How To Stop Cats From Scratching Furniture

Keep your furniture looking good and learn about how to to stop cats from scratching furniture. Cats are adorable furry friends who, for the most part, are easy to care for and give back many years of loyal companionship. As they do in nature, cats like to sharpen their claws wherever they live. When a cat decides that the couch, chairs, bed and anything upholstered, as well as wooden furniture, is fair game for sharpening their claws, it's time to take action.

To stop cats from scratching furniture, you'll need:

  • Spray bottle
  • Slick surface tape
  • Cat scratching post
  1. Get an all natural wood scratching post. Cats love to sharpen their claws. Outdoor cats do this by scratching trees and fence posts or anything they can find to keep their claws sharp and to loosen the outer layer of their claws that then fall off. If you provide cats with a good, all wood scratching post indoors, they will happily scratch it instead of furniture, most of the time.
  2. Train cats to use the scratching post. Next, each time your cat scratches a piece of furniture, gently take the cat to the new scratching post and place its claws up high on the scratching post so the cat stretches while it scratches. This is a favorite way for many cats to scratch. Be sure to get a scratching post that is at least one and one-half times as tall as your cat when it is on its hind legs scratching. Do this for several days or a week to help train your cat to use the scratching post and to stop cats from scratching furniture.
  3. Use a spray bottle. After the initial training time, fill a spray bottle with water and keep it near you. When you notice your cat scratching furniture, say "No!" and spray your cat with water. One squirt will stop the cat. It won't hurt your cats but will deter them from scratching the furniture.
  4. Place tape on furniture. It's not the most attractive look, but putting slick surfaced tape on places where cats like to scratch should stop cats from scratching furniture. Cats like to dig in with their claws; the slick surface of tape doesn't give them the grip they like.



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