When the cat scratches the sofa and furniture, one of the biggest challenges is to get rid of this habit that the cat has in its DNA. However, there are solutions by which you can save sofas, furniture and chairs (especially office chairs) from the cat's claws.
Before you see what you can do to stop the cat from scratching the sofa and furniture, let's see where this cat behavior comes from. Let's find out why is the cat scratching and clawing at the sofa, furniture, carpets or others things they can get their claws into.
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Why does the cat scratch the sofa and furniture?
First, the house cat claws to warm up its muscles and tendons. It therefore has a muscle relaxation role. We notice many cats start clawing at the sofa or carpet after waking up. Others practice this habit before they start playing and running around the house.
By scratching different materials, the cat sharpens its claws. The cat's nail consists of several concentric layers of keratin that change periodically. By scratching, the dead layers on the surface of the nail will be removed and the cat will have sharp and polished claws. Prepared for a possible attack or defense. Claws are the main weapon of felines.
Stress and anxiety can be the reason why the cat scratches the sofa and furniture. Relieving stress and anxiety is why some cats choose to claw at sofas, carpets or furniture. If the cat is not given much attention or is left alone for a long time, it will amplify this habit.
Cats that live outside use scratching as a warning message to potential suitors to their territory. She scratches visible wooden surfaces or the bark of trees to show possible uninvited visitors what she's up to. At the same time, by scratching, the cat also leaves its olfactory imprint. At the base of the cat's paw pads are sweat glands that secrete a substance with a unique smell for each individual. It is like an olfactory fingerprint imperceptible to humans, but through which cats identify each other. Cats are known to have a much more developed sense of smell than humans, and they recognize individuals, places or other elements in their environment by smell.
How to get your cat out of the habit of clawing armchairs, sofas, carpets and furniture
Being a characteristic of the species, this habit cannot be removed by training. "Claw pulling" is as normal for the cat as purring or covering the physiological needs in the litter box.
The cat only pulls its claws on certain surfaces. The ones he can dig his claws into and resist when he starts to pull. If you have a fluffy carpet or a sofa with a soft, plush surface, there is little chance that the cat will dig its claws and scratch.
The most effective method is to give your cat a post or a special mat for sharpening its claws, also called sisal.
In pet shops, there is a wide range of cat play sets equipped with sisal. Most often, sisal is composed of a wooden or hard cardboard backing, on which a thick string is glued or wound. This "teaches" the cat to claw at it, and thus the furniture, sofa or carpet will no longer be of interest.
Sisals are available in various shapes and sizes. A sisal can be composed of a simple pole covered with twine, or it can be a mat with a stiff twine weave.
Placing a sisal is the most effective method by which you can get the cat out of the habit of scratching the sofa and furniture.
When you bring the sisal into the house, don't let the cat claw at it. Let her explore it and encourage her by placing toys around it. Once she realizes it's a good place for her claws, she'll love it!
However, there are also cats that, even though they have one or more sisals in the house, prefer to keep pulling their claws on the upholstered back of the chair, the sofa or other pieces of furniture. In this case, all you have to do is protect those areas. Dress up the upholstered chair back for a while with a sweatshirt or hoodie, use repellant/spray or something citrus based. These smells will keep the cat away from that place.
If the cat scratches the sofa and furniture, trimming the tips of the claws can be an effective solution. Declawing is recommended for domestic cats, but they will still try to scratch certain surfaces.
