Cat Scratching the Furniture? We Can Help!

By nature, cats need to scratch. It’s how they groom their claws, mark their territory, get out extra energy or simply stretch out their muscles. Unfortunately this means a lot of cats end up using our favorite easy chair as their scratching post. Instead of trying to fight against this instinctual behavior, your best hope is to redirect it onto an appropriate scratching area!

All cats have different scratching preferences. Some are vertical scratchers, while others like to scratch horizontally or at an angle. Some cats are drawn to rough surfaces like twine while others like the soft feel of carpet. Watch your cat to see which way they enjoy scratching. Then, you can buy a good quality scratching post or make your own!

Our McKinney location is packed with cuteness! If you’ve been waiting for the purr-fect time to adopt a feline, now is that time. Stop by to meet: Lucky, Chell, Genie, Samsara, Granny, or Storm today. #meowmonday #spcatexas #adoptdontshop #catsofinstagram #mckinneymonday

A post shared by SPCA of Texas (@spcatexas) on Jun 11, 2018 at 10:50am PDT

Now comes the tricky part: steering them away from your furniture and towards the scratching post. Cats hate foil and getting their paws stuck, so cover where they scratch on your furniture with foil or double sided tape for a few weeks to keep them away. To entice them to test out the scratching post, sprinkle it with catnip, a few treats, or use a pheromone spray such as Feliway.

For more tips on how to get your cat to stop scratching your furniture, check out our Pet Tips page, curated by the SPCA of Texas Behavior team!