We teach good behavior. How to stop a cat from tearing up furniture and more? Teaching good behavior The cat scratches the sofa

A cat in the house means not only the joy of having an affectionate purring creature nearby, but also untidy scratches in various places. Most owners do not know how to stop a cat from tearing wallpaper and furniture, especially since this is a really difficult task. In fact, there are several rules to wean an animal from damaging things.

A cat does not tear up furniture because it wants to annoy its owners. Even 2-3 thousand years ago, cats were wild animals and, after domestication, retained the hunting skills and instincts necessary for survival in nature. The habit of tearing up furniture for cats has several meanings:

• exercise - while scratching, the muscles of the paws and back tense, as if stretching, and then relax. This “gymnastics” allows animals to constantly be in good shape;
• protection of territory - on the pads of cats' paws there are glands that secrete a sharp-smelling secretion when releasing their claws. Any stranger cat, sniffing the tattered furniture, will understand: there is already an owner in the house, plus he will see the size of the “rival” in terms of the height of the scratches;
• manicure for cats there is no difference between wood and an expensive sideboard. All this is great for sharpening claws. All feline predators have claws that grow throughout their lives and, if they are not ground down, begin to curl into rings, digging into the delicate skin of the paws. Scratching dense, but not too hard objects allows you to keep the claws in the desired shape. In the process, they are cleaned of dirt, dying scales, and become sharper (this is especially important for those cats that were taken into the house as living mousetraps).

You can demand that the cat not tear up the furniture only by offering him an adequate replacement - a comfortable scratching post.

Most often, damaging furniture for a cat is a kind of exercise

A convenient scratching post will help preserve furniture and wallpaper

Ways to stop an animal from damaging wallpaper and furniture

Before you stop your cat from scratching furniture, you need to understand why the cat does it here. There can be many reasons for this:

• the material of upholstery or wallpaper is most convenient for claws (this is easy to check by covering the “problem area” with a fabric of a different density);
• the height and location of the object allows the cat to stretch comfortably (try rearranging the object and see if the animal continues to scratch it);
• the object turned out to be closest to the place where the animal feels the urge to stretch - for example, after waking up;
• if a cat scratches the furniture on which the owner usually sits, this may be a manifestation of sympathy or a desire to be closer to the person (in this case, it is often enough to install a scratching post closer to your favorite chair or sofa).

Ragged corners can be covered

Anti-claw material

There are many ways to stop a cat from scratching furniture. The choice of method depends on the animal’s age, habits, and breed. Maine Coons generally prefer to scratch vertical surfaces and, if you buy them a rug, will continue to scratch their claws on cabinets and sofas. Siamese cats have such a stubborn, vindictive character that at the slightest cruelty on the part of their owners, they will begin to spoil things out of spite.

To prevent your cat from scratching the furniture, offer her an object that is convenient for sharpening her claws, and firmly stop all attempts to encroach on the furniture. Be patient: it sometimes takes up to 2-3 months to develop a positive habit. There are a few simple steps to follow:

• Place the scratching post in the chosen location. For the first day, do not force the cat to approach her. Let her get used to the unfamiliar thing. To make the process go faster, you can hang some clothes on the scratching post that retain the scent of your beloved owner. This way the cat will quickly understand that the new piece of furniture does not pose a threat;
• bring the animal to the nail clipper and, bending your fingers, scratch it with your nails, showing what this item is for;
• Place the cat's paws on the scratching post, apply a little pressure so that the claws protrude from the pads, and force the animal to make several characteristic movements. Be careful: cats do not like coercion, and at the slightest resistance the pet must be released;
• as soon as the animal does what is required of it, caress it and treat it with something tasty;
• every time your pet is about to tear up the furniture, shout sternly at him or lightly spank him on the ears: this is harmless, but very unpleasant;
• Hang your pet’s favorite toy on the cat post so that it dangles freely. Most predators, having gotten caught in an attempt to catch a toy with their claws, begin to sharpen them, after which they quickly realize that doing this here is more convenient than on the armrest of a chair.

There are several tricks to speed up the education process. If the cat ignores the scratching post, you can sprinkle it with catnip or sprinkle it with an infusion of this herb: this smell is pleasant to the animals, which means they will spend more time at their manicure device.

