Cats climb and scratch to stretch and exercise their claws and muscles.
To train a cat not to scratch your couch or other furniture, you must first understand why they are scratching. Cats scratch furniture to fulfill a need to stretch their claws and muscles to stay healthy. In the wild, cats have access to trees and other surfaces to exercise and stretch their claws and muscles. Your cat is not scratching your couch to be bad; your cat is scratching because your cat needs to scratch. The solution to your problem is to teach your cat what areas are appropriate for scratching.
Instructions
1. Purchase a cat scratching post and place it in an area accessible to your cat. Choose a scratching post that does not have looped carpet but rather strings of carpet or another safe material. The loops can catch on your cat's claws, injuring or pulling them off. The scratching post provides a safe place for your cat to scratch. It is best to place it in the same room as your couch so that you can easily relocate your cat to the scratching post.
2. Bring your cat over to the scratching post so that your cat knows it is there.
3. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a 16 oz. spray bottle and fill the remainder with water. Shake thoroughly.
4. Spray your couch with the lemon water to discourage your cat from scratching that area. The spray works because cats do not like the smell of citrus. The spray is diluted enough that it should not stain or bleach your couch, but test it first on an inconspicuous area to make sure that it will not harm your couch. Spray the couch daily until your cat is fully trained. Refrigerate the spray when you are not using it to keep it from spoiling. Always shake the spray before use.
5. Bring your cat over to the scratching post whenever you see him about to scratch your couch. Verbally praise your cat when you bring him to the scratching post and whenever you see him using the scratching post.
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