Cats love to maintain themselves. From cleaning themselves to removing excess fur, they are tidy animals. For this reason, they also enjoy claw maintenance to ensure their nails are prim and proper. Unfortunately, however, without a proper outlet for claw maintenance, such as a scratching post, they will often scratch the furniture. This can destroy your home and be incredibly costly, especially if you need to replace furniture items.
This blog will dive into how to stop your cat from scratching the furniture.
Ensure you have enough scratching outlets
Cats can be picky at the best of times. For this reason, they may choose not to use their designated scratching post on certain days. This can usually lead to them choosing to scratch your furniture instead. Having multiple scratching posts and toys available can, therefore, give them options to choose from, making them more likely to stay away from the corner of your couch and the kitchen cabinets.
Entice your cats with treats
Many cats may choose to avoid new scratching posts as they have a fear of change. Rather than approaching the new object, as a dog would, they usually stay far away from it. You must show your cat that the scratching post is for them to use. You can do this by placing treats around or above the post.
Blocking off furniture that they may enjoy scratching while introducing a new post can stop them from reverting to their favourite scratching spots.
Cat scratching may be the result of anxiety
If you have tried the above and your cat is still scratching, it may indicate that their behaviour is the result of anxiety, rather than self-maintenance. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you are a bad pet parent. It may just mean that there is something in your cat’s environment that they don’t like. Some ways you can help them overcome this include:
- Restricting areas in your home, so your cat doesn’t feel overwhelmed
- If cat scratching is in a repetitive spot, clean the area to remove any smells
- Don’t shout at your cat when they are scratching the wrong spots as this can stress them out more
Cats learn over time if they are given love and attention. It’s important to remember that scratching is normal, but with the right training and care, cats will learn to scratch the right parts of the home. If you’re still unsure what to do, you can always contact us to find out more.
