How to stop cat/kitten from scratching cushions, sofa etc?

[Canteverdecide]

We are looking to adopt a cat (or kitten) and we are very excited.
I am not overly precious about our home buy I do care about a few items I love, especially my sofa, rug and cushions. It’s the first time I own a home and we have just finished making it pretty buying all the things we like and I am a bit afraid that future cat might ruin these things with the scratching. What can I do to stop/prevent this? Are scratching posts effective?

having had kittens and cats all my life I would say buy plenty of cat scratchers I currently have three cats and two out of the three have shredded some wallpaper, ruined a set of curtains. Scratched the side of our new sofa, you can but try to alleviate their scratching but it’s in their nature to do it. Some kittens are worse than others.

@HappyMe6 thank you. What types do you recommend and how many is enough?

You can’t really! They will scratch and will almost certainly ignore any and all scratching posts. Cats are arseholes!

Orange scented things can deter them

Door mats are much more effective with our cats. If they start scratching anywhere else we clap loudly and move them. Also tempt them with cat nip spray on the door mats. Cost v little, just replace every couple of months.
Eee good luck!

I used clear cat anti scratch tape on the corners of our sofas + fabric bits (it's essentially super wide double sided tape so it sticks to the furniture and is still sticky on the outside so the cats hate it) and had it on all of the soft furnishings when the cats arrived. They've never learnt to scratch furniture and I took the tape off after maybe a year or so, and we're many years down the line now with pristine soft furnishings! I

They love cardboard scratchers with catnip in, they're also outdoor cats so scratch on wood in the garden. They help too!

We got a huge very thick ceiling tree massive sisal poles they scratch that, two cat scratcher loungers two houses wooden with scratchers on the roof . I used to put cat nip on to encourage them to use but I’m afraid you are on a no win situation if you think that you will be able to stop it completely two of mine literally have a go at everything including when sitting on my lap pummelling . Obviously I don’t want to put you off as I absolutely adore my cats and dog wanted to tell you how it can be Good luck with your kitten they are adorable

A cat will scratch furniture, I consider it a price worth paying to have such a wonderful creature in your home. Kittens will usually scratch furniture a lot more than adult cats.

I have never yet had a cat who has not scratched furniture rather than a scratch post.

Plastic wrapping on the edges of the sofa and any areas you really don't want scratched. Once they have started scratching a particular place it is nigh on impossible to stop them as it is territorial. The trick is to stop them getting started in the first place and provide alternatives. My cats hated scratching posts, but did like the flat mats by their cat flap....you will have to sacrifice something I'm afraid. Restrict access to rooms if you can when you're out....and shout at them/water spray if they try.

I'm afraid in almost 40 years of cat ownership I've never managed to stop the little furry bastards from scratching furniture.
I still love 'em though 😻

Another who has never had a cat who didn't scratch the furniture! They are worth it though, it's very hard to be annoyed when a purring cat is nuzzling into you for a cuddle.

DismantleMe totally agree

Oh gosh. I never had a cat, I hope it really is worth it then!

It is. Those eyes and toe beans and furry cheeks.
If you are very lucky you will get a snuggler who loves you and your heart will burst.

Be prepared for early morning wake up calls, especially in summer 4-5am, being bossed about, and wrecked furniture.

Make sure you have plenty of scratching posts of different types, and put a scratching post near any piece of furniture they start scratching and praise them for using it. Make sure there is something legitimate to scratch in different rooms, especially near where they sleep as they like to scratch when they wake.

Ultimately it is natural behaviour so it is about trying to redirect it to areas that you don’t mind it. But I don’t think you can prevent it entirely. I’m pretty sure my cats know they are meant to scratch the scratching posts (we have 2 vertical and 1 horizontal) and they definitely scratch those most vigorously, often in a “look at me, I am using the scratching post” way, but they do still try the sides of the sofa and the carpet, with a slightly shifty look.

The internet says to try silver foil on the side of furniture that is getting scratched as cats hate the texture. All I can say is that my cats found silver foil absolutely fascinating and brilliant to play with.

I don't think I've ever had a cat that hasn't scratched furniture at all, though some do it more than others. Current cat isn't much of a scratcher but she makes up for it with biting (including furniture)...

They are so worth it though 😻

Do go to a rescue so you can be matched with a cat that is a good fit for what you can offer.

I've had 4 cats over the last 20 years - 50% scratcher rate. One of my current cats is a nightmare and scratches everywhere - any closed door, shiny/reflective surfaces, carpets, furniture... If I could put tiny gloves on her I would, it drives demented. She's a big, bossy, cuddly, saggy lump and we adore her but it doesn't stop me swearing about it daily.

My girl never really scratches anything other than the door mat. I adopted her as an older cat so that would be my advice if your house is precious, adopt a cat that has passed the crazy kitten stage. And make sure you have a variety of scratching options, flat cardboard scratchers aswel as the scratching posts.

If a cat is determined enough, they'll scratch.

We've had six cats over the years - two never scratched a thing, two did occasionally and destroyed the furniture 😂

Ideally you need tall, sturdy scratch posts that don’t move when used but they will sniff out anything nice/expensive/irreplaceable to scratch. And probably look you dead in the eye while doing it.

You can’t stop them so if it’s going to bother you don’t get a cat . Our sons house is like a cat paradise , climbing walls , cat trees , floor to ceiling poles for access to wardrobe tops and a variety of cat scratchers and they still wreck the stair carpet / sofa covers . The best cat scratcher is a light up one from Omelet that you can buy replacement covers for .
https://www.omlet.co.uk/switch-light-up-sisal-cat-scratching-post/

Do you have a stair carpet? As that seems to be the most attractive thing to wreck in this house.
No interest in scratching posts at all! But she has an outdoor ladder to a balcony which she scratches

We have laminate on our stairs.

@FormerlyPathologicallyHappy We have a load of spare whipped carpet sections and switch it out when it gets destroyed! To be fair she is not as bad here as at the previous house.

Love the cat more than the carpet!