What Can You Do About Destructive Cat Scratching Behavior?

If you have a cat, you know that cats love to scratch. They scratch when they are threatened, they scratch when they stretch, or they even scratch while playing. Is your cat’s scratching excessive or destructive to your furniture? If so, read on for some tips on how to decrease destructive scratching behavior.

Clip Nails Regularly – Cats often scratch to remove their worn-out outer claws. If you make sure to regularly trim your cats’ nails, this can prevent excessive scratching behavior.

Provide Scratching Posts – Providing a variety of appropriate scratching options for your cat can help dissuade him or her from scratching the furniture. You can get horizontal or vertical posts, and posts made from different materials in order to figure out your cat’s preferences.

Deterrents – You may try purchasing cat scratch spray or deterrent spray, which can be sprayed on furniture that your cat likes to scratch. There is also cat scratch tape that can be taped onto furniture or doors to prevent and discourage scratching. If you temporarily make typical scratching areas uninviting, your cat may learn to scratch where you want him to (on the scratching post!)

Did you have a cat scratching problem? How did you solve it?