Dear Miss Behavin’: Help! My cat is scratching up my couch. She has a scratcher that she uses, but then she’ll go and scratch on the couch. What can I do to stop her from ruining my furniture?
Cats naturally scratch for numerous reasons. They do it to remove the outer layer of their claws, mark their territory, and to give themselves a nice stretch. It is a totally natural and instinctive behavior.
If you would like to prevent her from tearing up your couch make sure you have alternatives. Have multiple cat scratchers, not just one. Have a mix of vertical and horizontal scratchers. Popular scratchers include: rope-covered posts, a flat cardboard scratcher, or a carpet scratcher. Cover up the spot she’s been scratching on so she no longer has access. Cats don’t like citrus odor. You could soak cotton balls in citrus and hang them where she’s doing her unwanted scratching. Reward her when she uses her cat scratchers! Give her a treat and praise her. You can also make her scratchers more appealing by rubbing catnip on them. Negative reinforcement isn’t the answer – make it all positive! If you catch her scratching on the “naughty” spot, redirect her to one of her own scratchers. It’s helpful to place her scratchers near her usual nap spots. After a while your couch will be saved and kitty will be happy with her scratchers.