How to keep your cat from scratching furniture!
We recently moved from our NYC apartment to a new home with a lot more space in the countryside. Our new home came with some beautiful upholstered furniture, which we’ve never had before. Right away, I had to figure out (and figure it out quickly) how to keep the cats from scratching our investment away. Here’s a quick outline!
Whenever there is something you DON’T want a cat to do, the best way to frame your issue is to think, “what do I want my cat to be doing instead?” In this case, instead of destroying our nice new furniture, I definitely would want our cats to scratch appropriate surfaces instead. Cats scratch for many reasons - to stretch, to remove old claws, to relieve stress and to mark territory (they have scent glands in their paws). Some cats prefer to scratch horizontally, and others vertically (and some love both) so it’s also important to provide the appropriate type of scratching direction AND surface (some cats like sisal, others prefer cardboard or carpet).
Once you know what directions and surfaces your cat(s) like to scratch, put scratchers right up next to the areas you DON’T WANT SCRATCHED. Make sure to give positive reinforcement in the form of praise, affection and / or treats when your cat scratches appropriately! If your cat makes a mistake, simply redirect them to the appropriate scratcher without scolding (cats have a tendency to view scoldings as positive attention, thus reinforcing the behavior you don’t want to see).
If you have a brand new piece of furniture, you can also stop your cat from forming scratching associations with it by applying adhesive plastic sheets to the upholstery for the first month or two that the item is in your home. Once your pet has lost interest in the piece, you can remove the sheets and count on the appropriate scratchers to do their job!
Make an appointment to discuss cat-proofing your home!
LINKS TO SCRATCHERS SEEN IN VIDEO ABOVE