How to Get Your Cat To Stop Scratching Furniture
There’s nothing worse than coming home to a freshly-vacuumed, litter box-cleared home to be greeted by a cat who has clearly had one too many. Scratching is their way of letting you know that someone else has been in your house. And if you have a feline friend, then chances are they’ll have an even greater incentive to keep up the act: their human friends will come home sooner rather than later and they want to look their best! That’s where scratching comes in. A lot of people assume that just because their cat scratches things that they do it out of compulsion. However, this is rarely the case; cats scratch things not because they feel compelled to but because they see something interesting on the other side and want to investigate further. And while this sounds like it might be enough to get you working overtime at home, the truth is that kitty-kins are often much harder to deal with than even the most determined dog owner. Why? Well, for starters it’s impossible for anyone to understand what a cat is trying to tell them when they scratch everything from carpeting and furniture to curtains and drapes. Secondly, no matter how cute we think it may be the fact remains that scratching is an incredibly distressing behavior for both humans and felines alike which means it can make even the calmest of pet parents feel stressed out at times.
Learn to understand your cat’s behavior
If you’ve ever tried to talk someone out of something they simply enjoy doing, then you know how frustrating it can be. And while it’s important to understand why your cat scratches, it’s also important to remember that it’s not something they choose to do — it’s something they simply do. As frustrating as this might be for you, it’s important to remember that felines have different cognitive abilities than we do. While it’s important to understand why your cat scratches, it’s also important to remember that it’s not something they choose to do — it’s something they simply do.
Teach your cat new tricks
While a lot of people assume that their cat is simply too lazy to get up off the couch and stretch their legs, the truth is that most cats want to get up and walk around a bit more than we let them. Cats are highly active animals and like to get up and do things, but like most people they get distracted easily and end up settling in for long periods of time instead. So, if your cat starts to feel a bit restless, all you have to do is get on the floor with them and let them get up to stretch their legs. This can be a fantastic way to improve your cat’s mood and also provide some much-needed relief for you both.
Keep a cat-free zone for scratching relief
If you have a particularly soft or delicate piece of furniture, or something like a curtain or a wall you want to protect from damage, you’ll need to get your cat to scratch elsewhere. Thankfully, there are a lot of options out there to choose from. If you’re worried about them damaging a nice piece of carpet, you can try putting down some scratch posts so they can get down to business without damage to the furniture underneath. For more serious damage, you will need to remove them from your home. While you’re looking for a way to get your cat to scratch, another option is to try a diffuser. Diffusers are a great way to get your cats to relax and scratch while also diffusing their pheromones, making your home a little bit more inviting to them.
Get rid of the tempting nap spots
As The Pets Universal mentioned above, a lot of cats like to scratch things throughout your home as a way of both signaling their presence to you as well as establishing a few key types of territory. While this can be a lot of fun for your cat, it does have a few drawbacks for you, too. One of the biggest of these being that they will constantly be scuffing the carpet and furniture as they move around. And while some of this may be acceptable, you don’t want to let it get to the point where it’s distracting or destructive. And while you might be tempted to let your cat go without any consequences, it may be worth considering if you have a cat who doesn’t like to get down on the floor and explore. If you have a cat who loves to sit on the couch, for example, you may find that they’re spending more time doing so than actually interacting with their environment. And to get your cat to get down on the floor and interact with things rather than just sitting on them, you’ll need to take drastic action. There are a number of options you can try to get your cat to down. You could try spraying them in the face with a water bottle, or even trying a few tricks like playing with a laser pointer.
As you can see, while it can be frustrating, and even painful, to deal with a cat who likes to scratch things, it’s also important to remember that it’s not something they choose to do — it’s something they simply do. If you’re having trouble with your cat, take a step back and try to remember why they’re doing what they’re doing. There’s almost certainly a reason behind it. Once you’ve figured out why they’re scratching, you can work on getting them to scratch somewhere else. It may take a little longer than if they weren’t so destructive, but it will be well worth it in the end. In order to get your cat to stop scratching, you’ll first have to understand why they’re doing it. Once you understand why they’re scratching, you can work on getting them to scratch somewhere else. With a little patience and effort, you can get your cat to stop scratching in no time. Check out The Pets Universal articles for more pets care tips.
