Train Cats to Scratch the Right Furniture

01/20/15 - by TheCatCoach

Set up for success: cat scratching info-graphic

Many cats are unnecessarily declawed because they scratch household furniture. Although cats have to scratch, they can be easily trained to scratch appropriate objects and avoid scratching couches and carpets.

This info-graphic describes why cats have to scratch and how you can train cats to scratch the right furniture. It is my hope that it will help keep cats from becoming declawed. It first appeared in an article I wrote titled How to Train Cats to Scratch Only Where They Should for Catster.com

You are welcome to use and distribute it as is, without alteration.

Cats can be trained to scratch the right furniture by Marilyn Krieger, CCBC

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10 comments on “Train Cats to Scratch the Right Furniture”

    1. Citrus can work as a deterrent, but at the same time, the reasons for the scratching has to be addressed. Place Scratching posts and horizontal scratchers near the couch.

  1. Well I cannot use the double sided tape because one of my cats picks it off and eats it!! I did, however, place appropriate scratching posts where they would frequently want to scratch and they did use the posts.

  2. They like their scratching posts (one preferring jute, while the other prefers carpeting), but they also love my 9' x 12' Berber rug. (One of the scratching posts is on the rug.) I can't wrap the big rug in a sheet or figure out how I might, otherwise, protect it. Sigh ... it is now pretty much wrecked, anyhow. 🙁

  3. Very shortly this site will be famous amid all blogging viewers, due to it's good articles or reviews

  4. Ok My Cat has four plus a thumb but in between the thumb there is a sixth nail that is hard to get at her doctor must have hurt her at one point during a visit now she won't let the tec or him touch her with out being sedated! I tried to have a trained person trim her nail and she now goes crazy when she see's the trimmer's she said she only acted that way when she pilled the trimmer's out!! how can I do it myself! i'm more concern about the nail in between the thumb because its hard to get to!! and its getting longer

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