Not only is cat scratching annoying, but it can also be very costly to you. Your cat doesn’t have any concept of how much your furniture costs, nor do they know the value of a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. Your pet only sees these things as items that they can sharpen their claws on when the need arises. Having furniture being constantly ripped to shreds is obviously going to get very expensive if you are always having to mend or replace the pieces in question. Not to mention the fact that it can be embarrassing to have friends and family over when your living room looks like a war zone. You need to learn how to stop cats from scratching furniture and this article will point out a few very effective ways that will help prevent all your favorite belongings being systematically shredded.
The first and most effective scratching deterrent, is a simple scratching post, or hanging cat scratcher. These little devices work so well because they are made up of materials that cats love to sink their claws into. They also come in shapes and colors that are designed to draw your pet’s attention, and anything that looks like a more attractive scratching device is going to reduce the damage down to the things that matter.
Another great way to stop your pet from destroying your furniture is to cover them up with plastic. Believe it or not one of the reasons that your cat scratches furniture, wood and carpet is that they like the way that it feels. These objects are made of textures that feel good to your cat. Plastic on the other had, does not feel as good and so is generally avoided. Unfortunately humans don’t much like the fell or look of plastic either so this may not be the most useful of tips.
The third way to stop a cat from clawing at your stuff is to spray your furniture with citrus scents. You should make sure that these are safe to spray on your furniture. There are a wide variety of pet sprays that are made to do just that. Cats to not like these types of aromas and will try to avoid them.
The last effective way to keep your cat away from your furnishings is to reward your cat every time they scratch where they are supposed to, a scratching post, and avoid places that they are not.
Any combination of these methods should give you a better chance in succeeding in your efforts to protect your belongings from getting torn to shreds by your pet.