How to keep cats from scratching the furniture?

Cats scratching the furniture is perfectly a regular aspect of their behavior. Most outdoor cats scratch the trees or fence, while indoor cats love to do their scratching on furniture, drapes, rugs, or carpets. You know, scratching is the innate instinctive behavior of cats, so they need to scratch. They do not have the concept of doing the right or wrong thing; they only meet their needs. So, whenever cats want to scratch, they do not ponder questions. Where should I scratch? or Where my owner prefers? The cats can scratch anything, which results in the tearing of a sofa, couch, carpet, or other furniture.

If you have a fur friend who loves to scratch, we can guide you to prevent your lovely cats from scratching your beloved furniture.

Why are claws and scratching so crucial for cats? 

Soft claws are an emotionally, physically, and socially vital part of your fluffy friends. The clawing helps in scratching as it is not only a natural instinct but also a necessary one. The cat claws do scratching for many reasons: it removes the dead outer sheather of claws to keep them sharp for hunting, provides full-body exercise to strengthen the upper body, and nails contain scent glands when they scratch they leave a scent to mark territory in the home. Additionally, some house cats scratch the furniture as they are bored because they are not getting proper mental stimulation.

Most people believe declawing is the harmless and the only solution. But in reality,  declawing a cat is worse than a manicure. A declawed cat is less likely to use the litter box, start biting, cause behavior problems, and make it unpleasant for the house cat. 

What can I do to stop my cat from scratching the furniture? 

• Provide alternative surface or objects 

The best way to stop your cats from scratching the furniture is to provide alternative surfaces and plenty of other scratching opportunities inside the home. The alternative cat stuff may include the cat scratching posts, cat house, cat toys, cat towers, scratch pads, pet furniture, cat tunnel, cat scratcher, and other corrugated cardboard. The general rule for cats to scratch is on a rigid surface that helps resist claws’ pull. This, in turn, makes cats stretch their bodies as high as possible to get the full benefit from this type of exercise. 

Moreover, you can purchase multiple pieces of furniture that allow your cat to scratch, climb, exercise, and play freely. You can choose a floor cushion to avoid scratching. The RESTER GRAY LARGE CUSHION FOR FLOOR is made with dense and yet rigid fabric that helps to stretch your cat's claws ideally. The other similar product but different in a color that will be attractive for your cats is the RESTER RED LARGE FLOOR CUSHION, which adds style to the home and is perfect for scratching. 

The RESTER LARGE YELLOW PILLOW FOR FLOOR is quite captivating as it will grab the attention of your cats and helpful in preventing the scratching of furniture. The DREAMCATCHER HAMMOCK CHAIR FOR BEDROOM DREAMCATCHER CHAIR is another furniture piece that features hanging ropes, which are great for stretching the cat paws. 

These are some fascinating furnishing products, which you can purchase as these are of good quality and won't wobble. These are perfect for your cats to stretch their bodies, strengthen the muscles, stimulate brain health, sharpen the claws for hunting, and exercise the body to stay healthy. The cats will eventually stop targeting to scratch the furniture as these furnishing products are fun and easy to scratch. 

• Placement of alternative objects is important 

If your cats like to scratch the fancy couch, you should place the object near the sofa. If your cat loves to rub luxury tables then, you should keep the product near the table. Placement matters a lot. No matter what, always place objects throughout the home where your cat leaves a scent, used to scratch, and sit to relax.  

• Make your cats stop scratching again and again 

If you are pondering how to stop your cats from scratching the furniture repeatedly, you need to clean the particular furniture piece. You should thoroughly clean the table to remove your cat's scent marking. They will, again and again, scratch the same area when they smell that their scent is fading. So, clean the pieces correctly to avoid more scratching. 

What are some home remedies that can help to stop my cats from scratching the furniture? 

If you want to stop your kitty from scratching apart everything or anything it gets its claws into. Some preventable home remedies are designed to help break the habit of your fluffy scratcher to cat scratch any objects and keep them away. The home remedies may include:

• You should cover the favorite spot of a cat with tin foil.
• You can set up the vinyl carpet runner with upside spikes in front of their favorite place. 
• You can use a clean and non-sticky nail clippers protector for cat nails.
• You may cover up the area with double-sided sticky tape.
• You can offer different materials like sisal, cardboard, wood, sisal rope, and carpet. 
• You can give catnip, house cat, cat toy,  playhouse, cat trees, and cat tower available in a pet store. 

What are other ways that I can use to keep cats from scratching the furniture? 

• Trim cat's claws 

The easy yet effective way to help your cats from causing any problems of tearing, scratching, ripping, and shredding is to trim their claws. It is the best activity to trim claws or nails when they are young and trim them after two or three weeks. 

Wondering about how to trim the nails? All you need is to go slow on soft paws, cut the tip of nails only, use sharp trimmers, give them a treat, and catch your cat while sleeping. The trimming claws will save a lot of furniture pieces from scratching. 

• Give cat scratching posts

You can give your cat a scratching post to avoid damaging the furniture. There are many cat scratching posts available in the market in different forms, materials, or shapes. All you need is to observe your cat and what they gravitate, prefer, or like to scratch. Our RESTER RED LARGE FLOOR CUSHION can be used as a floor decoration as well as a scratching post for your cats. 

• Cover up your cat's favorite scratching place 

Many furniture covers and tech resist claws’ pull tech techniques available to keep your cats away from precious furniture pieces. The furniture covers are stylish and comfortable, which helps to protect your furniture perfectly. The method may include double-sided tape on the favorite place and post it as the sticky surface annoys the cat. These are some practical ways to keep cats from scratching. 

• Prepare a spray to keep the cat away from a spot

The homemade spray safely helps to repel cats from their favorite spot. You can prepare it by mixing an equal amount of apple cider and water in a spray bottle. This spraying bottle can be used to spray spots where your cat used to scratch to prevent future damage. You can patch the test before applying it to the spot. 

• Reproach gently and adore the positive behavior of your cat 

Whenever your cat moves towards the spot to scratch it, do not shout or call the cat names loudly. Instead, use a sound like a "hiss or ah" and then carry it to the alternative spot. You can adore the positive behavior by giving him/her a treat. Perform this process for weeks to train your cat. 

• What can I do if my cat won't stop scratching the furniture? 

If you have used all the ways and yet your cat or kitten does not stop scratching the furniture, you can use the nail caps. The nail caps are made with vinyl material, which is quite guarding of precious furniture exteriors. 

Lastly, do not compromise a friendly relationship with your cats or kittens over the natural cat behavior of scratching. All you need is to understand your cat's scratches and explore ways to keep these kitties from scratching furniture. Just replace the negative behavior with positive and associative grooming that will help to achieve a stronger bond between you and your furry friend.