You can discourage your cat from tearing up wallpaper and furniture using water. Prepare a spray bottle and, when the animal settles down to sharpen its claws in the wrong place, spray it in the face. Immediately after this, you need to pick him up, put him on the scratching post and caress him. The conditioned reflex “unpleasant-impossible” and “pleasant-possible” should take hold. For many animals, 3-4 times are enough to remember that you can’t tear up furniture.

If your cat is tearing up the wallpaper, hang a thick wicker rug on the wall in the problem area. Or, if your pet is attracted to the paper covering, make a scratching post for him yourself by gluing several layers of old wallpaper onto cardboard or a sheet of plywood.

It is better to teach a scratching post not when the cat has already begun to damage the furniture, but much earlier, so that later you do not have to think about how to wean the kitten from scratching sofas and wallpaper. The animal must get used to the fact that scratching its claws is only allowed on a scratching post. Kids easily get used to the rules that their owners set for them, but retraining an older kitten is very difficult.

If the animal is not retrained

Some people ignore scratching posts, using exclusively cabinets, cupboards and wallpaper to sharpen their claws. How to stop a cat from scratching furniture and wallpaper in this case:

• come to terms with your pet's habit;
• cover all “problem areas” with thick covers;
• buy several scratching posts and arrange them so that they completely cover the places that he is used to scratching;
• use a special aerosol spray that emits an unpleasant odor for cats. Such preparations as “Api-San”, “Bio Vax”, “Mr. Fresh." As a cheap alternative to a branded spray, lemon juice, onion triple cologne - in short, any other substances that repel cats;
• buy special pads for the paws. They are made of silicone and are dense caps that stick to the claws. They are used both to save expensive furniture from scratches and to protect animal claws. Cats often cling to soft upholstery and injure their paws in an attempt to free themselves;
• and the most barbaric and inhumane method: a surgical operation during which the cat’s claws along with the pads of the fingers will be removed. This will protect furniture and wallpaper with a 100% guarantee. But after this the animal will become disabled and will constantly experience torment.

How to choose a scratching post and where to place it

Wallpaper and furniture for a cat are an excellent simulator for sharpening claws. They can only be replaced with a properly selected claw sharpener. Moreover, any such item, be it a product specially designed for pet stores or just a piece of board, must meet a number of requirements:

• The height or length of the claw sharpener must exceed the height of the animal with outstretched paws. You can measure this distance by luring the cat with a treat and seeing where it reaches, standing on its hind legs;
• the surface should be hard, but not too hard, rather reminiscent of the texture of tree bark. Hard wood, metal and plastic are not suitable for this purpose. The ideal option is wooden objects covered in several layers of hemp, jute rope or thick sackcloth;
• The outer covering of the scratching post must be made of natural materials, otherwise the pet may be poisoned when licking.

Now there are many options for scratching posts: posts, mats, inclined and horizontal boards. They produce entire complexes where the scratching post is equipped with a sleeping basket and a play area with many toys. You need to choose a scratching post according to the height and weight of the animal. The larger the animal, the higher and more stable the claw sharpening object should be.

It’s easy to make a pet cattery with your own hands. It is enough to wrap an object of suitable length with a rope. Thick natural fabric is well suited as a covering: tarpaulin, burlap, jeans.

Observe the animal and find out how it most often sharpens its claws: standing on its hind legs or arching its back on a horizontal surface? The choice of scratching post will depend on this. Determine where your pet sharpens its claws most often and place a scratching post in that location. If there are a lot of scratched items and they all have different locations, it is better to place several “manicure sets” in several places. There should be at least one thing in every room that a cat can scratch its claws on.

Many cats combine sharpening their claws with stretching. As a rule, they do this after sleep to tone their muscles. In this case, it is better to place the scratching post next to the cat's bed. Then the animal will tear the thing intended for this purpose, and not the expensive carpet.

From the moment you decided to get a cat, you had to go a long way - this is accustoming your pet to the litter box, fighting for the rights of the owner of the house, grinding in characters... It would seem that it’s time to enjoy life, sitting in the evenings with a soft rumbling ball on your lap, but no – a new problem has appeared! Don’t despair – a cat can be weaned from tearing up furniture, even if it takes a lot of effort and patience. Many owners consider this behavior destructive, punishing it in every possible way, but for the pets themselves it is completely natural, associated with mental and physiological needs. Today we will figure out together how to stop a cat from tearing up furniture, look at the best methods and give a lot of useful tips.

