Scratching is a normal part of feline instinct, but when they turn to your furniture, that can be quite frustrating. While you can’t get a cat to stop the action of scratching, you can train them to scratch more appropriate items. Here are some tips to get them to scratch scratchers!
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Why Cats Scratch
To start, let’s talk about why cats scratch in the first place:
- Spread their scent. They sweat through their paw pads, so the act of scratching puts a little of their scent on the stuff they scratch.
- Leave a visual cue that they marked their territory. For outdoor cats, leaving behind scratch marks communicates to other cats that another cat is in the area.
- Shed the dead pieces of their nails.
- Stretch!
Make Furniture Unappealing
Before I explain all these steps, please keep in mind that this is temporary. Once your cat is trained to scratch scratchers, you won’t need to do it anymore.
You’ll want to make your furniture less appealing and scratchers more appealing than the furniture. To do this, you’ll want to cover up the parts of your furniture the cat is scratching (or temporarily the entire couch if necessary). There are multiple ways to do this:
- Double-Sided Tape: Use double-sided tape like Sofisti-Cat Training Tape on the corners of the couch. If you need to cover a bigger area, I recommend Panther Armor double-sided tape sheets. Your cat won’t be able to actually scratch the furniture when it’s protected.
- Furniture Protectors: If you don’t want to use tape, you can use FixZilla Cat Couch Protectors. These don’t have a sticky component but are a harder material that claws won’t penetrate.
- Anti-Scratch Spray: Spray the areas of your furniture with anti-scratch spray like EBPP Stop The Scratch. Be sure to follow the directions (which usually suggest spraying an inconspicuous area to make sure there won’t be staining). Also, an FYI with this, I have personally not had luck with anti-scratch spray, BUT some people report they have. It’s still an option for something to try if you want.
- Cover the Entire Couch: You can cover the entire couch with a sheet or blanket and tap it underneath and use tape along the corners. This is very extreme, but may be needed in cases where the cat has been scratching the furniture for a long time.
Make the Scratcher Appealing
Now that the couch isn’t a fun place to scratch, we have to make the scratcher the best place to scratch!
Tip 1: Direction Matters
Some cats scratch horizontally, others vertically, and some are even both. Make sure you have a scratcher that matches the direction your cat likes, or get a scratcher with both options if you aren’t sure. Examples:
- Horizontal: Catit Style Scratcher
- Vertical: Lesure 36.5″ Tall Cat Scratching Post
- Horizontal & vertical: FUKUMARU Cat Scratcher
For vertical scratchers, it must be tall enough for the cat to be outstretched upward and still be able to scratch. If it’s too short, the cat won’t use it.
Tip 2: Material Matters
There are many types of material for cat scratchers, with the most popular being sisal rope, sisal fabric and corrugated box. In my experience, nearly every cat I’ve had or fostered will scratch corrugated box material. But you may have a cat that loves sisal rope! Try a few different materials to see what your cat likes.
Tip 3: Scent Matters
Entice kitties to use scratchers by rubbing catnip on the scratcher. Most scratchers come with a small bag of catnip, but I recommend having a YEOWWW! Catnip Tub on hand to refresh the scent.
If your cat doesn’t respond to catnip, I suggest calling them over to the scratcher using treats. Drop a few Temptations on the scratcher or even crumble them up and rub them on the scratcher. This should attract your cat to it.
Tip 4: Location Matters
Where you put a scratcher is so, so, so important. Cats like to scratch on items that are placed in the natural places they walk. The corner of the room isn’t a good spot. You’ll want to place the scratcher where the cat spends a lot of their time. I have a tall scratcher at the base of the steps on the way to the kitchen. They pass it a million times a day, making it a perfect location. Look at the layout of your home and where your cat routinely walks to find good spots for scratchers.
If your cat’s been going after your furniture, I recommend placing the scratchers in front of the areas they’ve been scratching. Since you made those areas unappealing, you’re now saying, “Here, this is a nice spot.”
Tip 5: Activity Matters
Make the scratcher where all good things happen. Always play with your cat near the scratcher (cats take breaks during play to scratch). Dangle a wand toy on the scratcher and get them to swipe at it. Call them to the scratcher to get treats. If necessary, give them meals on the scratcher.
Other tricks:
- Trim all nails once every 2 weeks; if this isn’t an option, you can try Kitty Caps Nail Caps, though trimming nails is always ideal.
- Don’t put scratchers everywhere. It communicates to the cat that everywhere is a place to scratch.
Good luck!