Keep Your Cat from Scratching Furniture

Behavior -

Keep Your Cat from Scratching Furniture

Cats are very cute animals that bring you a lot of joy. But when the cat scratches your beloved furniture, your mood instantly becomes irritable. For you, scratching things like furniture and carpets is a destructive behavior; for cats, however, it's a natural behavior because they need to keep their claws moving.


This blog recommends ways to stop cats from destructive behavior, and teaches you how to prevent cats from scratching furniture.

 


Why do cats scratch furniture?

Scratching is a natural expression of cat behavior. Cats scratch to meet their needs to stretch their bodies and relax their emotions.


The most common reasons why cats scratch furniture:

  • There is nothing else to scratch but furniture.
  • Cat scratching board is not as comfortable as furniture.

 

To solve these two problems, you need:

  • Prepare more scratching boards that cats like.
  • Reduce cats' interest in furniture.

What kind of scratching board do cats like?

One of the common mistakes pet owners make is choosing what looks good to them rather than considering what appeals to their cat. When choosing a cat scratching board from a cat's point of view, the following aspects are mainly considered:

  • High enough

Cats often scratch the back of a sofa or chair because they need to fully extend their body and pull on the back, shoulder, and neck muscles. The alternative is to choose a cat scratching post that is tall enough. The height is at least the length of the cat + the height of the straight arm.


 

  • Stable enough

Another reason cats like to scratch couches and chairs is that they are very stable. If the cat scratching post is unstable, the cat will sway when it is scratched, which may frighten the cat and may not be used in the future.
The higher the column, the more stable it needs to be. Therefore, when purchasing cat scratching posts, be sure to choose a stable chassis, and avoid thin and light bases or top-heavy cat climbing frames.

 


Put it in the right place


Scratching is a daily activity for cats, don't put the scratching board in a corner that it doesn't go to often, but in the area where it is most active.
• Sleeping area. Cats like to stretch their bodies when they wake up, and you can place the scratching board where the cat usually likes to sleep.
• Active area. The place where cats usually like to play/in front of the windowsill.
• Next to furniture that cats like to scratch.

 


What if the cat doesn't like it?

  • Sprinkle with catnip or small toys.
  • When it scratches the cat scratching board, give it a reward and tell it it is right
  • Remove anything that makes the cat uncomfortable. For example, if the cat does not scratch, it may be because the cat's scratching column is unstable, and it will shake when it is scratched. Switching to a solid scratching post may increase the likelihood of your cat scratching.



Finally, the use of scented sprays is not recommended for everyone. As long as you understand the habits of cats, you can create an environment that they like, and you don't need to solve the problem in a way that makes cats repulse and hate being close to furniture.