Cat scratching best practices
July 4, 2015 8:56 PM   Subscribe

How can I prevent my beloved cat Maya from scratching the new microfiber couch?

My cat is mostly fond of scratching wood--we've surrendered the cheap garage-sale kitchen table to her claws--but she also has phases of scratching our microfiber couch and chair. She does have a sisal scratching post but never uses it, even with catnip encouragement. Clipping or Soft-Paws-ing is not an option, since she hates having her paws touched.

How can I discourage her from scratching our microfiber upholstery? I thought that Sticky Paws would work, but they have a disclaimer that it might ruin microfiber. Are the various deterrent sprays safe to use on upholstery?

Bonus points if you can recommend an affordable wooden scratching post. I'd like to keep it around $50 and it seems like most cat furniture is covered in carpet or sisal.
posted by serelliya to Pets & Animals (14 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
A cover for the couch might be the most prudent.
posted by k8t at 9:07 PM on July 4, 2015


Response by poster: Will stop thread-sitting after this, but--Covering the couch isn't really an option. We specifically bought a tight-back couch with no loose cushions because I hate the feeling of fabric flopping around, as well as the drapey look of slipcovers. Currently I've covered the arm with a throw blanket which works, but see my previous sentence about drapey couch fabric.
posted by serelliya at 9:13 PM on July 4, 2015


Have you tried cardboard-based scratchers? We have something like this and our cats LOVE it. They barely scratch the furniture at all after we scattered a couple of those around the apartment.
posted by bedhead at 9:22 PM on July 4, 2015 [1 favorite]


Try different scratching posts. Sturdy is good. Big is good. Some cats like ones that lie on the ground.
Scratch them with your nail to make an appealing sound, and then if she goes for it, reward her with treat immediately.
Re: the cost of posts, I made my own post too. Used a square very sturdy log, a staple gun, some wood glue and sisal from home depot. When the glue dries, take the staples out.
posted by jacobnayar at 9:25 PM on July 4, 2015


I don't know how big your scratching post is, but the cost of The Ultimate Scratching Post is made up in saved furniture. I bought mine three years ago and it has held up to my household of 3+ cats since then. They never much went for smaller scratching posts but they love the shit out of this thing.
posted by Anonymous at 9:37 PM on July 4, 2015


My cats go for cardboard scratching pads I get at the dollar store - which is likely an upsell.

You can get thin sheets of clear vinyl you cut and measure at the hardware store, simply safety pin them over the corners of the couch your cat wishes to scratch at. Yes you just became a grandmother, but you can take them off once the interest fades.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 10:27 PM on July 4, 2015


We have a stair railing that we were able to wrap in sisal rope - cats have _adored_ jumping on top of the railing and scratching away.
posted by amtho at 3:01 AM on July 5, 2015


Oh, pretty kitty!! I second the idea of cardboard scratching posts and doodads - we have 4 cats and they all seem to have preferences for scratching, so giving several alternatives might be good. One cat really likes the cardboard circle in the middle of this toy, another really likes the cardboard built into the bottom of the cat tree. Something like this might be good in terms of preferred angles? We sprinkle them with catnip, too, which falls into the little holes in the cardboard and really gives the cats a good reason to try them out in the first place.
posted by VioletU at 8:03 AM on July 5, 2015


Does her sisal scratching post (the one she never uses) have a stable base, and is it tall enough for her to stretch out when scratching? The most common reason cats scratch furniture like couches and chairs is because they are very stable and don't tip over or move when scratched. You want a post with a wide base and/or one that can be attached to the wall or floor. Something like this (which is sisal-covered but under $50 and has the right dimensions) might work:
http://www.amazon.com/SmartCat-3832-Ultimate-Scratching-Post/dp/B000634MH8

Honestly you might be better off DIYing it or having a handy friend or acquaintance build for you a plain wooden post, if your cat really does have a texture preference. A 4x4 piece of construction lumber about 42" tall bolted or screwed to a plywood platform would be trivially easy to make and would likely come in under $20.
posted by aecorwin at 8:21 AM on July 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


Placing better alternatives is necessary, but not always sufficient. Cats can learn and for all their reputation as independent, they do want to be good kitties. But you have to show them what you do want, and not just hope they figure it out when you get mad about the couch.

With ours, he started off wanting to scratch everything scratchable (like the couch). Every time he tried, I quickly got up, picked him up, and physically put him on the scratching post. I'd even scratch on it myself a little. Every time - and I mean every time and it's been 15 years now - I see him scratch on his scratching post I praise and pet him and give him some positive attention.

I won't say it worked overnight, but the furniture scratching eventually went down to pretty much never. In the meantime, draping a quilt over the tempting corner parts helps.
posted by ctmf at 2:22 PM on July 5, 2015


I made armrest covers for our sofa for this reason. It's a square, non-drapey sofa, and the covers are angular and non-drapey as well.
posted by mchorn at 6:37 PM on July 5, 2015


Get scratching posts. Spray them with catnip spray. Hope for the best. Your cat may love it. However, cat is going to cat while you're not there.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 1:05 AM on July 6, 2015


If your cat likes specific parts of the sofa you can try using double-stick tape on those spots.

Our cat loves scratching the arms of the sofa, and a few strips of tape keeps him off.
posted by forkisbetter at 8:18 AM on July 6, 2015


Also - another thing that helped with my cats (in addition to providing ample stable non-couch scratching surfaces) was spritzing the arms of the couch with Feliway. You only need a teeny-tiny amount and it won't harm most fabrics (it's an isopropyl alcohol base, so the liquid component evaporates rapidly, leaving just the "everything is fiiiine!" kitty-pheromones). This worked like a charm for my cats when they were kittens.

Oh and if you do try Feliway, and the cat has already scratched (or attempted to scratch) the couch, you may want to clean the couch with some enzyme spray (Nature's Miracle or Anti-Icky-Poo or similar) first, to eliminate the "scratch here!" pheremones that cats leave with their paws when they scratch.
posted by aecorwin at 8:38 AM on July 9, 2015


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