Help! My cat keeps scratching my leather furniture. What can I do?

Here is a link to an article that explains this problem and how to rectify it. I have also linked some Feliway products and some Soft Paws that you may want to try. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/destructive-scratching https://www.feliway.com/us/Why-Use-Feliway/how-to-stop-a-cat-scratching-furniture https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/feliscratch-by-feliway https://www.softpaws.com/soft-paws-cats/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7CDkqZAqIc

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Cats scratching your furniture can be the worst! You can consider putting nail caps on your cats while training them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYGODXH/ref=asc_df_B01MYGODXH5167683/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B01MYGODXH&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198073792559&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=740752911514439939&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007368&hvtargid=pla-318807050319 Purchase several different types of scratching posts and have some that are vertically oriented like your couch. Place them where your cats mostly sleep so when they wake up and want to scratch it is there. Also place them front and center in your house so they can do it where you mostly relax. Place one near the couch. Get your cat interested in the scratching posts by sprinkling them with catnip or spraying them with honeysuckle. Learn more about catnip and honeysuckle. Get your cat even more interested in the post(s) by using a wand toy. Start by playing with the wand toy a few feet away from the post. Once your cat is playing along, sweep the toy so that its end drapes over the post. Often, when cats "discover" their post this way, especially when it's covered in a great scratch-worthy material like sisal fabric, they will come back to it again and again. Make the couch an unattractive place for scratching. You can accomplish this by using one or more of the following techniques: Tuck a sheet around the scratched area of the couch tightly so your cat can't get under it to scratch the couch. Use double-sided tape or aluminum foil on the couch. Spray the couch with a citrus-scented spray because cats have a natural aversion to citrus odors. Consider adding the product Feliway to your anti-scratching arsenal. Feliway is a product that mimics the feline facial pheromone that makes cats feel calmer. If your cat is scratching your couch because she is feeling stressed, Feliway can help. Spray the sofa and any areas that your cat normally hangs out. Continue to play with your cat near the scratching post, and reward her with praise and treats when she uses it. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_7?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=feliway+spray&sprefix=feliway%2Cpets%2C137&crid=KU58Z21UQBZV I hope this helps!

I recommend trying Soft Paws. They are nail caps that you glue onto your cat's claws, and it prevent damage to the furniture when they try to scratch. You can order them online, and you may be able to find them in a pet store. I hope this helps!

This can be a tough problem - I can sympathize! There are a few things you can do to help. First, make sure that you are providing really good, attractive scratching posts in the areas that your cat wants to scratch - many of the small, carpet-covered ones in pet stores aren't very good. A good scratching post should be at least 3-4 feet tall so that the cat can stretch all the way out when scratching. It should also be heavy and solid - if the post feels flimsy or tips over when the cat scratches, he won't want to use it. Finally, most cats prefer rough coverings like sisal rope or something similar rather than carpet. I would try to get several really good scratching posts and ideally also a few cat trees/climbing structures so that you can have at least one in every room where Pepper spends time. To help discourage scratching on furniture and door faces, you can use double-sided scotch tape over these areas - the tape sticks to their paws when they try to scratch, so they normally choose to go elsewhere. If you would like more specific suggestions for your situation, feel free to consult with me - I'd be glad to try and help out.

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. She is very young still, so managing her scratching and biting will be crucial in this stages of life before she gets bigger and her scratching could become more damaging. Here are some tips you can follow to decrease the incidence of scratching. Hope this helps and best of luck. Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal behavior that aids cats in the marking of their territories in the form of scratch marks. Scent glands in their paws leave olfactory clues for other cats to alert them to their presence. Cats also find it pleasurable as a means of exercise and stretching. Scratching also allows cats to keep their claws healthy and shortened. Unlike dogs, a cats’ claws do not exfoliate evenly from the end; rather they peel off in layers like an onion. What is inappropriate scratching? Inappropriate scratching is ultimately determined by the owner, but is generally directed at furniture, screens, carpets and rugs and other items that the cats finds suitable. What can I do to prevent this? The easiest way to prevent severe damage is to trim your cats nails every 2-4 weeks. It is best to begin this process when the cat is very young, as they will become more accustomed to this procedure. However, older cats can learn to tolerate it as well. Another excellent method is to provide them with a suitable scratching substrate. As with nail trimming, this is also best started at an early age before the scratching behavior begins, but older cats will also generally accept such items as carpet or sisal fiber scratching posts or corrugated cardboard. For more options, you can visit your local pet store or make your own from their preferred scratching material and a supporting board of wood. My cat is ignoring the scratching post. How do I get him/her to use it? Place the item in the areas that your cat(s) enjoys scratching. You can entice the cat to use the item by rubbing or sprinkling with catnip. If your cat insists on using the wrong scratching surface, guide your cat to the correct site. Once at the post, you can start petting and scratching your cat while placing their feet on the surface for encouragement and stimulation of the natural kneading motion. Remember to reward your cat for its good behavior!

Keeping your cat's nails short and trimmed will help. It would also be helpful to provide your cat with a scratching post so he can use this instead of using your curtains. To keep him off the counters you can use a spray bottle with water to discourage this behavior. Other things that may work is putting double sided tape on the surfaces because your cat will not like how it sticks to his paws. It usually only takes one or two trips on the counter with the tape to discourage this behavior. There are also motion detecting devices that shoot high pressured air to startle the cat when it detects the cat on the counter. I hope one of these solutions works for you and Lomeo.

Unfortunately it is very difficult to get them to stop once they start. All you can really do is install a few scratching posts and hope these entice the cat. I would not advocate declawing a cat, it is routinely performed in the US but illegal in the UK. It can make it dificult for them to climb and balance.