Scratching Furniture

To prevent damage to your furniture, provide your cat with furniture of its own. Do not hide the scratching post in a corner or distant room.

One of the functions of scratching is to leave a highly visible marker of a cat's presence, so to start with, place the post in the middle of your cat's favorite room.

Once your cat is using it, move it very gradually into a less obtrusive position. Aim to eventually position the scratching post near your cat's favorite sleeping area.

Catnip rubbed on the post, and lavish verbal praise, stroking, and food rewards when the post is scratched all promote further use of it.

If your cat is already scratching furniture, temporarily cover the damaged area with heavy plastic or double-sided adhesive tape to make the surface texture unappealing.