://www.declaw.org/
http://www.laperm.com/Helpful_Information/DoNotDeclaw.htm
http://www.ciara.de/declawing.html
http://amby.com/cat_site/
http://www.woodcox.net/declawing.html
http://www.catscratching.com/
http://community-2.webtv.net/zuzu22/stopdeclawtemporary/
http://www.vpl.com/product_home.php
http://www.paw-rescue.org/declaw_paper.html
http://www.de-clawing.com/
http://www.catclinicofnorman.com/site/view/65666_DeclawingandAlternatives.pml
http://www.phsspca.org/training/declawing.htm
http://www.spiritessence.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=declawingarationallook
http://www.goodcatswearblack.com/declawing/about_declawing.htm
http://www.cara-adopt.org/declaw.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/declaw.html
http://www.amby.com/cat_site/declaw.html
http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/declaw.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/declaw.html

Answer 2

Cat's need to scratch. If you really want to stop it from scratching your furniture there are several steps you need to take.

a. Provide it with a place that they can scratch. Buy several types because you never know which kind your cat will like. Make them as enjoyable as possible. Some are specifically designed to be used with catnip, but if not use some catnip spray. Reward your cat everytime you see them use the scratching post. GIve them a treat (you need to do this right when they use the post, any time lag and the effect of learning is much less).
b. Make scratching the furniture as unpleasant as possible. You can use bitter apple spray to give it an unpleasant smell for animals. Each time they scratch the furniture, go up to them and tap their paws saying NO in a very firm voice. They should look startled, then pick them up and put them on their favorite scratching post. If they start using it at this time, reward them.

Do not hit your cat. There is no need. Do not use water unless you absolutely have to (punishment does not work as well as positive reinforcement).

Most of all remember, it will take much less time to learn a new behavior as it took them to learn the old. if you allowed them to scratch the furniture for a year, don't expect them to stop scratching overnight. Glued on nail tips are a temporary solution and it won't stop the behavior, just prevent damage, and then what happens when they fall off. Surgery is nasty, expensive and life threatening to your cat. If anything ever happens and your cat gets lost, it's dead.

Answer 3

Scratching is a natural behavior for your cat - you'll never get him/her to stop scratching, but there are things to do to help protect your furniture.

First of all - Do NOT let anyone bully you into making a decision you are uncomfortable with. Only you can decide what is right for you and your cat.

This site has some training suggestions to teach your cat to scratch only appropriate items:
http://www.yolospca.org/content/education/cat_scratch.shtml

I know a lot of people consider declawing to be cruel and inhumane - and although I agree that it is an extreme measure, it is also a viable option. With the pet overpopulation problem we have and the thousands of unwanted animals destroyed every year, it is far more humane to declaw a cat than to render it homeless.

If you are considering a declaw, please talk to multiple vets and read veterinary medicine literature first (there are different methods of declawing, and some are better than others). Because declawing is an issue that so many people are SO passionate about, there are a lot of half-truths and non-truths out there. For example, I'm sure you could easily find a hundred web sites stating that declawed cats bite more or don't use the litterbox, whereas the truth is that objective studies have not found any correlation between declawing and those behaviors. So make sure you talk to someone who is unbiased and knowledgable.

If you know you do not want to declaw your kitty and are willing to do routine nail-maintence, then nail caps are a really good idea (various brands like soft paws, http://www.softpaws.com/ , and others). They will keep your furniture protected. The downside to them is that you might have to keep re-applying them until your cat gets used to them and stops chewing them off (although that probably still is less work than helping the cat recover from a declaw). After the cat is used to them, you will only need to reapply every 2-3 months.

Again, above all else - do what is right for you, not what everyone else thinks.

Answer 4

Encourage the cat to use a scratching post. Some cats prefer the ones that stand up, others like the ones that lie flat on the floor. So you may have to do some experimenting to find one the cat likes.

Get soft paws claw covers to help prevent damage.

Keep the cat's nails trimmed.

Put double sided tape on the areas of the furniture where the cat is clawing. They hate the feel of the tape and will stop scratching there after they get stuckaa couple of times.

Answer 5

There are several things you can do:

1) get them something that they /can/ scratch on, like scratching posts etc. Cats need to scratch. It's how they groom their nails and mark their territory. They must scratch, so if you don't give them something, they will scratch your furniture.

2) Your local pet store should have double sided tape that you can put on the furniture. It shouldn't hurt the furniture, but cats /hate/ touching sticky things.

3) Get an air can or water gun and every time they start to scratch the furniture, spray them. Start this especially on the weekend or vacation when you can be around a lot and they cant' get to the furniture without being sprayed.

Answer 6

What you should do is get a spray bottle filled with water and put it somewhere nearby whatever your cat is tearing up currently. Then when your cat starts to decimate your furniture, spray it with the bottle and say "No" very firmly. If it doesn't, try picking it up and moving it to another room of the house and giving it a distraction. This should stop your cat from further ruining your furniture. If that doesn't work, I would suggest a visit to the vet. Good luck!

Answer 7

Declawing is cruel! It is like cutting your fingers off at the first knuckle and then sewing them up. It can also cause problems for life (litterbox, psychological, etc.). Buy a scratching post or cat tree (You can get a scratching post for around $10. Then, when your cat starts to scratch the furniture, say no and then take the cat the the scratching post and gently scratch their paws on it. They will get the picture. I have 2 cats of my own and 5 fosters and all of them use a scratching post. I hope this helps.

Answer 8

yeah! Get yourself a 3 foot long 4 X 4 and wrap carpet around it, It will use that for a scratch fest instead of your furntiture. If your cat is an indoor cat then you can trim it's nails. but if it is an outside cat it needs its claws for protection against other cats or animals. So then it would be good to let it keep it's claws and make the carpet stand instead.

Answer 9

Clap your hands behind it while it is doing that (not TOO close, maybe from 5 feet away) and say NO firmly, this should stop the behavior. If this doesn't work within a week or so, try a spray bottle, but don't go crazy with it.

Answer 10

Salam

Exit claws, enter life with cat. Or build a scratch house for it. They are intelligent enough pour some cat nip on the things you want them to eat and dicipline them off those things you don't want them to tear up. It takes your time and patience to have the characteristic in the cat along side good diet and exersise. That they have what they need and you have what you need and keep. InshAllah Tahala

Answer 11

There is this product called "Soft Paws". It is a latex/plastic covering for your cats nails. I used on my Maine Coon and Curtis no longer scratches up the furniture.

I have even placed them on his nails without the glue.