They’re the apple of your eye one minute, and then in the next, they’re ripping your favorite sofa to shreds.
So what do you do exactly when your furry friend decides to ruin your furnishings?
Mark Vette, director of Animal Behaviorists and Mentors, believes cats will scratch a sofa to mark their territory. The pheromone glands between their claws leave their own personal scent on the sofa. As soon as they make their mark the first time, chances are they will always return to the same spot.
Not to worry! Help is close at hand. There are three things you can do to finally stop this repeated behavior.
1. Wash the sofa with ¼ vinegar and ¾ water to get rid of the cat’s scent.
2. Make a flat scratching post out of longitudinal material, some padding and a hard board. Then, place it up against the sofa arm or leg. Make sure you cat is attracted to the scratching post instead of the couch by rubbing the cat’s feet all over the scratching post. This puts his or her pheromones are on the post, not the sofa. You can gradually move the scratching post away .over time.
3. Use a spray bottle with water. But make sure you are out of their line of sight when you spray them so they associate the water with their own negative action of scratching rather than your presence.
Try it! You might be surprised by the results!
