Introduction

You know what I hate? Scratches on the furniture. You know what else I hate? Cats who scratch the furniture. Luckily, there are several ways you can train your cat to stop scratching the furniture. But before we get into that, let’s talk about why cats scratch in the first place!

Step 1: Buy a scratching post.

• Purchase a scratching post. Make sure the post is tall enough for your cat to reach, and make sure it’s sturdy and durable (you don’t want a flimsy piece of cardboard that will get destroyed in no time). Get something that is covered with material your cat likes to scratch—sisal rope or cardboard are both good options.
• Place the scratching post near where your cat spends most of his time sleeping or lounging around, so he can easily access it from any corner of the house. If possible, let him see you playing with him on this new toy as well—this way he knows it’s not just for show but actually has purpose for him to use!

Step 2: Make your cat’s nails look like a hot mess.

The second step in the process of how to stop cats from scratching is to make your cat’s nails look like a hot mess.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but hear me out: when you make your cat’s nails look rough and jagged, it makes them less likely to want to scratch on the furniture because the texture feels unpleasant against their skin. (Weirdly enough, this is also why dogs will sometimes chew on sticks or other things.) A good way of doing this is by getting a nail grinder and running it along each one of their claws until they’re all shaped in a way that will prevent scratches on anything you don’t want scratched. I know that sounds pretty horrible for both parties involved in this situation—especially if you’re trying not to hurt your precious feline friend! However, if it means protecting your furniture from having holes drilled into it by sharp little nails then yes: do it anyway! You can also get special files made just for this purpose which might be easier than clunky machinery that cuts down on noise pollution while still doing its job properly so don’t worry too much about hurting your pet while trying these methods out at home; unless they really hate being groomed then there shouldn’t be any problems here either since (hopefully) everything will go smoothly without incident.”

Step 3: Make the furniture less fun.

• Get rid of any loose threads around the furniture or curtains.
• Using double-sided tape, cover areas where they like to scratch. You can also use a squirt bottle filled with water to spray them when they attempt to scratch (this can sometimes be effective as a deterrent).
• Cover the furniture with plastic wrap or clear plastic bags taped in place.

Step 4: Give them some alternatives.

The next step is to give your cat some alternatives. You can do this by buying a scratching post or mat, cat tree, pad or scratcher. It’s important that you get the right type of toy for your cat because they will only use it if they like it.

Once you’ve purchased something suitable and placed it in front of your cat (out of reach) they will start using it. It’s important that you don’t push your cat into using these toys though as they’ll think its punishment rather than an alternative scratching area!

Step 5: Don’t scream at your cat.

• Don’t scream at your cat. A yelp of surprise or a “No!” is all it takes for your cat to associate you with the action he has just performed, and he might just do it again out of spite.
• Don’t punish your cat. If you don’t want him to scratch up the furniture, don’t yell at him for doing so—it only makes him feel bad about himself and less likely to listen to you when you ask him not to do something else that makes you unhappy (like peeing on the floor).
• Don’t rub his nose in it. If he scratches something that belongs to someone else, don’t make him feel guilty or ashamed; this will only make things worse! Instead of scolding him after he’s done something wrong, try distracting yourself by playing with toys instead–this way both of your needs are being met: yours by having fun playing with something new and exciting while also providing them with mental exercise which can help keep their minds sharp as they get older!

Step 6: Take away their favorite toys

Now that you’ve removed the sources of temptation, it’s time to take away their favorite toys. Cats love to play with things, and they also like things that are soft and comfortable. This is why so many cats like to sleep on your chair or bed: it’s nice and comfy!

To get rid of your cat’s scratching fixation, don’t remove their favorite toy (like a stuffed animal). If a cat has a favorite toy, then taking away that toy will only make them more frustrated. Instead, try getting rid of really uncomfortable items they can’t resist playing with or sleeping on. For example: if your cat likes to scratch upholstery but never sleeps on it, then pulling off the sofa cushions would be an excellent move!

Step 7: Get a helper, if necessary.

If you are having trouble getting your cat to stop scratching the furniture, try getting a helper. A helper can be a friend, family member or even a professional. The helper will help you by distracting the cat when it is scratching furniture and rewarding it when it is not.

Step 8: Play with them.

Play with your cat.

Playing with your cat is the best way to distract them from scratching the furniture. You can use interactive toys or make up games like “catch me if you can!” Make sure that they know it’s always their turn first. If they’re not interested in playing, try again later when they might be more receptive to being distracted by a toy or game.

Don’t let them play with any electronic devices (such as a phone or laptop) that belongs to you! It’s important for cats to get plenty of exercise and interact with their owners, so if there isn’t time during the day for your kitty to run around and wrestle with toys, then it’s okay for them to scratch the furniture while you’re away at work but only under supervision—this will help ensure that no damage occurs while giving them an outlet for pent-up energy until bedtime rolls around again.

Step 9: Train them early on.

This step is really a continuation of the previous step. If you’ve trained your cat not to scratch the furniture, then congratulations! You’re halfway done with this task. However, if your cat has already started scratching and you want to stop it immediately, there are some things you can do.

First off, don’t wait until they are older before trying to teach them not to scratch the furniture. The earlier you train your cat not to scratch the furniture, the easier it will be for both of you in the long run because cats do tend to grow out of their bad habits or learn how not to do something later on in life if they haven’t been taught properly from an early age.

Secondly, there are many different ways that people have found successful when trying to teach their cats not only how not but also why they shouldn’t scratch certain surfaces around the house; however whatever method works best for both parties involved is what should always be considered first above all else (and remember: patience goes along way when teaching any type of new skill!).

Final step to stopping cat scratching of the furniture? Reward yourself! You’ve earned it!

Now that you’ve made it through the 10 steps to stop your cat from scratching, reward yourself!

• Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it!
• Go to the gym, have a massage or go to the spa. This will help release all of those endorphins and help you relax after putting in all of this hard work with your feline friend.
• Take a day off work so you can relax and let all of that stress float away while they’re away at school or work (or even better, take them with you).
• Go on a trip somewhere exciting (like Vegas!).
• Buy yourself something nice – maybe even something related to cats!

With these steps, hopefully you’ll be able to train your cat to stop scratching the furniture once and for all…until it grows out of its claws again, right? Yes, but you can worry about that later!

Hopefully with these steps, you’ll be able to train your cat to stop scratching the furniture once and for all…until it grows out of its claws again, right? Yes, but you can worry about that later!

Before you begin training your cat, make sure that you have some new toys for them to play with or an extra bed or two for them to sleep on. This will give them something else to do instead of scratching at furniture. Cats are very intelligent creatures so if they see that there are other things around instead of just one thing (like a couch), they will know how much fun it is and make more effort not to scratch your favorite chair!

It’s also a good idea that when training your pet not only do you reward yourself during this process but also reward them by playing with them or giving them treats every time they stop scratching upholstery. You want them thinking about how good it feels when they don’t scratch anymore so make sure there’s lots of rewards coming their way as well!

Conclusion

We hope that these tips have been helpful in your quest to stop your cat from scratching the furniture! If you have any other questions, or would like to share some of your own experiences with us, please reach out at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!