10 Ways to Keep Your Cat Off the Furniture And On The Scratching Post

Torn upholstery that looks as though Freddy Krueger spent the night at your house. Bed posts with massive incisions. Both instances are common sights in a cat household. However hard you try to domesticate the cat in this aspect, our finicky pals will always find something to scratch.

Some cats love the smell of new leather which means that your new party shoes and expensive bags are never safe from exploration. Therefore, you must take measures to curtail this feline natural instinct and evade this destructive behavior by making your cat attack the scratching post instead of other household items.

Let’s look at ten things you can do to keep your cat from scratching everything besides the post.

Location

Location…Location. This doesn’t just apply to real estate. Nope! The location of the cat scratch lounger is utterly important for the cat to be interested in it. The most effective locations include accessible areas such as play rooms, near the resting spots, and next to the entrance/exit.

Interactive Toy

Are you one of the lucky folks who share a home with several kitty cats? You’re in luck. The pack instinct works like a charm. Train younger kittens along with older cats by using cat toys to lure all felines to the scratch post. The dual play will automatically trigger her natural instincts to scratch the pole while playing with the stimulating cat toys.

Personal Involvement

Scratch the pole yourself. Yep! You read that correctly. The cat will emulate your actions and follow suit as the noise you create will intrigue the cat’s scratching senses. Plus, this is a lot of fun. I’ve done this myself on several occasions and both my babies adored me for doing so.

Use Double-Sided Tape

The areas that you see being destroyed by the cat should be pasted with double-sided tape. The tape sticks in the claws and makes it messy for the cat and discourages the instinct to scratch your favorite piece of furniture or section of the wall.

Block Access

Keep the scratch post and cat products right in front of the area you want to protect. This method isn’t as effective as some others on this list, but it’s still most definitely worth a try.

Use Small Plastic Sheets

Slippery surfaces also defer the cat from scratching and can be used as a film between your favorite piece of furniture and your cat’s favorite scratching place (in case both of them are the same). Just make sure the plastic is firmly secured to the surface to prevent choking hazards. As soon as you notice severe damage then the plastic will need to be either replaced or removed.

Rearrange Furniture

Use less-than-appealing furniture to block areas that are being scratched regularly. This method works best when the cat prefers to scratch walls and wallpapers.

Repellant Spray

Buy a cat repellent spray from the nearest peet store or get it from a website that sells cat products online. Use the spray on your cat’s favorite scratching areas. Never spray your animal. I don’t even like to use water guns on my babies.

Trim the Claws Regularly

Do not declaw your cat. Let me repeat… do not declaw your cat. However, you should clip the nails every 2 to 4 weeks to keep them from being a destructive force. Plus, your baby will thank you for doing so. Many times, the scratching instinct comes from your cat’s need to soothe paws irritated by overgrown nails.

Make Her Love the Post

This is easier said than done and will take a lot of patience and training. Try sprinkling a little catnip on the base of the post. Playing along with your baby will do a world of good as she’ll begin to associate the post as a precursor to playtimes with you.

A nice cat scratch lounger mixed with evasive techniques described in this article coupled with plenty of love and patience from her owner will help your cat come to love scratching her post instead of everything else.

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