by Lisa Corbett
(Australia)

QUESTION

How can I stop our cat from clawing our leather lounge sofa? Do you have any suggestions! We are desperate!

Thank you,
Lisa

Hi, Lisa,

There are many ways to deal with cats scratching on less-than-desirable surfaces! With time and dedication, you can surely break your cat of the habit.

1. Keep the nails trimmed. If you need help, watch this video or ask your veterinarian or a technician to show you how.

2. Provide lots of scratching posts as alternatives to your sofa. Try to position them near areas where your cat is scratching, and try a variety of surfaces like cardboard, carpet, etc. You might also need to experiment with angles, placing them horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Cat nip on the scratching posts can make them more attractive to your cat.

3. Consider putting corner protectors on your furniture. They make them in various shapes and sizes and materials to protect the parts of your furniture the cat is most likely to scratch. They even make fabric-safe double-sided tape that may deter your cat.

4. Keep your furniture covered with pretty quilts or throws of some sort and if you want to remove them when you are having guests, then you can do so, but leave them on when it's just the cats there.

5. Consider applying nail caps to your cat's claws.

6. If you can close off the room with the leather furniture when you're not home, that is a big help. Your presence is often the biggest deterrent, so your cat is more likely to scratch when you're not looking.

I hope that gives you some ideas. Give it some time and experiment a little. You're likely to find a solution that works well for you!

Thank you for writing,
Dr. Neely