For some people, my cat scratches furniture is why they bring or return their cat to a shelter. But are there other options?
Yes, if you’re willing to try different suggestions until you and your cat(s) find what works.

why cats like to scratch

In the natural world, wild cats instinctively scratch just like our cats we live with, because for all cats it’s equivalent to a manicure. By scratching (known as stropping) they shed the outer husk of their claws for the new claw beneath. It’s also how they keep their claws filed and clean. Plus they get a great full body stretch.

Another reason cats scratch is as a means of claiming territory. If your house is their territory, it’s their house too and they mark it. That includes your favorite sofa or upholstered chair, cause it’s yours and by scratching, it becomes your cat’s. Consider it a gesture of trust: you’ve created an environment which enables your cat to feel secure enough to want to stake out your house and furniture as their turf.

Okay, we like our cats to feel safe. So how do we save our furniture?

• Make your furniture unappealing to your cat
• Provide alternate scratching options
• Use scratching surfaces that attracts your cat
• Guide their behavior towards where you want them to scratch

Cats supposedly are repelled by citrus, which is why there are several products on the market specifically for this purpose. You can find these products at pet stores/online.

Or try tape. Tape? You must use sticky double-sided tape and place it where your cat scratches. Some people may suggest aluminum foil or plastic covering and although effective, it’s also quite ugly. Instead, double-sided sticky tape is much less intrusive.

My kitty care can attest to this particular option. A chair our beloved (and missed) Toby had declared as his had begun to show the ravages of his scratching, from the top of the armrest to the floor. We used the double-sided tape and he stopped. After a few years the tape peeled off, but Toby had accepted that area as a NO SCRATCH zone. It did remain, however, as his throne.

my kitty care does not endorse any product discussed on The Scratching Post, nor does my kitty care receive payments, or any form of compensation from any company or product on my kitty care.

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