How do I prevent my cat from scratching the couch?
Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at
1:09 am
As soon as i noticed he was scratching the couch I covered the trouble area (mostly the corners of the couch) in tin foil, and started putting cat nip on his scratching post. It seems to have worked but I need something more permanent and more visually pleasing than tin foil to protect it. Any ideas?
Filed under: Cat Furniture
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Well… visually aesthetic isn’t what you’re looking for! EFFICACY is what you want. Then, you have to know that this should only be a temporary thing until your cat learns, and STOPS, scratching up the couch.
You mentioned your scratching post. Did you move it CLOSE to the couch? Doing so will make it easier for him to choose it as the alternative, then, eventually and slowly, you move it away from the couch and to a different area.
But in this case, you have some alternatives…
TAPE: Cats HATE stickiness on their paws. Create a "pad" of duct tape to be placed over the area of the couch where he scratches, with the sticky side OUT.
VINYL MAT: Purchase one of those clear vinyl carpet mats in the same department you can find rugs. They are the ones that have those small "spikes" on the underside that hold the vinyl mat in place on a carpet. Then CUT (good pair of scissors will work very well)) the mat to the shape of the area of the couch where he scratches, with the "spikes" pointing outwards. He will hate that, too!
Keeping the scratching post close, if not in front of, the couch will retrain him to "prefer" THAT over the very UNFRIENDLY couch.
Me… kittyslave23… I know my place.
try either not letting your cat in that room or rubbing some smelly stuff onto the corners like the liquid yu get in air freshener if your cat doesn’t like the smell i wont go near it ") x
sqirt bottle of water. or you could just love the cat more than the couch.
I have a homemade remedy that is guaranteed to work…My Vet now gives this info to anyone who asks..
Get a Large Container of Super Hot Sauce
1/3 hot sauce to 2/3 water..Pot in pot and bring to a boil
Let simmer for about 5-10 minute Let cool and then strain thru coffee filters…This gets rid of all the larger particules
Put in a spray bottle and spray on any areas you don’t want the cat to use
This will NOT stain or damage furniture or any material
Also can be sprayed on any plants, especially, if the cat decides to do a bit of digging and chewing on your plants
Do everyday and after awhile, depending on results, you can do every 2nd day or once a week
Works for my cat and she was a MAJOR nightmare and used to claw my furniture, hang off my curtains,climb on my table and counters (yuk) and knocked over and damaged alot of my plants
Not anymore…She only uses her scratching post now and I didn’t have to go to the extreme of having her declawed…She’s still feisty, but only with her toys now
I hope this helps, good luck
The pepper smell will definetely do the trick
you have to try and train you cat to scratch the post
first of all do u know who your cat imitates the most?
also who does your cat favor the most?
get the favored person to reward the person the cat imitates for scarcthing the post
repeat this action along as needed
when your cat scratches the scratch post get the favored person to reward the cat at the time the cat scatches the post
this will teach the cat that that the post is more favorable to scratch
to help reinforce the lesson spray the objects you dont want scatched with a citrus(lemon, orange and or lime) fabric freshener
cats hate citrus!!!!
Bitter Apple
buy it a scratching post.
I use a squirt bottle full of water and I spray the cat a few times. They’ll learn.
Don’t stink up your couch. Keep a coffee can, filled with a few coins in in, available near the couch. When your cat goes to scratch it, give the can a shake! Don’t say anything, just shake the can. OOOOOH, they hate the noise/sound and will run! You’ll have to do it a few times till they realize that when they scratch the couch, a horribly loud noise will occur. Believe me, it won’t take long for him to stop it!
The coin in coffee can shaking sounds like a GREAT idea!!!! I have a crazy cat that LOVES water. She’ll drink it from ANYTHING! She even licks it off the windows on cold mornings! I have a 55 gal. aquarium that doesn’t have a hood (3 turtles) and she drinks the TURTLE water!!!!! Ewwwwww!!!!!! I make all kinds of noise when she does it and she’s been beginning to stop.
Kudos to annoying your cat!