Image via WikipediaSharing your home with a cat offers so many pleasures: tantalizing them with an old shoestring, coaxing a purr with a gentle scratch behind the ears, or watching them loll in contented bliss in the sunbeam under the front window.
Unfortunately, cats come with a set of sharp claws, and they like to scratch: furniture, curtains, even doorframes. How do you stop your cat from scratching the furniture?
At first, you may be tempted to have kitty declawed, but consider this first: declawing is essentially the same as a human having the tips of their fingers amputated at the first knuckle. While safe enough when done by a good veterinarian, declawing still presents a risk for infection and other complications, and older cats struggle more to adapt after the procedure.
A much better, more humane alternative exists: train the cat not to scratch the furniture. Contrary to what you may have heard, cats can be trained, and teaching them not to scratch requires only minimal effort.
The first step to stop your cat from scratching the furniture is to purchase a scratching post or pad. The least expensive of these (no more than $5.00) are simply made of corrugated cardboard, and most cats love them. They usually come with a small bag of catnip to attract the cat's interest. Place it in a location that makes sense for both cat and human. One of ours, for instance, is behind the armchair that our cat's favorite human likes to relax in. This makes it easily accessible to her, while allowing her to be near her "Mom".
As crazy as this sounds, you may have to show your cat what the scratching pad is for. With the cat watching, scratch your own fingernails across the pad a few times... she'll get the idea.
But what about the sofa? And the living room drapes? Simple... negative feedback. Keep a spray bottle of plain water near the furniture your cat tends to scratch. Every time she scratches, or even attempts to scratch, squirt her with the water while firmly and loudly saying "NO!" The combination of two things cats dislike... water and loud noise... should get the message across after only a few tries. Eventually, you may find that the mere presence of the squirt bottle will do the trick.
On the positive side, praise the cat when she uses the scratching pad. Even consider giving her a treat. She's no different than we are: we would all rather be talked to nicely than shouted at!
That should do it. With only a little effort on your part, you should be able to stop your cat from scratching the furniture.
About the Author
Texas woman housebreaks a colony of feral cats in only 13 days! Learn how she did it, and how you can use her simple methods to train your kitty. Check out "Cat Behavior Secrets Revealed".
