How to Stop a Cat From Scratching Wooden Furniture
- 1). Provide your cat with appropriate wooden objects to scratch. You can purchase some ready made cat trees that incorporate real wood, or you can simply use a log placed in your cat's favorite area.
- 2). Place a number of other scratching posts around the home, making sure that those scratching posts are located in places where your cat likes to play. The more appropriate scratching surfaces you can provide your cat the easier it will be to teach him not to scratch the furniture.
- 3). Keep a small water bottle with a spray nozzle (or even a water pistol) on hand and use it to deter your cat when he does start to scratch your furniture or other inappropriate objects. Most cats hate water, and a spray of water is often enough to deter even the most determined scratcher.
- 4). Place anti-scratching strips on your furniture to provide another deterrent. These strips are sticky, and cats find the sensation of stickiness on their paws quite unpleasant. You can also use sandpaper, double-sided tape or aluminum foil.
- 5). Rub the inappropriate objects with mothballs, perfume, muscle rub medication or other safe items with an unpleasant odor. The odor alone may be enough to deter your cat.
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