How to stop my cat scratching the furniture

Cats scratch in order to loosen and remove the outer part of the claw (called the husk) revealing the sharp surface underneath.

Scratching also exercises the muscles in your cat’s front legs and spine to help keep them fit. The surfaces they choose to scratch on are usually rigid so that they don’t move around when the cat pulls while scratching.

Cats can start to scratch frantically on the carpet when they play and even use scratching as a means of getting their owner’s attention.

If your cat is scratching excessively and you have a multicat household, live in a densely cat-populated area, or have recently had building work done (or other similar things going on around the home that might unsettle your cat), the scratching may be anxiety-related.

Providing your cat with alternative surfaces to scratch is the first step to stopping your cat scratching the furniture or carpets. A general rule is that cats like to scratch on rigid surfaces that resist the pull of their claws, and they like their bodies to be stretched as high or as long as possible to get the full benefit from the exercise. It’s very important not to punish your cat for scratching the furniture. Scratching is a perfectly natural, normal behaviour for a cat so they are not doing something wrong, they simply have no understanding of where it is acceptable or unacceptable to scratch.

Alternative scratching surfaces such as cat scratching boards and postsare readily available in all pet shops and online pet stores. They tend to be made of wood or heavyduty cardboard and covered in a material such as sisal string (wrapped round posts) or wood bark.

You can also buy multi-level pieces of cat furniture which allow your cat to climb, scratch, perch and even sleep on raised beds that form part of the structure.

If space is an issue, then flat panels with a rough surface can be fixed to walls. There are versions available to buy, or you can make something yourself using sisal, seagrass or coir matting.

Scratching boards which are horizontal as opposed to vertical are also available, usually made from compressed layers of corrugated cardboard. Some are quite flimsy but larger sturdier models are big enough for your cat to stand cont. on page 30

The standard unit you will need for your licenced cattery, also used and approved by leading rescue groups throughout the UK.

The fully lined and insulated walk-in sleeping quarter measures 4ft wide x 4ft deep x 6ft high and has a vinyl floor for easy cleaning. Two removable UPVC shelves, a fully adjustable air vent, lockable cat flap and a fully opening window leading to a sunning shelf and ladder, make this a firm favourite with customers and cats alike!

A 6ft long exercise area gives your cats plenty of space to explore and relax. A second sunning shelf provides another area to watch the world go by as it is near the front of the pen.