Cats are low-maintenance pets that provide lovable, furry company. However, not every aspect of caring for a cat or kitten is simple. When you adopt a pet, you take on a lot of responsibilities. These include exercising them, feeding them, and brushing them. You must also work with them on any behavioral issues they may have. There is no such thing as a perfect pet, so you must be patient and willing to learn.
When a cat uses its sharp little claws to scratch up your furniture, it is one of the most destructive and annoying behaviors a cat can have.
What is causing your cat to scratch your couch, and how can you stop it?
This article discusses why cats scratch, how to declaw your cat, how to control the behavior, and how to transition from scratched couches to scratching posts.
Scratching Behavior in Cats
Understanding why a pet does something negative is the best way to deal with it. It is generally a much faster process if you can redirect that focus or change the need for the pattern.
Cats are born scratchers. It is critical to understand that you are not attempting to train them to scratch; rather, you are attempting to divert their attention away from the furniture.
They scratch to give themselves a natural manicure in the wild, removing the dead layer from their claws and keeping them sharp. Because domesticated cats do not have the same needs as wild cats, why are they still interested in scratching?
Keeping your claws healthy
Domesticated cats still need to keep their claws healthy. Scratching on rough surfaces has the same effect on domestic cats as it does on wild cats, assisting them in shedding those pesky nail husks.
Stretching
Cats will bare their claws in a stretch to better extend their tendons and muscles from the neck to the shoulders, similar to how grabbing our feet for tension in a yoga stretch can help us stretch deeper.
Marking
A cat's need to mark its territory is another instinctive reason for scratching. Scent glands in a cat's paws emit small odors when they claim something as "theirs." Even if you only have one cat, it is a part of the feline social structure.
Obtaining a pleasurable sensation
Finally, what motivates cats to act in any way? They do it because they want to. Scratching is pleasurable for cats. It serves as a natural stress reliever as well as a fun way for other household felines to play, climb, or fight.
Is It Time to Declaw Your Cat?
For many cat owners over the last several decades, the simple solution has been to declaw their cats. They literally can't scratch the couch after that.
However, declawing a cat is a painful and difficult procedure that can cause a slew of problems for both your cat and you in the future.
The procedure for declawing a cat entails amputating the last bone on each of their toes, ensuring that their claws never regrow.
It's the same as removing the last segments of each of your fingers so that your nails never grow back. You'd still be able to use your hands, but you'd have shorter fingers and no nails.
Everything changes for cats when they walk on their paws. It makes walking and jumping more difficult because it is much more difficult to balance than before. The surgery also has a high risk of complications.
Declawing has been banned as an inhumane act in many countries and made illegal in many cities across the United States.
Although the decision to declaw or not to declaw your cat is still yours as a cat owner, there are other methods you can use to train your cat not to scratch your couch and other furniture.
How to Prevent Your Cat from Scratching Your Couch and Other Furniture
We begin with a few methods and products that are commonly used in the training process. These are frequently only required during training. You won't have to worry about your cat constantly wrapping or spraying your furniture once they've learned where to direct their scratching.
Make use of cat scratch tape.
Cat scratch tape can be used to make furniture unappealing to your cat. Felines have a high sensitivity to texture, especially on their paws. Scratching is a pastime for cats. They do it in part because it feels good.
Cat-scratch tape makes it unappealing for a cat to scratch. You should place it directly over the area that they normally target so that their paws will run across it as they move.
Keep in mind that every cat is unique. Some people dislike the tape's feel, while others don't mind it. Fortunately, even if the trial does not go as planned, it is a small investment to make.
2. Socks or nail caps should be worn on their feet.
Instead of completely removing your cat's claws, you can temporarily dull them to protect your furniture. Their sharp nails are effectively blunted by the use of nail caps. They can still use their nails, but they will not be damaging.
With the caps, you can use adhesive. That way, you can slide one over each nail and it will stay on for a longer period of time.
Some people prefer translucent caps because they don't take their cat's paws to look odd, while others prefer bright colors because they are easier to find when they fall off.
Nail caps are great for use during the training process because they reduce the risk of anything happening to your couch while you and your cat work through it.
3. Apply cat scratching spray.
Cat scratch spray is one method for getting your cat to avoid the furniture. Spraying it on a specific area will either help them limit their destructive scratching or make them want to avoid that particular piece of furniture.
4. Put up vinyl panels.
Protect your couch directly by temporarily affixing vinyl panels to the sides of the furniture. Putting these around the furniture won't look good, but you should only have to do it while your cat is being trained.
Vinyl panels prevent your cat's dangerous nails from reaching the sides of your couch. Even if they do try to scratch, the fabric on the other side should be unaffected.
5.Offer them a scratching "outlet."
Finally, it is critical to provide them with an outlet for their scratching. Even if a cat has been declawed, it will continue to scratch, demonstrating that it is a deeply ingrained and entirely natural behavior.
Scratching posts are the most common type of outlet that people provide for their cats, and they are critical to their training.
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