How do I stop my catch scratching my couch??

I need some serious help!!! I tried spraying my cat with water each time she scratches my couch, but it hasn't stopped her, I also tried "Scratch No More For Cats" but this hasn't done anything either!!! AHHHHHH - PLEASE HELP!! I'll take any advice I can get :roll:

 

Hi. Do you have any scratching posts right now? If so, what kind? It's good if you can have several kinds for your cat to scratch on. For instance a flat floor one. We have a cardboard one that we sprinkle catnip on. The cats love to go to this one and scratch away. We also have one that is upright with a carpet base and rope scratcher. So they can scratch standing up.

When your cat scratches the couch, either clap your hands loudly or use the squirt bottle (some people are against the water bottle. I personally think it's okay, as long as you don't squirt the water in their face/eyes/nose/ears) and then bring your cat onto one of the scratching posts. I also leave a few treats on their scratching posts, so they always go there to check out if there is a little snack there. Once they are there they end up scratching a bit and don't feel the need to scratch the furniture. The catnip helps a lot too.

There are so many little tricks you can do. I'm sure others will give you some good advice too. You just have to make sure you are consistent in your training. If you're not, your cat will not learn to stop clawing the furniture.

 

Hi,

Good advice as always from Chessmind.

I hope you don't mind if I paste a past post (say that 3 times real fast) of mine about the scratching issue. I'm terribly lazy about typing.

Good luck!

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You can teach your cat to redirect her instinct to scratch, you just have to have patience. And having the right tools really helps too. You should get her a couple of these cardboard scratching pads and locate them strategically throughout the house. Cats usually can't resist digging their claws into them:



In addition to the horizontal kind, you ought to get a vertical one too, like a wood post covered in sisal. It helps to rub catnip on both kinds to get her interested, and then when she sees how great it feels to scratch on them, she won't need the catnip anymore.

When your cat starts scratching somewhere inappropriate, try to get the message across that she should be scratching on her pad/post instead by saying "hey, that's now where to scratch, use this instead" and gently laying the pad/post in front of her. Do it enough times, and she may start to get the message.

I put the scratching pads in some of her "high traffic" areas, like in between the living room and the kitchen where her food bowl is. So as she passes by, as she does many times a day, she'll often make a pit stop at the scratching pad, scratch a bit, then continue on her way. It's a part of her routine now.

You could also get this stuff called Sticky Paws, it's a clear double-sided tape that you strategically apply to surfaces that you don't want her to scratch. Lots of pet stores carry it.

You can also try keeping her nails trimmed, but only after you have been shown how to do it by your vet or another professional. It's easy to cut too far if you don't know what you're doing and they bleed easily. But if your cat goes outside at all, you should never trim her claws.

When Luna first came to us, I thought we were going to have a big problem with her scratching the couch and carpet, but it's not much of an issue anymore.

 

I have tried all kinds of things but with not too much luck. I have to keep clapping or yelling hey at them and they stop.

I guess I figure since I have kitties, this is part of the package.

 

I think there's some good advice here.

I invested in a couple large cat condos. The use it all the time. However, sometimes one of the cats will go up to the condo and scratch the carpet around it, or travel to the chair next to it and start scratching.

I don't think I'll ever get them 100% from scratching furniture.

But, providing more acceptable scratching surfaces could be a good start for you.

Good luck.

 

Thanks You All So Much

Thanks so much for all your help!!! :y_the_best: Greatly appreciated.