Cats are beloved friends who bring happiness, love, and personality to our homes. But cats love to scratch. Keep in mind that scratching is a natural cat behavior.
However, cat scratching is more than just a quirky habit.
It’s a vital part of your feline friend’s life that you must understand. Cats scratch to keep their nails healthy, work out muscles, and mark territory.
When cats scratch, they expel odor from glands in their paws, claiming the scratched surface as their own. Why you need to know all this?
You can use this knowledge to pick out the best furniture protectors and deterrents to protect your home from scratching while maintaining your cat’s well-being – at the same time.
This means you can not just get furniture protectors and never allow your little furry friend to scratch. You have to provide an alternative.
By understanding your cat’s scratching behavior and implementing the solutions we suggest, you can create a harmonious environment where your furniture and furry companion coexist happily, ensuring a scratch-free, stress-free home.
Why Do Cats Scratch Furniture?
Cats scratch for many reasons.
It is their way to communicate, claim possessions, and stretch and condition their claws. This behavior marks their territory and helps shed the outer layer of their cat’s claws.
Cats who don’t have easy access to scratching surfaces or pads may turn their claws toward furniture and carpeting.
They might scratch your sofa or carpet without appropriate outlets, leading to frustration. Ensuring they have designated scratching areas can prevent this destructive behavior and protect your furniture.
Benefits of Using Cat Furniture Protectors
There are many reasons why purchasing cat furniture protectors is worth the money:
Keeps your sofas clean.
Cat scratching furniture is not what you want to have. Your cozy sofa deserves to stay as clean as possible. Furniture protectors act like a reliable hair gel, keeping everything in place and looking fantastic. They prevent your furniture from becoming a fur-covered mess, ensuring it remains spotless and appealing.
Lowers maintenance expenses.
Think of protectors as a financial hero that will come to rescue you (and your pocketbook) from expensive repairs or upgrades.
Enables a cat-friendly environment
You’ve made a feline heaven where your cat can fly and do his circus tricks without your sofa becoming a piece of shredded art. Your cat gets a gym membership, but without the yoga pants.
Makes home look stunning
Transparent protectors are the invisible home décor cape – they don’t clash and your aesthetic doesn’t get muddy. You will be the envy of all your guests because how do you keep everything so clean, and smile like a scheming decorator.
Choosing the Right Cat Furniture Protector
Picking the right protector for your furniture without making our cat sad is simpler than you think.
Start by considering the material.
Good materials, like sisal rope or clear vinyl are great because they can withstand your cats scratching.
Next, think about the size.
Ensure that the cover for your sofa is sufficiently large to wrap around and fits snugly along the edges. Additionally consider the type of house couchs you own when selecting a suitable protector; for instance when safeguarding a sofa opt, for a designated sofa scratcher.
Finally think about what your cat enjoys.
If your feline companion enjoys scratching on surfaces like furniture or walls you might want to think about getting a specialized protector that doubles as a rock climbing structure, for cats.
Here are some furniture protecters that we suggest considering:
Cat Scratch Furniture Couch Protector with Natural Sisal
Cat Scratch Furniture Protector Natural Sisal Anti-Scratching Mat for Sofa Couch Chair
Cat Couch Protector [Fits on Either Arm Rest]
Choosing the Right Scratching Post
We’ve discussed ways to safeguard your sofas from the antics of your furry friends paws. Let’s now go deeper into discovering alternative methods to keep your feline companion content and fulfilled.
Choosing the scratching post for your feline friend is akin, to selecting the right gym membership.
Opt for something robust and durable like having their own personal trainer in the form of sisal rope or wooden equipment that can withstand their vigorous exercise sessions with ease.
These items are long-lasting.
However, if they get scratched by your cat’s claws, it may prompt them to groom themselves and leave marks behind on your home furnishings.
Having a range of textures and surfaces on a scratching post can meet your cats preferences. This will keep them entertained! It’s an idea to mix things up with various types of scratchers in different sizes, for maximum enjoyment.