The cat was originally a wild carnivorous animal, ideally suited for hunting. It's no wonder that a cat the size of a tiger would be (hypothetically) five times more dangerous than him. And her body structure is appropriate - a mustache that serves as a locator to estimate the distance to obstacles, a tail that provides maneuverability, and claws that must be in perfect condition, since they perform many functions. Therefore, you should not be surprised if your pet begins to tear up furniture or wallpaper.

In general, all the reasons why a cat engages in this activity, which is unpleasant for the owner, can be summarized in a short list:

• manicure(during sharpening, the animal removes the stratum corneum from its claws. New sharp claws appear in its place);
• relieving nervous tension(angry or scared cats usually relieve stress this way);
• warm-up(the pet “warms up” the muscles, like an athlete);
• marking territory(the smell of sweat secreted by the sweat glands on the paws remains on the furniture);
• skills training(Clawing is a very ancient hunting skill, practically not used by modern cats; however, it is in the genes).

Note! If a cat rips off the chair in which you like to spend your free evenings, it thereby speaks of its sympathy and trust.

How to stop a cat from tearing up furniture

There are many ways that can help you stop your pet from scratching furniture. Let's start with the most popular ones.

1. Loud sounds, voice command

Every time the cat tries to sharpen its claws on interior items, loudly and sharply say “No!”, “No!”, “Shhh!” Continue this until the pet retreats from its goals.

Note! You shouldn't swear at a cat when it has already sharpened its claws. Do this before or in the first seconds of turning, so that this activity is associated with punishment. The cat must understand why exactly you are scolding him.

Another effective way to wean yourself from a “bad” habit is regular baby rattles. You can buy a rattle or make it yourself - for example, put a few coins in a metal jar (found in the kitchen), seal it and always keep it near you. Noticing that the cat wants to do some mischief again, take the can and rattle it loudly. The animal will quickly run into the next room, because it does not like such strong sounds. Rattle every time to reinforce the learned material!

Air balloons- another good “sound” method of education, although not the most convenient for the owner. Inflate and tie several balloons and secure them at the crime scene. The trap must be designed so that one of the balls bursts during the next claw point. The loud sound will scare away the animal and the next time it will be afraid to approach the ill-fated chair.

Cats, as you know, do not like water procedures, so why not take advantage of this? Fill a container with a spray bottle with water and spray your pet every time he intends to sharpen his claws in a prohibited place. But do not forget that such a “shower” is effective only before the incident or within five minutes after it, otherwise the animal simply will not understand why it is being punished. Unpleasant sensations, as in the previous case, should be associated with a “crime”.

What not to do

Most people do not know that their prohibitions and threats do not apply to cats. The animal will always do what it wants, without taking into account your opinion. Therefore, when weaning Vaska from a bad habit, remember some important points.

1. You should not resort to any physical punishment (the pet will harbor a grudge and will definitely take revenge on you).
2. Shame the cat only during the “crime” (belated lectures will not bring him sense).
3. You should not throw away an old scratching post, the smell of which is familiar to the animal (it will have great difficulty mastering a new one).
4. Finally, you should not yell at your cat (use intonation, but not volume of voice).

Owners of cats who exercise daily are lucky in this regard, because any tree is a large scratching post, for the use of which no one will swear.

Video – How to stop a cat from sharpening its claws on furniture

How to buy a cat?

If you are interested in whether there are “well-bred” cat breeds in the world, then we have to disappoint you - alas, there are none. But there are some practical tips that will help you when buying a pet:

• buy a three or four month old kitten(the character is already indicated, and the owners probably taught him to use a scratching post);
• give preference to breeds that are focused on communicating with people(for example, British Shorthair) to make it easier to achieve mutual understanding;
• in terms of neatness, a purebred cat can surpass even the most purebred “competitors”. But here it is better to purchase an already adult pet, so as not to buy, so to speak, a pig in a poke.

Is it difficult to stop a cat from scratching wallpaper and furniture? Not if you understand the reasons for the ward’s inappropriate behavior. The problem is that pranks can be justified by several, not always related reasons, bad habits or negligence in care. Let's figure out how to protect your home from the claws of your beloved cat without destroying harmonious relationships.

