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How to keep cats from scratching furniture?

Does anybody have any unique ideas to keep cats from scratcing the funiture? I have a scratching post, but I still catch them using the couch every once in a while. I don't believe in having cats declawed, but I would still like to have nice furniture. Is there maybe something that can be sprayed on the furniture that deters them from scratching it, yet doesn't damage the furniture? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for your help.

Public Comments

That is a difficult one. I do not believe in declawing but I always do because of the cat clawing furniture and ruining it. One solution is to buy them a clawing station that you can get at Walmart's or PetSmart.. that helps tremendously and gives the cat a chance to uses its paws and nails on it rather than the furniture.
There are also little things that slip over their claws and are glued in place (almost like fake fingernails). They are just little rubber slips that go over their claws. This allows you to have nice furniture and them to keep their claws. I think you can get them at PetSmart. You might just want to search their site for something like that. I am going to get some for my cats (we have two that have ruined a couch) when we get our new furniture.
i hear this on TV. it said to put double tape on the parts they scratching on. the cats wont like it.
Try spraying them with a little water from a water bottle or a squirt gun whenever they're clawing up your furniture. Or let out a toot from an air horn (make sure they don't see you doing so, and I wouldn't recommend it if you live in an apartment, lol). I don't know about sprays, but there are plastic guards that you can put on the corners of your couches and chairs so they can't scratch there.
I got at PETCO a spray ,the name is: PET ORGANIC NO SCRATCH. It's working very well and it's not going to do any damage to your furniture.I think I paid about $9 for it. Its safe for the family as well,does not contain chemicals
I doubt putting anything on the furniture like a spray would help. Remember you go there too, maybe children too. Try putting a scratching post in front of every place they scratch. maybe that will train them to use the post and not the first vertical surface they see. You could try adversive conditioning, but that is tricky; it has to be done at the exact moment they are doing it, and ideally they can't see you do it. Maybe consider one of those water squirt guns with a long range. There are the zapper collars, but besides being expensive you absolutely must be trained in the proper use & are not for novices. my feeling is you can either have cats with claws and lousy furniture, cats with no claws and nice furniture, or no cats and nice furniture. If you really want cats with claws AND nice furniture, your cheapest bet is buy about 6 or so posts from a bulk seller on ebay and get a couple water gun, one in several locations so you can be quick on the draw. Good luck.
Bitter apple spray.
oh don't you hate that when they scratch RIGHT in front of you.. worse than a 2 year old! I've tried the sprays.. they only turn their noses away for a few hours then their back! And my cats got so use to me spraying they became immune to the smell. All I can say is consistency.. just gotta keep hissing at them .. until they get use to your jumping at them that they scare off.. I hiss at my girl cat.. she seems to be the only that still does it..
I have used Sticky Paws strips and found that effective. I have had plastic end pieces that I got from a Harriet Carter catalog. Both worked for me. I also have several inexpensive cotton quilts that I have on my couches, the one I use the most and where the cats like to be with me. I just drape it over the ends of the couch. If it doesn't exactly match your decor it's easy to put away when company comes. It also picks up dust and dirt on my cats, cat hair, etc. and is easy to throw in the washer every once in a while. I have several and have had them for ten years. They don't seem to wear out.
contact paper or double sided masking on vertical places.cats hate sticky on their feet.on a flat surface,set 4 mouse traps very gently in the area being scratched.now even more gently cover them with a sheet if newspaper or tissue paper taking care not to spring the traps.when kitty comes a scratching,1 paw touches the paper an it attacks her!kitty will never scratch there again.(They are covered and spring way to fast to catch kitties feetbut will scare her from the area and divert her scratching mood.This works great for getting on ncounters,in trash,and lying on furnature.good luck
Try this product called Soft Claws (or something similar). Amazon.com has them. Years ago I had my cat's claws removed, but was regretful when I saw how drastic it was. She returned from the vet with obviously painful paws. Afterwards she forgave me, but I never forgave myself for putting her through that experience. I read in the Orlando Sentinel about a family using these with their cat. They are recommended only for indoor cats and last about six weeks. The family said, that their cat "doesn't seem to mind them at all. He can still scratch, but the damage has stopped." If you don't want your furniture destroyed by chronic clawing and don't want to give away your cat, this looks like a win-win for the person and the animal sharing a home.
well my cat does the same thing and i got her a scratching post and it works.
what i did with my cats that worked was i put alluminum foil on the areas where they usually tried to scratch (like down the front corners of the sofa) and then put their scratching post close by (they have 2 scratching posts). They left the sofa alone because they didn't like the way the foil feels and would just scratch their post. Now I don't even have to put foil on the sofa anymore and they still leave it alone. I have 2 cats and both of them learned what they are allowed to claw and what is off limits. I also keep their nails trimmed.
theres some spray you can buy at petco that has sour apple taste that cates hate...i use it on furniture and my cat wont scratch it...i feel declawing cats isnt too great because of they got loose they couldnt really protect themselves...hopefully this was of some assistance
WELL Done! for not considering declawing! There are better ways. I would say, as the cats are already using the scrating post(s), or so I gather, you need to make sure they don't use the sofa anymore - and for those, I think covering the offensive corners (usually the corner that is closest to the door) with aluminum foil, or double-sided tape, or another cover that will be unpleasant to the cat for scratching, but will not ruin the sofa. The idea is to make sure they feel the unpleasant part whether or not you're home. I covered my sofa's corner with a plain rectangle of cloth (like a small tablecloth); not that I am particularly fond of the sofa (it's old, and I will heartily advise my landlord to replace it when I move out - it's hardly fit for use!), but I think it's a principle my cat should learn. I can remove the cloth easily whenever I have guests, if I think it necessary. He doesn't find the scratching there unpleasant... but he doesn't find it interesting either. Now, with the second (and taller) scratching post I got him, he leaves the sofa altogether alone. The recent addition of a carpet in the bedroom is the next challenge... ;)
KEEP A SPRAY BOTTLE HANDY!
Use "Softclaws", which are vinyl caps you glue onto the cat's nails. It is humane and practical. check out: thecatandkittenstore.com