If your cat is scratching your precious furniture to shreds then you might be at your wits end about now. But you don’t have to worry because help is at hand. 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. In this article I will explain each of these concepts and show you the simple answer to your cat scratching problems.
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. But the point is that she’s not doing it to be naughty or to annoy you.
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.
Don’t expect her to jump with joy when you first bring the post in though, remember she has marked her territory on your furniture so you’ll need to give her some time.
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 collapses or falls apart after a few uses your cat will simply go back to scratching the sofa.