How To Keep Cats From Scratching Furniture

Many cat owners have wondered just how to keep cats from scratching furniture. All cats have a natural need to scratch and often times the furniture, carpets or bedding pays the price. This article will give you a few tips and suggestions on keeping your cats from clawing the furniture.

1. Place multiple scratching posts throughout the house. Scratching serves many purposes for a cat and when the need to scratch comes, it can be hard to resist. Purchase several cat scratching posts from your pet store and place them in areas where your cat seem to like to scratch the most such as the sleeping area, litter box, feeding area & play areas. Cats tend to take well to scratching posts and will find them more enjoyable than scratching up the furniture. There are many cat scratching posts available. Some even have burrows where your cat can climb, play and sleep.
2. Cover the furniture. While your cat is getting use to the scratching posts, cover the areas on the furniture where it use to scratch with an annoying texture. Aluminum foil and double sided tape are disliked by cats and they will steer clear of it.
3. Keep your cat stimulated. Sometimes a bored cat with little stimulation will scratch the furniture for comfort and entertainment reasons. Be sure to spend plenty of time with your cat and when you can't, try buying her a few engaging cat toys to play with. A window perch with a great view is also perfect for keeping a cat entertained
4. Use training devices. There are many training devices on the market designed to keep cats off of furniture or away from restricted areas. They work by creating a startling noise or even spraying a harmless mist when your cat comes near the area.
5. Get the cat declawed. Declawing is usually a last resort for most cat owners whose cats just won't stop scratching the furniture. There are some vets who refuse to perform this surgery because they feel it is inhumane and painful. A cat uses it's claws for protection and therefore, if declawed, will not be able to defend itself if needed.