Cats love to scratch. Unfortunately, if kitty likes scratching on their owner’s favourite sofa they might not enjoy their clawing quite so much.
It is important however cats be allowed to display this natural behaviour, which is used to maintain claw condition, mark territory (cats have scent glands in their paws) and stretch the body – so if you don’t want your beloved moggy finding places to scratch on their own, it is a good idea to provide owner approved surfaces for your pet to dig their claws into.
Cat scratching posts come in a variety of shapes and colours and are the traditional choice of cat owners. There are other options now on the market also, such as flat pieces made from corrugated cardboard, which cats love.
When choosing a scratching piece of furniture for your cat it is best to observe what they are already scratching in your house and what will therefore be the most appealing to them. Posts that stand vertically are often the choice of cats who like scratching couches, and low cardboard scratchers enjoyed by carpet tearer-uppers.
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2. Encourage your cat to actually like to scratch their new toy
Just because you buy your cat a beautiful new scratching post doesn’t mean of course they are going to like it at first. Many cats will sniff the new object and walk off in disgust – and return immediately to scratching their old favourite spot on the leather armchair you love.
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3. Make your own furniture unappealing
If you take pains to make your cat’s post wonderful and they’re still not completely convinced, make sure to make their other scratching spots ‘unpleasant’ as well.
This can be done simply by spraying anti-scratching sprays
Placing double-sided tape on scratching areas is also effective as cats often run away in horror when they feel the stickiness on their pads when they go to ‘renovate’ items in your house with their claws.
Secretly spraying your cat with a water pistol if you catch them in the act is also advisable, though be sure they don’t catch you in the act as cats are well known to hold grudges!
4. Give your cat a manicure
Cats that live indoors especially can find their claws become over-long and thus painful or irritating to them, making them scratch more than they normally would – as well as making the damage they do far worse.
Clipping the ends of your cat’s claws can help kitties with a serious scratching fix and save your furniture if they happen to make mischief.