what can i do to stop my cat from scratching the couch

We know how you lot experience when you wake upward and find a new prepare of hook marks fabricated by your true cat while you slept. Information technology tin be disheartening, to say the least. Yous probably feel that your visitors will wonder why your sofa is full of scratch marks. And now that you lot want to buy a new sofa, what tin can y'all do to finish your feline friend from ruining the new couch?

Hither'due south a brief explanation of the reasons why cats scratch and some means to keep cats from scratching your article of furniture.

Why Does My Cat Scratch So Much?

Earlier y'all attempt to train your true cat to terminate scratching your piece of furniture, yous demand to appreciate the reasons why they do this. Cats scratch surfaces to:

• Stretch their bodies:  A cat needs to stretch their muscles, and scratching enables them to practice regular do.
• Mark out territories:  A cat has smell glands in between their paws. Someday they scratch something, the glands release odors that allow them to create the boundaries of their territory.
• Keep salubrious claws:  Scratching allows your cat to shed the former layers on the tips of their claws. This keeps the claws sharp and healthy.
• To relieve stress:  Scratching allows cats to ease tension, and it prevents them from developing bad behaviors like defecating carelessly.

What Are Some Ways to Keep Cats From Scratching Piece of furniture?

While cats may need to scratch to stay calm and healthy, you don't desire them to damage your piece of furniture or other precious belongings anymore. If your cat is scratching your piece of furniture, here are some ways to finish this behavior:

• Get some scratching posts and toys: Offer your true cat at least i acceptable scratching surface. Make certain you cull posts that are strong, stable and tall, with a textile, like sisal fabric, that encourages your cats to scratch. This is very important, because if your scratching post doesn't have a cat-friendly surface, then they may ignore information technology.
• Position your scratching posts:  Put the posts in areas where your cat loves to play or remainder. These are areas like the family unit room and spots nigh windows. Cats like stretching and scratching after waking up, so put one most their usual sleeping area. Too, identify one near the furniture they similar to scratch. All posts must be in conspicuous places where your cat can use them to mark their territorial boundaries.
• Discourage the true cat from scratching couches and other piece of furniture:  You can do this by tucking a sail around the scratched section to stop the cat from reaching it. You may also use aluminum foil or double-sided record to cover the area. Another method is to spray the couch with a citrus scent as cats dislike the smell of citrus.
• Encourage your cats to scratch the posts:  Sprinkle catnip or spray honeysuckle on the posts. This will attract the cat and make them more than interested in scratching the posts. Y'all may also play with a wand toy near a postal service and so place the wand toy on the postal service, so the true cat discovers the post and scratches it.
• Redirect bad scratching:When you catch your cat scratching where they should non, brand a loud noise to distract them and redirect them to a scratching post. Offer positive reinforcement when they scratch a postal service, such as catnip or treats.
• Maintain your cat'southward claws:Another important mode to limit scratching is to maintain your true cat'due south claws. Unmanaged claws can grow into your cat'due south paw pad, causing pain and sometimes infection. Clip your cat's claws every few weeks to keep them from overgrowing.

Can I Declaw My Cat?

Though cat scratching can be a troublesome issue, declawing your cat is not a good idea. Many pet owners mistake declawing for an easy, harmless set up. In reality, declawing your cat tin can cause serious, long-term problems. The Humane Guild of the United States opposes cat declawing, except in the rare case of a cancerous smash bed tumor.

There are many reasons non to declaw cats and kittens. Cat scratching is a natural behavior, and cats rely on their claws to feel safe and secure. Declawing is not a harmless trim — it's the amputation of each toe's final os. It's the equivalent of cutting off each finger at the last knuckle. This is a serious performance offering no medical benefit for the true cat. In fact, it tin harm the true cat in multiple ways. Declawing your cat can lead to the following issues:

• Physical hurting: Declawing causes pain in the paw. This often lasts beyond a normal surgery recovery menses. Many cats have ongoing pain after declawing. Non being able to stretch their muscles while scratching can as well cause muscle pain.
• Infection: Having a major wound on each toe presents a high take a chance of infection. Many cats confront painful and life-threatening infections afterwards they're declawed.
• Bone spurs and nervus harm:Because removing claws is an invasive operation, errors can occur. Many cats experience painful nerve damage and bone spurs.
• Ambitious beliefs:Cats utilise their claws to defend themselves. A cat with no claws is likely to feel unsafe often, which can lead to aggressive, self-defensive behavior. Declawed cats may exist more probable to seize with teeth.
• Refusal to use the litter box: For at to the lowest degree a week or two subsequently the declawing surgery, cat owners have to supervene upon litter with shredded newspaper, since litter will irritate the cats' wounds. The unfamiliarity and pain when scratching in the box cause some cats to avoid the litter box long-term. In this way, declawing tin can contrary house-breaking.
• Lameness: Long-term pain and other complications of declawing tin can render cats lame for life. Some retain a long-term limp.

In short — it's not worth the gamble. Declawing may seem similar an easy way to stop scratching problems, only it causes a slew of other, more serious issues. You may take heard of tendonectomy, an alternative to traditional declawing. This process involves severing the tendons in each toe that control the claws. This is just as dangerous and painful for the cat as declawing, and is not recommended.

Instead of giving your cat a painful, risky and detrimental medical procedure, work with your cat to end unwanted scratching. Cats need their claws and demand to be able to scratch. Past encouraging your cat to use scratching posts and maintaining your cat'southward claws, you tin eliminate bad scratching.

What Can I Exercise if My Cat Won't Terminate Scratching?

If you have applied all of these tips and your cat doesn't cease scratching furniture and other undesirable surfaces in your house, you should use blast caps. These are ordinarily fabricated of vinyl, and they protect precious surfaces from impairment.

Contact Us Today

For more information on how to finish your cat from scratching article of furniture in your home, delight give us a call at 941-355-7707. And if y'all live in Sarasota, Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch, bring your true cat to our AAHA-accredited facility to savour our compassionate vet care.

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Source: https://theuniversityanimalclinic.com/how-to-train-your-cat-to-stop-scratching-your-furniture/

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