How to train a cat to stop scratching furniture

You must be familiar with the following scenario – coming into the living room and spotting that your precious furniture, maybe the one you have had for ages or perhaps the new one, has a set of claw marks.

Although you know that cat scratching furniture is its "normal" behavior, you are sure things have to change as soon as possible.

In this article we will discuss how to train a cat to stop scratching furniture, providing excellent solutions for this common problem.

Why do cats scratch furniture?

Cat scratching furniture is normal behavior that serves different essential purposes. 

Before teaching your pet not to ruin your couch, you need to try to understand why it happens in the first place. Cats are doing it for a few reasons - claw maintenance, marking their territory, and communicating with other cats.

• It helps cats keep their claws sharp. Cats maintain their claws for defense.

• Cats also do it to communicate with other cats. Also, when they knead, they leave a pheromone, using thescent glands placed in their paws to warn other cats of potential environmental dangers.

• There is another reason cats scrape furniture - they are marking their territory.

• Cats love to stretch. Cats stretch their bodies while scratching. Cats need to stretch their muscles, soscratching is a way to exercise.

How to train a cat to stop scratching furniture

The first reaction to a cat scraping furniture is usuallyyelling. You are losing your energy by yelling and telling it to "stop." Your cat will most likely continue doing the same. 

To train a cat to stop this "bad" behavior, use positive reinforcement training following several steps:

• The first step - try furniture covers. Cover the furniture with a material such as plastic that is less desirablefor cats. Some of the best on the market are tapes. These tapes use hypoallergenic and durable siliconeadhesive, which is safe for your cat and won't harm furniture surfaces.

• The second step - reward the cat.

If we want a cat to only scratch on tape, entice it by rewarding it immediately when it scratches in the desired location.

Additional tip: To encourage your cat to use the tape, consider sprinkling a catnip. The cat will become attracted and more interested in scratching the tape.

Is your cat bored? 

Although this is not the first thing you would think of as a reason for cat scratching furniture, your furry friend might be bored. What can you do? Enrich your pet's environment. Keep your cat active and entertained with the best toys and interactive playtime.

While your cat might need to scratch to stay healthy and calm, you don't want it to damage your furniture. To quickly solve this problem, offer your pet at least one convenient surface, and put it in areas where your feline loves to play or rest.

Don't forget to reward your cat for excellent behavior :)