About Furniture Protection From Cat Scratching

Time Frame

• When it comes to training your cat to keep her claws off the furniture, the earlier you start the better. When your pet is still a kitten, the cat's learning ability is higher than when it becomes an adult. However, no matter how early you start training a cat, remember that a cat is still just a cat, not a human. The modern cat is about as domesticated as it will ever be.

Prevention/Solution

• Before you buy the many different products to keep cats from scratching furniture, try some natural remedies. For one, you can start by trimming your cat's nails. That may sound difficult, but if your cat trusts you it's not that hard. You can find guides online on how to trim cat nails properly (see Resources).
  Another method of prevention is using a spray bottle whenever your cat begins to scratch the furniture. You can shake a can full of pebbles to scare the cat as well. When you catch your cat in the act, he will put the two together and think twice before scratching your expensive furniture.
  The most common prevention a cat owner uses is buying a scratching post. Put the scratching post next to your cat's favorite scratched furniture, then slowly move the scratching post away until your cat decides to use the toy instead of your couch. You can also rub the scratching post with catnip to get your cat's attention.

Types

• If the above preventions don't work, try some things from the pet store. One such product is called Soft Paws, where you put rubber tips on each of your cat's claws. You can also use regular packing tape and put it on the spots your cat scratches; the cat does not like how that feels, so she will find another option. If that doesn't work, you can buy two-sided packing tape where your cat's paws will stick to the tape just enough for her to use something else.

Expert Insight

• Anita Frazier, author of the books "The Natural Cat" and "The New Natural Cat," says not to use your hands when playing with your cat so that he doesn't get mixed messages about scratching. She says, however, if your cat's claws get stuck in your hands, relax, speak calmly to your cat and slowly remove the claws.

Warning

• Many people think that getting their cats declawed is the best option for keeping the furniture safe. However, this can cause too much damage to the cat. The only reason to declaw a cat is for safety reasons, such as keeping children safe.