Keeping Your Cat From Damaging Furniture

Those of us with cats know all too well that one of their defining physical features is the inclusion of little razors at the end of their hands, useful for defending themselves against predators but mostly for destroying items around your house. Thankfully, there's a lot you can do to prevent the damage as much as possible. Here are just a few solutions.

There are three main reasons a cat will scratch at furniture. The first is to sharpen their claws, which they feel they need to maintain despite living a posh life indoors where their only predators are the vacuum cleaner and rocking chairs. The second reason is to stretch their muscles as the act of scratching is actually a full-body activity. The last reason is that it just feels good, so they like doing it.

When it comes to stopping cats from clawing things, it's best to start mild and work your way up to more drastic measures. Start small by simply spraying the cat with water every time it begins scratching. And yes, this does work on at least some cats. The tricky part is always catching the feline in the act. You can't punish them after the fact as they won't readily connect the two together, so they have to be sprayed while their paws are touching the fabric and the claws are popping.

If this isn't working, or if you just can't be around at all times, then consider covering the scratching corners with something to dissuade them from putting their paws on them, like double-sided tape, bitter spray, or even tin foil. The downside is that for a while you'll have to endure something silly on your furniture when the point of all of this is to lessen the damage. Still, if this works you'll be very happy with the results.

The final option is the most severe, and it involves having your cat declawed. This should only be considered in the most extreme cases as it's not a procedure that's really encouraged since it involves cutting the end of each cat's fingers off. This can cause discomfort in walking and standing, and sometimes just drastically affect your kitty's overall personality. A better solution would be to simply clip their nails on a regular basis or to attach plastic nail caps to their claws.

It seems that whatever we try and decide, cats are going to decide something different. They can be taught, but it takes a while. Find a method that you're comfortable with and good luck!

By Robert Walden

Posted in: PETS