What Will Keep Cats Off of Couches?

Though they may love their human companions, cats are highly independent animals. They also love to jump and climb. Therefore, keeping a cat off a surface it wants to be on, like furniture, is a very difficult task. Some experts caution against attempting to limit your cat's space in this way because expecting your cat to not jump onto a higher surface is highly unrealistic. However, patient owners who are willing to use gentle training techniques and consistent repetition may teach their cats that a specific piece of furniture such as the couch is off-limits.

  1. Catching Cats in the Act

    • To help your cat make the connection that the couch is not a good place for it to be, you must give an instant reaction. When the cat jumps onto the couch, immediately say "no" in a loud voice, pick it up and set it on the ground. Another option is to put water in a squirt bottle and mist the cat the instant its paws touch the furniture. Timing is very important when teaching your cat to understand its action of being on the couch elicits the negative response.

    Physical Deterrents

    • In situations where you cannot constantly monitor your cat, you can leave a physical deterrent on the couch to reinforce the idea that jumping on the couch is not an enjoyable experience. Cats do not like citrus odors. If you have hardwoods, clean the floor around the couch with a citrus cleaner. Put small drops of citrus oil on the areas of the couch your cat likes leaping onto the most. You can also put out a sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap on the couch. This will startle your cat, and as cats do not like to be surprised, will help dissuade it from thinking the couch is a pleasant, enjoyable place to be.

    Unpleasant Sounds

    • Just as cats do not like to be surprised, they also dislike loud, sudden noises. Products that emit loud, unpleasant sounds when triggered by motion can be purchased from pet supply companies. Set up one of these devices on the couch so that the cat will set it off when it jumps onto the furniture. Try stacking empty soda cans into small pyramids that will be knocked over when the cat jumps onto the couch. This will also make a loud, sudden and sharp noise that your cat will not like.

    Prevention

    • One of the best ways to keep your cat off the couch is to prevent the need or want for the animal to be on the couch in the first place. Owners can do this by ensuring the couch is not the only appealing thing in the room. Provide other objects on which cats can play, climb and jump. Placing a perch or cat house by a window not only gives cats something to jump onto, but it also allows the cat to be entertained by the activities that are taking place outside. If a cat jumps on the couch just to scratch, provide a scratching post or corrugated cardboard scratching mat. Sprinkle catnip on the intended scratching post to encourage the cat to use it.