Tips to prevent cats from scratching furniture

We claw marks left by your cat on the furniture can be frustrating for pet parents. It’s even more upsetting if the furniture is new. However, there are ways in which you can keep your cats from scratching furniture:

Toys and scratching posts: Provide your cat with at least one suitable scratching post. Make sure to pick posts that are sturdy, tall, and made of a material that facilitates scratching by cats, such as sisal cloth. This is crucial because cats can disregard your scratching post if it doesn’t have a surface they can scratch on.

Discourage them from scratching: You can do it by putting a sheet around the scratched area to prevent the cat from reaching it. To cover the area, you can alternatively use aluminium foil or double-sided tape. You can also spray a citrus-scented fragrance on the couch, as cats don’t like that aroma.

Cat socks, boots or nail caps: Cat socks or boots (known as mittens) to reduce scratching are an alternative to declawing. Some cats respond well to these boots. But if yours keeps attempting to pull them off out of frustration, you might want to try soft nail covers that your cat can glue on their claws. Maintain your cat’s claws: Uncontrolled claw growth can hurt and occasionally infect your cat’s paw pad. Trim your cat’s claws to prevent them from becoming too long.