How do we stop them destroying the furniture?

[betherenowinaminute]

Last place we lived we didn't care that much but we're about to buy a new sofa and I really don't want all corners frayed.

Had their nails clipped but one is still scratching the carpet

[betherenowinaminute]

Has anyone tried this sort of thing?

[viccat]

Do you have a variety of interesting scratching posts and pads available? Ideally at least one tall one where they can stretch to their full height, and one vertical one (those cardboard ones are great).

[Readyfortheschoolhols]

I sprayed my new sofas with Impulse!
Dcats hated it!!

[Wolfiefan]

Are they indoor cats or do they go out?

[Want2beme]

Really, Ready? How interesting. I'm gonna try that. Any particular fragrance?

I've tried those strips, betherenowinaminute and no good, I'm afraid.

The 2 things that drive me nuts about cats is their scratching and spraying of furniture

[Readyfortheschoolhols]

Don't know which one!!
Wilko do a great cat scratcher that hangs from a door /bannister for about a fiver!!

[StayGoldPonyBoy]

Make sure they have alternatives. They don’t scratch to be gits it’s an instinctive behaviour to sharpen their claws and to mark their territory with their scent.

We have posts on both floors of the house as well as horizontal scratchers and our cat doesn’t bother with the sofa or curtains etc. She scratched the landing carpet a few times when we got her so we put a horizontal scratcher in her ‘spot’ and she used instead.

If they scratch the legs or arms you can get scratching pads to put over them or redirect them to an acceptable alternative.

[Want2beme]

Mine have scratching posts and barrels aplenty and they just ignore them and scratch the furniture, especially where I'm sitting. There's a theory that they think they're making things comfortable for you with the scratching, as well as leaving their scent

[Wolfiefan]

My cats have never sprayed or clawed furniture. Are they kittens ? How many cats? Can they go outside and are they neutered?

[betherenowinaminute]

Thanks, we had a scratching post before and they rarely used it. Maybe it was too small.

Wolfie, they are indoor cats, we have 2

[betherenowinaminute]

They can't go outside where we are, one is neutered

[betherenowinaminute]

Wantobeme, that's an interesting theory

[gamerchick]

Get the other one neutered.

You don't have anywhere else they can use to scratch on legitimately? Why not?

[Ollivander84]

Try a flat cardboard scratcher, mine won't use posts

[gamerchick]

Or you can get a rug, roll it up so the underneath is showing and they'll probably use that.

[betherenowinaminute]

Good ideas, thanks.

Gamerchick, we just moved in and we don't have anything yet. Cats have been here 2 days, from another country. Before they scratched the sofa and we didn't care because they were old and cheap, we didn't plan on keeping them.

Now we're getting a new sofa, I'd rather they didn't scratch it.

[ToothTrauma]

Get scratching posts and mats. Of course they’re scratching the sofa

[betherenowinaminute]

We had a scratching post and they didn't use it, I mentioned that before.

[betherenowinaminute]

And we didn't care about them scratching the last sofa either so it wasn't an issue before

[ToothTrauma]

You can’t expect them to suddenly change a behaviour you’ve never discouraged. Try the flat corrugated cardboard scratchers or a tough doormat.

You can also get scratching mats which actually attach to the sofa, would something like that help?

[betherenowinaminute]

We did try a lot of things before and they didn't work so we gave up in the end.

Scratching mats that go on the sofa were the kind of thing I was after really as they protect the sofa too. I haven't seen anything like that but now a few have mentioned I'll look out for them.

[Wolfiefan]

Unneutered males are much more likely to spray. Stressed cats (shut inside when they could go out before?) are more likely to spray. They sound frustrated.

[PlateOfBiscuits]

m.petplanet.co.uk/p17848/smartcat_ultimate_scratching_post.aspx?ptm_source=google&ptm_medium=shopping&ptm_campaign=under10_62798&campaign=324014531&adgroup=56686258068&keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9t-NsMKq3AIVpLDtCh1zRQ_PEAQYAiABEgLC2vD_BwE

This is really good. Tall and solid so it won’t feel like it’s going to fall over.

[Want2beme]

My neutered female sprays. This really surprised me, as none of my other neutered cats, male or female, have sprayed, especially not in their own home.

One of mine also love scratching the sisal carpet!

[junecat]

Mine has this and he's never scratched anywhere else. He uses it in a variety of ways - full standing stretch, lying on the floor and scratching the bottom, running up it like a tree etc and sleeps in the bed.
Big and not the cheapest but so worth it!

www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/scratching_posts/scratching_posts/408384