Stop your cat scratching the furniture

Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth – but given half a chance Dorcas would sharpen her claws on the best armchair.   No problem at all – from her point of view – after all, claw sharpening is a natural and very necessary thing for a cat to do.   Another ruined item of furniture though.    So can we stop our cats from doing this?    Probably not, but we can train them to be selective in their behaviour.    Saying ‘no’ firmly is the thing to do – but only if you actually catch your cat in the act.  It’s all down to the tone of voice which has to be determined and cross.   That’s not hard when you see the claw marks.    Later reprimands are pointless.  Cats understand the ‘no‘ word very well, although they often pretend they don’t!    Providing lots of interesting claw sharpening alternatives is the answer.  You can buy expensive scratching post and ready made mats but in my experience cats usually spurn these on a graduating scale as to how much they’ve cost!

One of my cats loves to sharpen her claws on the side of the pantry door – and I let her.   Well, it saves the rest of the house, it’s out of the way and what does it matter.  Adopting a laid back approach to natural cat behaviour goes a long way to a quiet life.   If your cat goes outside a lot she will probably sharpen her claws in the great outdoors – the garden has many wonderful possibilities for her – old trees, logs, sheds etc., and she will like them far better than a soppy armchair.    A piece of coco matting in the porch or greenhouse is usually tempting and will get the sharpening urge over and done with before she comes indoors.    I’ve found that one of the best liked cat clawing items is a rush seated stool so if you see one at a car boot make a grab for it.  Cats love them.   They like to sit on them and then they stretch and then they sharpen.   These old stools are usually well made and will withstand Miss Puss’s attacks for a long time.   When it’s just too tatty you’ll have to go on the hunt for another.

Dimity loves her catnip cushion

If there are some items you are particularly anxious to keep safe you could try sprinkling a few drops of essential oils on them.    Tea tree, orange oil or lemon or eucalyptus are not generally liked by cats and they will avoid them.   Make sure the oils won’t damage whatever you are putting them on first though.   At the same time, spray catnip in the areas that are permissible, your cat will love the distinctive aroma and that will be her new best place to sharpen her claws.