Correct behavior and etiquette are instilled in the kitten at a very early age, up to 3 months. Usually, the breeder or the cat mother directly raises the baby. If you decide to rescue a kitten from a shelter or from the street, the manners of your newly adopted ward may not please you. The positive thing is that You can stop your cat from scratching furniture, wallpaper or damaging other things at any age.. Naturally, the older the cat, the stronger its habits and the more time it will take.

Many inexperienced owners prefer to punish their pet or even beat it, hoping to develop a conditioned reflex: if you touch the curtains, it will hurt. By acting in this way, the owner does not take into account at least two important factors:

• The cat needs to sharpen its claws, and while digging into the sofa, it literally removes dead layers of the nail plate.

• All cats are territorial and mark their possessions with scent. Between the fingers of the ward there are glands that secrete an odorous secretion. This is where every corner, curtains and door frames come under attack, since they are located along the perimeter of the home or room.

The second most popular reason is this. If we summarize all the popular factors, we get the following conclusion:

• Jealousy– to other animals, a new resident or a child. In this case, the cat will scratch the furniture with the smell of a stranger and the walls of “his territory.”

• Territoriality– tattered curtains, wallpaper at the front door and windows, indicating the pet’s anxiety. Perhaps your purr sees other people's cats from the window or smells them near the door. Scratching surfaces, the pet leaves marks: “I live here, the territory is occupied!”

• Conflict with other animals living in the house - in this case, feeding areas, sofas and other shared areas where your pets (usually) conflict will suffer.

• Other stresses - change of owner, moving, death or illness of one of the family members, long absence of the owner, lack of attention and/or care from the owner And so on.

Read also: When kittens' eyes open

The third reason, which completely depends on the owner, is poor or untimely parenting. Let us highlight several sub-points that will significantly affect the education process:

• Pet age– young cats and kittens may simply not know that furniture and wallpaper cannot be damaged.

• Age of habit– if the pet has already tasted the delight of peeling off soft, textured, so alluring wallpaper and has done this several times, re-education will take longer.

• Boredom– lack and, as mentioned above, attention from the owner.

By observing your pet, you can easily determine the reasons for incorrect behavior. If the pranks are associated with a lack of upbringing or the pet’s lack of self-confidence, it is necessary to immediately take up re-education. It’s worth starting with providing comfort and conditions for claw care.

Personal areas, scratching post and cat area

Having established your favorite places for pranks, you have two alternatives: place it in this area or ward off the cat using special products (sold in pet stores) you can also purchase special spray, the composition of which attracts the cat’s attention or literally improves its mood. Using auxiliary tools, you can quickly consolidate positive emotions associated with an area, place or specific object (scratching post).

Advice: most cats love to stretch and extend their claws when greeting their owner. By placing a scratching post near the front door, you will encourage your pet’s self-esteem and protect the wallpaper!

There are many models of scratching posts: slats, mats, posts, beds and even play complexes. All types of accessories have one requirement in common - strong fixation. If the scratching post falls on the cat, moves sharply from its place, scares it, then you will have to remove it or replace it with a new one (another model).

Important! If you have several cats, each of them should have a personal scratching post (and preferably more than one).

Make sure your cat has personal place to sleep, relaxation – calm and untouchable. As a house, you can use a box, a carrier, or special booths (sold in pet stores). This point is especially important for pets who feel constrained by artificial competition for territory.

Advice: In addition to the sleeping place, try to equip all (if possible) places the purr likes with sun loungers. Many four-legged animals prefer to lie quietly or nap in the same room with the owner.

As practice shows, it is more difficult to wean a cat from scratching wallpaper with its claws than to discourage it from furniture. The reasons are the same – designation of the territory. If all of the above methods do not help, you should think about deeper problems. Your pet may be suffering from

A cat is a cute, charming and incredibly affectionate creature. However, these wonderful pets are not without some disadvantages. Almost all the animals tear up wallpaper and furniture, and the owners fight this to the best of their ability. If the furniture upholstery is damaged, the interior suffers greatly. Therefore, many owners ask the question: the cat is tearing up the sofa - what to do? We will try to understand the reasons for this phenomenon and find ways to wean your pet from this habit.

Causes

To answer the question of how to stop a cat from tearing up furniture, you must first find out why the tailed robber does this? All representatives of the cat family sharpen their claws, and not just domestic Murkas and Vaskas.

