Your cat is your pride and joy, your friend and companion.  That cute cuddly furball may, unfortunately, engage in a behavior guaranteed to drive you nuts – scratching the furniture.  Despite your best effort, you come home to see even more evidence that Tabby has been busy while you were away.  Is there hope for owners of scratchers?  Don’t give up, with a little work and the proper materials, you can provide your cat with an alternative which will save sofa.

Cats scratch for a variety of reasons.  They need to slough off the ends of their claws, and “sharpening” them on a rough surface is the easiest way to achieve that.  Cats also use scratching as a way to mark their territory.  A small amount of scent is left behind when they dig their claws into an uneven surface.  This scent lets other cats know that they are trespassing on another cat’s property.  Your furniture is particularly attractive because of its height; cats love to stretch out as they dig with their claws.  And sometimes your cat just needs a little exercise.

The first step in saving your furniture is to give your cat a good alternative.  A scratching post will provide a great outlet for Tabby’s need to claw.  Here are some things to keep in mind when building or buying a quality scratching post.  

Make sure that the post is covered in something rough and hard, so that your cat can really dig in and file off the rough ends of her claws.  Many commercially available scratching posts are covered in sisal rope, which is ideal.  It will take a lot of abuse without shedding fibers and creating another mess to clean up!  Avoid plush carpeting, which is not really tough enough to satisfy most cats.

Height can be important.  A post, which allows your pet to stretch to her full length, will really appeal to her.  If you prefer a horizontal  model, make sure it’s long enough for your cat to reach out to scratch.  Scratching boxes made of layers corrugated cardboard can be filled with catnip, which will encourage use.  No matter what type of furniture you choose for your cat, sprinkling catnip on it occasionally will attract your cat and ensure that she’ll return to it.

Making your own scratching post is not difficult.  A piece of wood wrapped in sisal rope and nailed to a sturdy base will suffice.  When providing a post for your cat, make sure that it is stable and will not fall over.  You may want to mount it on the wall to make sure your cat doesn’t knock it over.

Finally, make your furniture unattractive to your scratching cat.  While she’s discovering the joy of the alternative you’ve provided, cover the part of the couch and chairs she attacks with something she can’t get her claws into.  Tinfoil, double sided tape, and vinyl are all surfaces, which will frustrate your cat and keep her from clawing.

Copyright by Catpert