You cannot completely stop cats from scratching furniture as it is their innate behavior. There are many reasons for cat scratching behavior. There are some tips and methods that can minimize the damage caused by scratching. This post will act as a guide on how to keep your cat’s claws away from damageable household assets.
Cat Scratching and Vinegar
It is crucial to know how to keep cats from scratching furniture using vinegar. Vinegar acts as a natural cat deterrent to repel them from getting access to restricted areas. You can learn how to keep cats from scratching furniture vinegar by making a vinegar solution using natural ingredients. Here’s how it can be made:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix equal portions of water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on your household furniture. This will help in keeping your cat from scratching and ruining your items. Just spray the solution to the areas you want to protect. The scent will keep your cat away from that particular area.
Four Ways to Use Vinegar Solution
Vinegar Mixture
You can use white vinegar solution either concentrated or diluted to deter cats. You can test the strength of different mixtures and use the one which contains minimum vinegar, which is still productive.
Outdoors Spraying
A vinegar solution can be sprayed outside on fences, gates, posts, and even plants. Spray the solution on areas that you do not want your cat to be scratching. Use this method and spray as often as you can until your cat learns to keep away from that area.
Indoors Spraying
The solution can also be sprayed indoors on furniture and surfaces that your cat tends to scratch. Try to use the most diluted solution, which will still work in repelling your cat. If you are going to use the spray-on fabric materials, make sure to do an experimental test to check if the solution is safe for the fabric before you apply the complete solution on it. It is also recommended to first do a test on wood as well as other surfaces. Spray the solution once every week. Note that indoor items do not need as much spraying as outdoor objects.
Soaking
If for some reason, you do not have a spraying option, you can also soak a piece of cloth, paper, or sponge in a vinegar solution and put them in locations you want to preserve.
Stop Cats from Scratching Leather Furniture
It is not very pleasant to see your favorite leather couch or sofa ripped and shredded by your pet. Here’s how to stop cats from scratching leather furniture in five ways:
Make Use of Scratching Posts and Pads
Scratching posts will significantly help in inflicting lesser damage to your leather furniture. Place several scratchers in locations your cat frequents. It is ideal to teach your cat to scratch on its post while it is still a kitten, but a grown cat can also be retrained with some effort.
Interactive Toys
Entice your cat with its favorite toys by hanging them onto the post. You can also apply a catnip on the post for a more fruitful result. Once your cat learns to scratch its post, you won’t have to worry about how to stop cats from scratching leather furniture in your home.
Manual Demonstration
To teach a cat, you have to act like a cat. Get down on all fours and scratch the post to demonstrate how it is done. Your cat may get the idea and start scratching too.
Plastic Covering
Plastic drop cloths act as a barrier between your cat and your leather furniture. It is a perfect way to make your furniture less appealing to your cat. You should make use of the plastic while training your cat to scratch its post. You can remove them once your cat gets comfortable with its scratching post. A good product example to stop cats from scratching furniture is the Plastic Couch Cover Pets Cat Scratching Protector Clawing Deterrent. It is available for purchase at Amazon.
Plastic Nail Caps
Initially, your cat may still prefer your leather furniture over its scratcher. In this case, plastic caps should come to your rescue. Attach the caps to your cat’s claws. It will not stop your cat from scratching, though it will not be able to inflict any damage on the leather furniture.
Cat Scratching And Homemade Spray
Here is how you can make a cat scratching furniture spray homemade with citrus-based ingredients to keep your cat away from specific objects.
Mix 10 drops of citrus-scented essential oils in a spray bottle such as orange or lemon into 8 oz of lukewarm water. Citrus based scents strongly repel cats, and you won’t find them anywhere near an object sprayed with the scent. If the scent of citrus fails to produce a desirable effect, you can also try using lavender, eucalyptus, and cinnamon oils. Experiment with different scents before you find which scent is the most effective.
Shake the mixture thoroughly before applying it to your furniture. Spray a small portion on the back of your furniture to see if the spray will inflict any damage. If it is safe, you may apply it to all the areas that your cat likes to scratch.
Apply the cat deterrent spray on your furniture on a daily basis while encouraging your cat to make use of its scratching post. Once your cat gets accustomed to its scratcher, you can minimize the amount of spray and eventually stop the action completely.
While spraying, make sure that you are not over spraying as it can produce an overwhelming scent your cat detests, making it feel like an unwanted pet at home. Over spraying can also lead to surface deterioration and bleaching. So whatever spray you use, whether it is from the market or homemade, ensure that it is safe for your furniture.
Cat Scratching and Home Remedy
The market can provide different assets to stop cats from scratching furniture. But there are also ways you can teach your cat at home. Read on to know what home remedies will keep cats from scratching furniture.
Discourage
If you are wondering what home remedies will keep cats from scratching furniture, do not worry. We got you covered. The first and foremost step you can make is to discourage your cat whenever he scratches on something it is not supposed to scratch. This can be done by using cat deterrent sprays, which can either be purchased in the market or homemade with natural ingredients.
You can also make use of double-sided sticky tapes to discourage your cat. Cats detest sticky surfaces, and they will not try to dig their claws into the sticky tape.
No-Scratch and Feliway deterrent sprays can work wonders in repelling your cat from scratching furniture.
Provide Alternatives
Apart from sprays and tapes which act as a form of discouragement to cats, you can also make use of cat scratching posts and pads.
Train your cat in such a way that its attention is drawn towards the scratchers rather than the furniture. You can also trick your cat into utilizing its scratching post by luring them with catnip and toys.
Praise and reward your cat with treats if it scratches on its post, which will make them associate scratching with rewards.
Trim The Claws
You can minimize the damage done by your cat’s scratching by using this home method of trimming its claws at regular intervals. You can either do it yourself or seek help from vet doctors.
Ignore Your Cat’s Scratching
Although it sounds rude, sometimes, you have to ignore your cat scratching, especially on the door. This lack of attention will disinterest your cat, and along with some market products, it will eventually stop scratching on your door at night.
