How to save your furniture from the claws of your cat

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Easy : give him something else to scratch !

All right, we are going to explain to you : we, cats, naturally need to scratch our claws. This activity allows us to sharpen them, to deposit our smell on objects, to mark our territory, and to stretch. We thus need several places in various rooms to be able to make him if you like your furniture.

  • The surface to be scratched can be vertical or horizontal ; the ideal would be to have both at arrangement.
  • The surface or the scratching post must be stable.
  • The vertical scratching post has to be minimum 70 cms high so that we can stretch completely.
  • Scratching posts can be made by diverse materials : carpet, sisal, cardboard, soft wood, …
  • A scratching post can be a simple log, a piece of carpet (on the wall or on the ground), an immense cat tree, …
  • You can ask your veterinarian to show you how to make us regularly a pawticure: we’ll less need to scratch if our claws are not too long.

used scratching postThe more we use our scratching post, the more we love it. Don’t change it when it becomes used (and ugly), this is the way we prefer it !

We don’t like be scolded, but we adore treats : it may happen to us to confuse the new leather sofa with the scratching post. Instead of yelling, say firmly “NO”, and manage us towards the deliberate place ; show us that it’s there that we can scratch, and encourage us in giving us a treat. We’re more a quick learner with a small reward !

We’re not straight off going to understand ; so, during our learning, why not to protect temporarily the new sofa with an old blanket ?
zorro on the cat tree

20 thoughts on “How to save your furniture from the claws of your cat

  1. Ann Staub

    Wonderful advice guys. My cat never did scratch much inside. Except in the mornings when she was excited and wanted to eat. I would go into the restroom and she would start clawing the couch… it was old anyways so it didn’t matter much. I think she did most of her scratching outdoors.

  2. Austin Towers

    Very good advice! I love my old scratching post, but I do upset the human by scratching the carpet sometimes! It was very poignant to see sweet Loupi in the CB calendar today! Xox

  3. Hannah and Lucy

    That’s great advice. We have three scratching posts – now they’re all getting a bit ratty looking but there’s still plenty of life left in them for a while yet. If Lucy gets excited she sometimes starts on the sitting room carpet but stops when Mum (she can hear a pin drop 3 miles away) bellows LUCY and she strolls off as if she doesn’t know what the fuss is about!
    Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

  4. Colehaus Cats

    Great advice and tips. We have three scratchy posts, two towers, and two Ess scratchers but our favorite is still the pleather couch, but only when mom and dad aren’t looking! Happy CB Calendar Day to Loupi! Purrs…

  5. Timmy Tomcat

    Good suggestions. Dad was very worried about the new big leather Cat Lounger he bought after the paint and rugs last year. He got a nice corner scratch post that fits on the edge of the lounger and also got a nice one that sticks out for the middle part. We love those and the Big Leather Cat Lounger still looks great
    Purrs
    Timmy and Family

  6. The Canadian Cats

    Excellent suggestions. We don’t seem to have a heck of a lot of interest in scratching indoors….except the rug….scatter rugs. We have two fair sized condos too.

    (((Shoko)))

  7. The Island Cats

    That’s some good advice, Zorro. We have several scratching posts around here. Wally is a horizontal scratcher…he likes to scratch those cardboard scratchers…so we have lots of those around too.

  8. LP

    Great advice Zorro! We know Pixie will follow your lead 🙂 We don’t have any problem here with the kitties scratching furniture…but we do have plenty of cat trees and scratching posts 🙂

    the critters in the cottage xo

  9. Nerissa's Life

    I have assisted in the destruction of a kitty condo or two, in my time. As for the peep furniture? Well… FINALLY… the peeps gave us and just GAVE us that pink chair. It’s ours now, to do with as we like.

    Purrs,
    Nissy

  10. Kitties Blue

    All good advice, but some of us delight in being naughty when it comes to the furniture. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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