How to Stop Cats from Scratching Furniture

Your cat does so many adorable things from rubbing against your legs to purring when you pet her to playing with toys. But one common cat behavior that most kitties are prone to is a lot harder to love than these cute ones–clawing at the furniture. Cats may claw for a wide range of reasons, but no matter what the cause, it can be annoying to you and destructive to the upholstered surfaces in your home. The good news is that you can usually take steps to address the problem.

If you’re trying to figure out how to stop cats from scratching furniture, this guide will help you out.

Understanding Scratching

First things first, it’s important to understand that all cats are different when it comes to scratching. You may have had a cat in the past that left the furniture alone entirely and now have one that is constantly clawing at it. Even in households with multiple cats, some kitties will be more frequent scratchers than others.

Before you can get into the specifics on how to stop cats from scratching furniture, it’s important to understand that you cannot and should not try to keep your cat from scratching at all.

Scratching is a normal behavior for cats and serves a variety of purposes. Not only would it be harmful for your cat to never scratch anything, but you’d quickly grow frustrated trying to break your cat of the habit. It might not even be possible. For a cat, scratching comes as naturally as blinking and breathing do to you.

To be able to learn how to stop cats from scratching furniture, you first need to know why cats scratch in the first place. Here are some of the most common reasons:

– Stress Relief. Just like you, your cat can feel stressed out and anxious. When that extra energy sets in, one of the ways that cats release it is through scratching. Remember–your cat can’t tell you “The sound of the vacuum cleaner bothers me” or “Hey, I’m worried because my food bowl is empty.” Scratching is a way for them to let out nervousness and excess energy.

– Claw Management. In your house, your kitty doesn’t have to hunt for his meals, but in the wild, cats do have to rely on themselves to capture their prey. Claws play an important role in hunting and allow cats to climb to reach their food and to hide from predators.

Because your cat’s claws are important in the wild, he has the instinct to keep them maintained. A cat’s claws are covered with a thin material known as the husk. When the claw grows, the husk covers the sharp claw underneath, dulling its surface. Scratching helps to strip away the husk to keep the claws sharp. Your cat can sense when his claws are dull and will scratch to ensure that he’s ready to hunt, even though he doesn’t have to.

– Stretching. You know how good it feels when you raise your arms up over your head and stretch out your back? Well, your kitty gets that same feeling when she reaches up her paws to scratch. Cats have a natural instinct to scratch in order to promote spinal health and keep their front legs nice and strong.

– Territorial Marking. In the wild, it’s important for cats to have their own territories, places where they can hunt and be free of competition from other cats. One way that cats mark their territories to ward off other kitties is through scratching. The pads of a cat’s feet leave behind a scent that is only detectable to other cats and signals that they should stay away–or else! When your cat scratches a piece of furniture, she may be saying “I like this! This is mine!” in hopes of keeping other cats–real ones living in your home or imagined–away.

When your cat scratches, it may be for one or more than one of these reasons. There is really no way to ever be certain what a scratching behavior means at any given point of time, but one thing is definite–trying to punish your cat for doing it will likely only lead to more stress and more scratching.

How to Stop Cats from Scratching Furniture

So if punishment doesn’t work, how do you stop cats from scratching furniture?

The best strategy is to give your cat something of his own to scratch. As previously explained, you can never take away the urge to scratch, so instead of fighting it, you can give your cat a place that he can claw to his heart’s content without worry.

By placing scratching furniture in your home in the area where he or she scratches the most, you can redirect your cat to his designated scratching area whenever he starts to scratch.

Types of Scratching Posts

Most scratching furnishings and accessories for cats are called scratching posts, but there are actually different kinds. They include:

– Scratching Posts. A true scratching post is a vertical pole with a square or round bottom. The base and the pole are all upholstered with a durable material like carpeting or thick woven fabric.

– Cat Condos. A cat condo is a multi-level piece of scratching furniture that is upholstered. Some have toys included in their design or enclosed areas where cats can hide. Usually every part of the cat condo can be used for scratching.

– Scratch Pad. A scratch pad is a piece of cardboard-like material that is placed on the floor for scratching. The cardboard wears out over time and is simply thrown away and replaced with a fresh pad.

Guide to Choosing a Scratching Post

The secret to how to stop cats from scratching furniture is to choose the best scratching post for your cat. When shopping for cat scratch furniture, consider the following:

1. How Does Your Cat Scratch?

Does your kitty tend to stretch out her legs and claw downward onto the carpet or put her legs up to scratch? Cats that primarily scratch downward do best with scratch pads, while scratching posts are the right choice for vertical clawers. A cat condo will usually have a mix of vertical and horizontal scratching surfaces, making it a good choice for cats that do both.

2. What Does Your Cat Scratch?

What exactly does your cat tend to scratch? A smooth leather sofa? A thick pile carpet? Silky drapes? Observe your cat’s behavior and then think about the characteristics of the surface that your cat tends to choose. Then, look for a scratching post, scratching pad or cat condo with a similar texture. For example, if your cat scratches the drapes, it might be because they blow when your heating and cooling system turns on. A cat condo or scratching post with dangling scratch toys would give your kitty a similar experience.

3. Where Does Your Cat Scratch?

For best results when trying to get a cat to stop scratching furniture, you need to put your scratching post nearby whatever your cat most often scratches. This means that you’ll need to consider how much space is available in that room and look for a piece of cat scratch furniture that will fit there perfectly. Some people prefer to find scratching posts that complement the colors in their room. This isn’t necessary, but it is something that you might want to keep in mind when you shop.

Getting Your Cat to Use the Scratching Post

Once you have a scratching post in place, the next step in how to stop cats from scratching furniture is to get your cat to use the post instead of the furniture.  Try these techniques:

Redirection. You can simply pick your cat up and move him or her to the scratching post when you hear the sounds of the claws on the couch.

Scent. If your cat has a fondness for catnip, try spraying the surface of the scratching post with a catnip spray or rubbing fresh catnip on it.

Fun. Lead your cat to the scratching post with a toy like a feather tickler. You can use the toy to distract your cat and guide her to where it is most needed.

Deter. Until your cat adjusts to the scratching post, keep the furniture that your cat likes to scratch covered with plastic to take away the fun. You can also dust the furniture with baby powder to make clawing less pleasant.

Interrupt. If your cat scratches the furniture, try clapping your hands loudly or hiss at your cat to discourage the behavior.

Praise. When your cat uses the scratching post because of your direction or on her own, lavish praise on her. Pet her or give her a treat, so she begins to associate positive things with scratching in the appropriate place.

No matter what you do, never hit your cat or shout to try and stop scratching. Not only is this abusive, but it will likely backfire and make the situation worse.