Q: Can you recommend the best solution to keep my cat from scratching certain furniture? He is destroying everything! My $2,000 Italian leather recliner needs to be put in the trash. My wife had a suggestion, but no way am I giving up my cat! That said, I can’t afford frequent furniture replacements either. Help!
A: Thanks much for getting in touch and for your inquiry about this common problem. The first step in addressing it is to understand a cat’s motivation for taking part in what seems like vindictive behavior upon first consideration.
Quite the contrary. Scratching is normal behavior for cats. We believe that cats scratch to mark their territory by leaving visual scratch marks and by depositing scent from glands located in their paws. It also keeps the nail beds healthy by promoting the removal of the translucent sheath that covers their claws by contact with the surface they scratch.
The goal is to deny them access to the place they inappropriately scratch, make it less attractive, and/or (ideally) to redirect it toward an acceptable surface such as a scratching post.
If you cannot keep your cat out of the room in which he is scratching your furniture, you may be able to discourage him from approaching the place he scratches by setting up a “booby trap” of either plastic cups stacked on top of one another or double sided adhesive tape (which cats don’t generally like to walk on) near where he scratches.
If this is not possible or is somehow unsuccessful, the first step in redirecting his scratching is to identify the type of material he likes to scratch on (i.e., tightly versus loosely woven material, wicker, sisal, leather, etc.) and the orientation in which he prefers to scratch (i.e., horizontal versus vertical).
Once you have good idea of this, you can purchase or construct a scratching post that most closely matches his preferences for scratching (i.e., similar material and orientation) and place it right next to where he is inappropriately scratching. Rubbing catnip on the post can prompt some cats to seek out scratching posts.
Once he begins scratching on the post, reward him with words of praise and/or treats. You can then gradually (over a period of days or even weeks) move the scratching post to your preferred location.
Importantly, you should never scold, startle, or spray your cat with a water gun in an attempt to stop scratching behavior, as this will only cause stress and may induce aggression. Gently redirecting this behavior toward a more acceptable alternative and rewarding him for “doing the right thing” is the key to success.
In the interim, you can minimize damage to your furniture by keeping his nails trimmed or by applying plastic nails caps until you have successfully made the transition away from your furniture. Also, heavy blankets placed over areas where he likes to scratch can stop him from reaching the fabric.
I hope that this helps, and please send us an update when you can.
