How to prevent cats from scratching furniture tips and tricks
we give you some tricks and tips on how to prevent cats from scratching furniture The first thing to prevent your cat from scratching the sofa and other furniture is to understand why it does.
The main reasons are : for marking their territory, filing their nails, stress, anxiety or even boredom. In addition, you will be interested to know that there is a repellent for cats, as well as other utensils to prevent it from destroying everything.
Once you know what the specific reason for your behavior is, we must help our pet redirect his behavior to combat his tension .
Now we offer you solutions on how to prevent cats from scratching furniture.
We start !
Why my cat scratches the couch
Feline language is something complex and we must learn to interpret it.
If your cat scratches the sofa to file its nails or as a stretching exercise, it will not cost you much to guide it to do it somewhere else. The real problem lies when doing so by marking .
Cats are very territorial animals and have different ways of marking:
with the nails, with the face and with the urine. Marking with urine is very annoying and can have several origins.
As for facial marking it not only does not bother it is even pleasant. Finally, scratches in unwanted places worry all cat owners.
They do it to show that this is their territory as they give off pheromones through their legs . However, scratch marking can be redirected to suitable objects, such as a cat scraper
If scratching is caused to file your nails or exercise your muscles, you just have to take care of providing a scraper for cats in addition to looking for a good cat sofa protector.
In this way, you will avoid destroying the furniture. Here we show you a product that can fulfill both functions:
How to prevent scratching the sofa
If more than one cat lives in your house, it will be as easy as guaranteeing an adequate number of scrapers and placing them in their area of greatest activity.
Remember that they are very territorial and nail wear can end in a stress marking.
To avoid scratching the sofa or other furniture you should clean them thoroughly with enzymatic products or a neutral soap.
Lye or ammonia do not eliminate olfactory marks, so they will not stop doing so. Now yes, once all this is done, it is time to redirect your behavior.
With a scraper for cats should be enough, but make sure it is not very fragile and at least 40 centimeters high . It must be made with good quality materials, otherwise it will break right away.
In that case, think that cats are very selective animals, so you will have to provide the one he likes best. There are horizontal or floor, vertical and different materials, but you should always place it next to the sofa.
If the cat uses this piece of furniture to sharpen his nails, you can even use synthetic pheromones on the cat scraper. In this way, it will emit an olfactory signal that will make your pet redirect its behavior there. In addition, they are not harmful or toxic .
Catnip can also help you focus your cat’s scratches toward the scraper. Finally, we recommend using a cat sofa protector and that you provide more than one scraper.
It would also be good to get fun toys for him, choosing the most appropriate according to his tastes and preferences.
Tricks to avoid scratches
The best way for your cat not to scratch the sofa is to limit its access to it. If after cleaning the sofa as we have indicated and placing the scraper next to the sofa it is still scratching, it is best to use a cat repellent on the furniture .
Always keep your nails in perfect condition
In addition to filing, check them from time to time in case they need a cut. You can take it to a feline hairdresser or do it in the comfort of your home, although for this you will have to accustom it from baby to touching his legs and give it a prize later.
Offer also a stress-free environment that doesn’t get bored for your sedentary life or for spending too much time alone.
If your cat is stressed it will scratch all the furniture in the house, it will also get nervous easily, you will have loss or increase of appetite and may present aggressiveness.
To avoid it, find the cause of your stress, and remember that a good scraper for cats and spending time with it is essential.
Cats are not like dogs and with punishment you will not get them to stop performing certain behaviors. On the contrary, the animal will develop a series of negative consequences for its owners.
Some of these consequences may be: aggressive behavior, hiding in the presence of humans, inappropriate behavior or other problems.
So if you see your cat scratching the furniture do not scold him, redirect his behavior towards the cat scratcher and reward him with caresses, words of encouragement, games or a treat.
In order to deal effectively with cats, it is best to always use positive reinforcement . This together with the scraper, a cat repellent and a cat sofa protector should be enough
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