Reason 1

In nature, this is one of the ways to mark territory, to signal to competitors that “spheres of influence” have been divided. It is very difficult to fight against nature, but it is possible to “domesticate” a pet. You just need to choose the right tactics.

Reason 2

Secondly, this is a necessary hygiene procedure for cats. When a cat strips the upholstery of upholstered furniture, it leaves dead scales of claws on it.

Important! Sometimes, when owners find claws in the upholstery of a sofa, they mistakenly think that the animal was tearing off the sofa so diligently that it broke its own claw. In fact, it is the dead outer shell of the claw. There is simply no other way to get rid of outdated shells for cats.

Reason 3

Sometimes sharpening claws on furniture is a way to relieve stress for an animal. If the cat is scared, upset, or you have angered it in some way, then this is how it expresses its dissatisfaction.

Reason 4

Scratching upholstered furniture is also exercise for furry athletes. The animal is training its claw release mechanism. In wildlife, this is the key to successful hunting and survival. It is clear that this is unnecessary for a domestic cat. However, one cannot discount what is inherent in nature at the level of instincts. If nature dictates that claws need to be trained, the cat trusts its own instinct unconditionally.

Weaning the cat from tearing upholstery

So, the cat is tearing up the furniture - what to do? The fact that sharpening claws is included in the cat’s behavior program on an instinctive level does not make it any easier for the owners. However, fortunately, this problem is solvable. There are several ways to stop your cat from picking up furniture.

Claw amputation

This operation is also known as onychectomy, or “soft paws.” This service is provided by many veterinary medical institutions. This is the most radical method of saving upholstered furniture from playful cat paws. After such intervention, consider that your property is saved.

Important! If you come across a sensible and conscientious specialist, then he is unlikely to advise you to resort to such intervention. The fact is that the operation involves removing not only the claws, but also part of the digital phalanx. Without exaggeration, onychectomy is a mutilating operation!

Without claws, a cat will not be able to run and jump so freely. His movements will be impaired. In addition, surgery can lead to poor posture and spinal problems. Rid yourself of problems in exchange for endless stress for your cat? This is somehow wrong. Why then get a cat?

scratching post

Today, pet stores have special devices for sharpening claws. These are posts or planks, tightly covered with durable, hard fabric or wrapped with rope. However, owners often make mistakes when training an animal to use a scratching post. They buy an item, place it somewhere in the corner, and then complain that the unreasonable kitty does not pay attention to such a useful item.

For some reason, the owners do not suspect that the cat needs to be introduced to the scratching post. To show what it is for, take the animal’s velvet paw and move it along the projectile from top to bottom. Do not overdo it so as not to damage the animal's claws. Please be patient. Cats are smart people, but sometimes a pet may not immediately understand what is required of it.

Important! You can put a few drops of valerian on the scratching post. This smell has a magical effect on many (not all!) cats. But, unfortunately, it is not at all a fact that you are guaranteed to accustom your pet to a scratching post. Cats are capricious creatures and only do what they like.

Silicone tips

An excellent solution to the problem for those who are wondering what to do if a cat is tearing up furniture. This is a relatively new solution to the problem of furniture stripping. Special attachments are attached to the claws using special glue. This method is as humane as it is effective. And the claws are in place, and the upholstery does not suffer.

However, this is a rather expensive and troublesome technique. Silicone wears out quickly, and the attachments need to be changed about once every 3 weeks. Next comes the procedure for sharpening overgrown claws. Only after such a “manicure” can you put on new attachments.

Important! This manipulation can only be done in a specialized pet salon.

What can you do to stop your cat from tearing up furniture? Sprays

The pet store sells special substances in the form of sprays. These odors do not seem unpleasant to humans, but for cats it is an unbearable stench. If you spray furniture with spray, the cat will, in the full sense of the word, avoid it as much as possible.

True, this method does not categorically work on individual specimens of the glorious cat family. Just as they tore up the furniture, they continue to do so.

Cases

Now let's leave the pet alone. Training cats is a thankless task, unless, of course, you are Zapashny or Kuklachev. You can solve the problem simply and elegantly: purchase stretch covers for upholstered furniture. In addition, the covers are removable, they can be cleaned and washed frequently, which is important for cat owners, especially if the cat is fluffy and (or) long-haired. This way you can update your interior without extra costs.