Want to know why your cat is scratching up your furniture? These are the most common reasons and how to make cat-approved adjustments to protect your furniture!
You’ve adopted a cat, and you adore this sweet floof, but you have found that your cat is scratching your furniture! You would love to teach your cat to stop, but you don’t know how! As a cat owner and rescue worker, I know the importance of finding a solution to this problem.
We are going to talk about why cats scratch the furniture, what to do about it, and also about some things that do not work.
After reading this post, you are going to understand your cat’s behavior and be very prepared to deal with the problem.
This post is all about why your cat is scratching up your furniture and what every cat owner should know about their cat’s clawing needs.
Reason 1: Murder Mitten Maintenance
Cats rely on their claws to keep them safe and to allow them to climb as well as hunt. Of course, they like to keep them in tip-top shape! Like a chef sharpening their knives, my mom used to refer to this behavior in cats as “sharpening their claws.” It feels like they have knives! What’s happening is that cats regularly shed the outer sheath of their claws as they grow longer. Removing this outer sheath reveals a new sharp claw. (Fiorella, 2012) Cats enjoy digging their claws into a good, sturdy surface and helping the shedding along. Cats do need to do this regularly to prevent their claws from growing too long. Allowing them to grow continuously could cause the claw to curl under and dig into their toe beans (pads). Since this type of scratching is essential for the health of their claws, it isn’t something you can train out of your cat. You must provide them with an alternative resource to allow them to do this action. Each cat will have its own favorite material to use, so it would be a great idea to see what your cat is naturally drawn to. Some common materials are:
- Sisal
- Carpet
- Cardboard
- Wood
Reason 2: Cat Communication
One way that cats communicate with the world is through chemicals. One of those chemicals is pheromones that are emitted from glands in their paws. When they scratch, they are releasing those pheromones to communicate with other animals (DePorter & Elzerman, 2019). Think of it as your kitty tagging his home turf. This chemical message makes your own kitty feel happy and safe and tells any potential other kitties that this area is claimed. Since this is a message, the location is important. Couches are a common place to scratch because they are the focal points of a room- highly trafficked areas, and so are door frames. This means that the cat has chosen the object partially for the location!
Reason 3: Exercise
Cats love to reach up high on a scratching post and get in a good stretch! The action of clawing also exercises the muscles in their forearms and spine, as well (DePorter & Elzerman, 2019).
The Solutions:
The replacement scratcher
Since you can’t expect to stop a cat from following its instincts, let’s talk about how to work with your cat. You now know why your cat needs to scratch and have an idea about their choice of location. The goal is to provide a new scratching surface that is more desirable than the furniture. Look at what it is that your cat is scratching and find an alternative made of similar material. Consider if the cat is scratching on the floor or reaching up to scratch- or both. There are a lot of options available, but if your cat likes to reach up to something, such as a couch, you might consider a tower. Just make sure that it is sturdy enough that it won’t fall over when your cat pulls on it to scratch.
Placement:
When you get the replacement item, you are going to want to temporarily place it very close to the original object your cat has been scratching. It may be in an inconvenient location, but it only needs to stay there for a few days until your cat gets used to scratching on your new scratcher.
Make the furniture less appealing:
Now the second part of this is to make sure that you make the original object your cat was scratching less appealing. There are several ways to do this, and several products that can be helpful.
Chemical Sprays:
There are chemical pheromone sprays such as Feliway. These products are designed to mimic pheromones. If you use them, you might spot-test your furniture to make sure they don’t cause any damage. Pheromone sprays can be used for a variety of purposes. In the case of scratching, you can buy deterrents for your furniture, or attractants for your new scratching post.
Tape and Covers:
My favorite alternative is double-sided tape! Cats really don’t like the stickiness of the tape and will avoid clawing that particular area. You can tape that is made specifically for this purpose, or just use any type of double-sided tape. Aluminum foil is a deterrent that you probably already have and you can hang it up on your furniture with a piece of tape. These sheet protectors are also useful for protecting your furniture. Wash off the scent of your cat’s pheromones with a gentle soap and then apply the alternative of your choice!
Trims and Claw Caps
You can trim your cat’s claws which will help to keep the claws healthy. However, this will dull the nail, so if your cat goes outside, I would advise allowing them to manage this on their own. I wouldn’t want to hinder a cat’s ability to climb to safety if the cat is kept outside. Another alternative for an indoor cat is to use caps that are made to cover your cat’s claws. This will cover up your cat’s claws, making them less damaging to the furniture- however, it also makes it impossible for cats to use their claws to grip a surface when climbing, so only do this if your cat is kept indoors. It is important to note that with these two methods, cats will still have the desire to scratch, it just won’t be damaging to the furniture.
What to avoid:
Electric Mats
While electric mats will deter a cat from scratching or approaching a surface, aversive methods like this can cause more problems. If your cat’s security is threatened, this can cause anxiety which can lead to problems such as urination away from the litter box and other problems.
Declawing
Declawing involves amputating each toe at the first joint. Equate this with you losing your toes at the joint- it makes walking difficult. Cats rely on their balance and this type of surgery greatly affects their ability to balance. You’d be taking away the agility and grace that cats are known for. Many declawed cats also compensate by developing a biting habit. In the shelter, I’ve observed cats who were declawed avoid the use of the litter box because the texture of the litter caused pain in their feet. Another common problem with declawed cats is they become fearful of other cats and dogs since they know they are defenseless against them. Remember that cats rely on their claws for their ability not only to fight back but also to quickly climb to get away from other animals. Cats enjoy heights and taking away their ability to climb well really leaves them with feelings of insecurity.
This post was all about helping you find a solution to prevent your cat from scratching up the furniture.
If you would like to read more about meeting your cat’s needs, please check out this post: https://toebeansandtales.com/building-a-strong-connection-with-your-purr-baby/
Sources
Fiorella, L. (2012, September 18). Why does my cat shed his claws? Vetstreet. Retrieved December 29, 2022, from https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/why-does-my-cat-shed-his-claws
DePorter, T. L., & Elzerman, A. L. (2019). Common feline problem behaviors: Destructive scratching. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 21(3), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612×19831205
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