7 of the Best Products to Protect Your Furniture From Your Cat’s Claws
I’ve always dreamed of owning a pink couch, and finally, my dreams have come true. My perfect, hot-pink loveseat is due to be delivered to my new apartment next week, and I’m anticipating spending many happy hours sitting on it while binge-watching my favorite shows (ideally while enjoying some delicious snacks). And yet I’m afraid that my cat may also anticipate many happy hours of using my fabulous sofa to sharpen her deadly little claws in lieu of a cat scratching post.
Why do cats scratch?
“Cats like to scratch,” advises the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The organization emphasizes that scratching is a completely normal feline activity and not a “bad” behavior to be curbed, as cats exercise their claws for play, to mark territory, or just to stretch.
To keep their talons sharp, our feline friends instinctively go after whatever seems ripe for a scratch — which often translates to your sofa, drapes, carpet, and other furniture. The key is to give them safe outlets for their natural behavior and protect the places you don’t want any kitty claws to touch.
How to Protect Furniture From Cat Scratching
When I finally decided to splurge on a pricey sofa, I didn’t factor in the sweet little rescue kitten who lights up my life on a daily basis. I want her to be happy, but I want to keep my home looking nice, too!
The ASPCA has several strategies for keeping sharp claws away from your most prized possessions. First, they urge pet-owners to provide furry friends with plenty of places that are OK to scratch. That means in addition to a favorite cat scratching post, your kitty should have a few other options to dig her claws into, as well.
As for keeping your furniture off limits, you can protect it with different types of guards, from tape that won’t feel so satisfying to scratch (8.99, Chewy), to a scratching post that covers the arm of your sofa (59.99, Amazon).
Another way to protect your furniture is to clip your cat’s claw’s regularly, so they can’t do quite as much damage. There are even non-toxic, veterinarian-approved soft plastic caps you can put on her claws, so she can scratch to her heart’s content without doing any damage.
Below, we’ve rounded up several different options that your kitty is sure to love scratching into oblivion, instead of your couch. I’m ordering all of them, just to be safe, and look forward to many happy evenings lounging with my furry little girl on our new pink sofa.
Keep scrolling for Woman’s World’s picks for the best cat scratching post and more products to protect your furniture.
