Cat-scratch fever can be avoided if you use strategy

All cats scratch, but that doesn’t mean your furniture needs to suffer. I’ve lived with cats my entire life but, until I brought home my office cat at the beginning of the year, I had never owned a cat that delighted in destroying furniture. If you, too, live with a destructive feline, consider these easy (and humane) options to help save your sofa.

Nail Trims

First and foremost, make sure you are trimming your cat’s nails regularly. How often you trim them depends on how fast they grow, but expect to do so every four to six weeks. When trimming a cat’s nails, you only need to remove the part of the nail that hooks. Don’t trim the nails too short or you will hit the quick, which will be painful for your pet. If you’re new to trimming nails, ask your vet for a lesson. Having the proper tools and learning the safest method to cut your cat’s nails will make the whole process easier.

Getting your cat more comfortable with having his or her paws touched will also make nail trims easier. Start slowly by squeezing your cat’s paws gently then letting go and offering them a treat. Once your cat is comfortable, trim only a nail or two at a time and then give them a break. Even calm and relaxed cats can have trouble sitting still long enough to have all their nails trimmed in one sitting.

Soft Paws

Soft Paws are vinyl caps that are glued to your cat’s nails. After about six weeks, they fall off as your cat’s nails begin to grow and you will need to reapply them. Soft Paws are painless for your cat and, for your own enjoyment, they come in every color imaginable. With Soft Paws, your cat will still claw at your furniture, but there will be no damage left behind. The amount of work involved in putting the caps on your cat’s nails is about the same as doing a nail trim. Depending on your cat, you may need a friend or family member to help you.

Scratching Posts

One of the best ways to stop your cat from scratching your furniture is to redirect them to something that they are allowed to scratch. There are many different scratching options for cats out there. Some are the traditional posts covered in sisal rope while others are made to hang from a door knob. Less is sometimes more when it comes to scratching pads. I’ve had many cats in my office bypass expensive scratching posts in favor of inexpensive ones made out of cardboard. A lot of scratching pads nowadays even come with built in toys, which make the scratching pad more attractive to your cat than your furniture. Try placing a new scratching post near the piece of furniture your cat is already attracted to and rubbing catnip on it to get their attention. 

Carpet Squares

In addition to scratching the furniture, some cats (mine included) like to scratch the carpet. A simple and inexpensive solution is to place carpet squares on the floor for your cat to scratch instead. Sprinkling the carpet square with cat nip will also attract your cat.  You could also use carpet squares to create your own cat scratching post for less money than it would cost to purchase one.

Sticky Paws

If your cat is still destroying your furniture, try a deterrent like Sticky Paws to force them to seek another scratching location. Sticky Paws is like double-sided tape for your furniture. Simply place it where your cat loves to scratch and, because of the stickiness, they will no longer want to scratch that spot and you can redirect them to a carpet square or scratching post. Sticky Paws does not work for every cat. While one cat may easily switch to using a scratching post, another may return to scratching the furniture as soon as you remove the Sticky Paws. Either way, it’s definitely worth trying if you’re desperate to save the sofa!

Remember that scratching is a normal cat behavior and, although you can redirect them, you can never outright stop them from needing to scratch. By giving your feline friend lots of scratching options, though, your cat will be much happier – and your furniture will look better, too!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with three parrots, two cats, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org