Is your cat scratching your sofa to shreds? Are you looking for a quick solution to the problem that will save you from having to give your cat to a new home? Don't worry, we have the answer here in this article. There are three things you need to know to save your furniture from further damage. They are: why your cat thinks her behaviour is perfectly acceptable, why declawing is not the answer, and the most effective solution that will make you both happy. Read on and I'll show you the answer you need to make sure you can keep your cat and your sofa!
1. Why your cat thinks scratching your furniture is acceptable
Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats, although you've probably figured this out by now given the state of your furniture and curtains. The point is, she is not doing it to annoy you or just to be naughty.
Firstly she is marking her territory; her paws have scent glands in them that leave a scent behind as she scratches.
Secondly it's a form of exercise, as she scratches your cat is stretching and working the muscles in her front quarters.
And finally, it just feels good to scratch so it keeps your cat happy.
2. Why declawing is not the answer
Your first thought might be to solve the problem by declawing your cat, especially if she is a house cat and never goes outside.
This is a big mistake.
Declawing is a very painful surgical procedure which involves amputating the last joint of the cat's toes. It can lead to all kinds of complications and also causes your cat to lose her sense of balance.
If you're worried about your furniture being scratched try thinking about all those broken ornaments when she's no longer quite as agile. Worse still she could become emotionally distressed following the surgery, which could lead to her urinating in inappropriate places around your home.
3. The simple solution which will please both owner and cat
The best way to keep your cat happy and save your furniture is to invest in an appropriate scratching post.
The post needs to be tall enough for her to extend her body fully and secure enough that it won't fall over when she tries to scratch. It needs to be covered in a rough texture such as sisal which is great because cats love to shred it.
Now don't expect her to run straight for the post when you first bring it into the house, she has marked her territory on your furniture so she'll need some time to adjust.
Start by putting the post in the place where she likes to scratch. You then need to help your cat to associate the post with pleasure. You can do this by feeding her by it, playing with her on it and also rubbing it with catnip.
Over time she'll forget all about your sofa and learn to love her post.
You need to invest in a good quality and sturdy scratching post so that you cat can benefit from it for a long time. If the post falls over, collapses or falls apart after a few uses then all your cat is going to do is go back to scratching your sofa.