Certain cats prefer surfaces when it comes to scratching behavior, while others may not be as selective in their choices, which could influence their scratching habits.
It might be helpful to begin by offering various types of surfaces to determine your cats preferences.
Best Cat Scratching Posts
As we previuosly discussed, you want to choose the ideal scratching post for your cat’s claws to prevent your house things from becoming their favorite scratching target.
Cats love to scratch vertically. A vertical scratcher made from vinyl is the first type of scratcher that should be in every cat owner’s house.
Here are some top picks for the best cat scratching posts that can withstand the test of time and claws:
Sisal Rope Scratching Post: it is a durable option to consider. All cats usually love sisal ropes. Cats love to dig their claws into and play with.
Multi-Level Cat Tree: Cat trees are ideal for homes with multiple cats. They are usually made for two cats (or more), so if you are the owner of more than one cat, this option will have even more benefits for you (cat’s claws care, levels to climb, exercise, and relax).
Cardboard Scratching Lounge: Your cat will love this one because it can serve different pets’ needs, like using it as a scratcher and cat sofa. It will soon be her best part to be on.
Wall-Mounted Scratcher: This is a good option if you have a small space at home. It can be attached to the wall, saving you floor space. At the same time, you can choose lovely designs that look attractive with your existing decor.
Wood-Made Scratching Post: Wood gives a natural look. A wooden scratching post is an excellent option if you like this kind of room decor.
DIY Cat Furniture Protector Ideas
Did you know that there are many creative ideas for creating those protectors at home?
Take a look at these three DIY ideas – that you can do in a few minutes – to make your furniture safe and give your cat a separate space to scratch:
DIY Sticky Tape Protector: Place swatches of double-sided sticky tape where your cat scratches. The felines hate sticky stuff, so this will prevent scratching. : Tape using pet-safe tape so your house fittings do not get damaged.
Carpet Scratching Panel Made from Recycled Carpet: Slice an old carpet roll into a board the size of plywood. Glue it on. After that, put it over high-scratch spots. Just something about carpeting underneath cats’ claws focuses them so well.
Fabric Slipcover with Built-In Scratching Pad: Stuff the arms of the sofa with a washable fabric slipcover and cover with sections of sisal rope or little scratching pads. Sisal is cat-friendly and scratchable, which is better than furniture.
Protecting Your Furniture from Scratching – Additional Tips for a Scratch-Free Home
Try using woven furniture protectors that are cat-friendly and safe for clawing without causing any harm to your house fittings!
You can quickly secure these protectors under your sofa legs to keep them steady.
You can also use twist pins to attach them to upholstery or carpet floors without hassle!
These protectors have shown results in homes with two friends by meeting their clawing needs and keeping the furniture damage-free.
You can try to clip your cat’s claws. But PAY ATTENTION HERE, see if your cat will be okay with that. This is to avoid any harm caused by scratches on your couch and keep your cat comfortable and happy.
Another idea is to schedule grooming sessions or trim their nails at home. Trimming cat claws regularly will maintain their claws in good condition. At the same time, it will preserve the appearance of your home decor.
Introduce scratching spots (in multiple sizes) for your cat. Your can will know then how to use and enjoy scratching on. This can be scratching posts and pads.
Position them in places your cat often visits to steer their scratching habits away from your furniture.
Clean up any spots your cat has been scratching with an enzyme cleaner. The reason for that is to get rid of odors and prevent them from returning to the place.
Try using pheromones to soothe your cat and lessen territorial anxiety issues.
Using pheromone diffusers or sprays can help establish an environment that can decrease stress-induced clawing habits.
As a result, this will also make your cat feel safe without marking its territory on your furniture.
Conclusion
Ensuring your furniture remains free from destructive scratching is a concern for owners everywhere.
To protect your sofa from scratches and maintain a scratch-friendly home, help your cat re-develop scratching habits while utilizing effective furniture protection products.
