10 Worst Things People Do When Trying to Stop Their Cat From Furniture Scratching


Are you one of the lucky few with a cat who has never tried scratching your furniture? Not even once? Probably not. Me neither. And I went too long making some mistakes in the way I handled it when it happened.

One of the most common no-nos cat owners make is squirting their cat with water to get them to stop doing something. I did it for years before I learned I’d been messing up.

This method has the illusion of seeming very effective. But not only is it not effective, it actually damages the bond you have with your cat. See Number 7 on our list for a full explanation.

We’re All Well-Intentioned, Right?

Fact is, many cat owners make well-intentioned mistakes when trying to protect their furniture from scratching. That’s why we put together this list of 10 Worst Things You Can Do to Stop Your Cat From Scratching the Furniture, along with some things to try instead.

Knowing better helps us do better by our cats. While also having intact furniture 🙂 And it’s part of the broader strategy of changing your habits as part of cat-proofing your home.

Here’s the list…

1. Skipping or Skimping on Scratching Posts

Your cat needs appropriate scratching surfaces. In fact, scratching is one of cats’ basic needs and instincts. Having just one small post isn’t enough. Posts need to be sturdy, tall enough for a full stretch, and placed in multiple locations.

Key mistakes:

  • Buying flimsy or short posts
  • Poor placement away from furniture
  • Too few scratching options
  • Unstable posts that wobble

Cats must and will scratch stuff to maintain paw health and meet their basic needs. But you can control which stuff they scratch by providing scratchers in strategic places and using positive reinforcement training.

Orange and white cat sitting on gray sofa arm that has been scratched by a cat

2. Not Learning Your Cat’s Preferences

Every cat has specific scratching preferences. Some prefer sisal rope, others carpet or cardboard. Watch how your cat scratches – do they prefer vertical or horizontal surfaces? What textures attract them?

Pay attention to when and where they try to scratch. This information helps you provide better alternatives.

To cover my bases, I always have vertical and horizontal options placed throughout my home.

3. Reacting Too Late

Correcting after the fact doesn’t work. Your cat won’t connect furniture damage with your reaction hours later. 

Focus on prevention, first and foremost.  And learn how to respond promptly using:

  • Redirection – calmly redirect cat to a scratching post
  • and Positive Reinforcement (immediately reward scratching the right thing whenever it happens with praise and/or treats)

4. Limiting Territory Marking Options

Scratching marks territory visually and with scent glands in their paws. Without enough marking options, cats feel insecure and scratch more.

Provide multiple types of scratching surfaces throughout your home, and in every room, especially near any scratch-tempting furniture.

The only room in my house that doesn’t have a scratcher is my kitchen.

5. Leaving Furniture Unprotected

While training your cat to use appropriate scratching surfaces, your furniture remains vulnerable. We actually recommend replacing scratch-tempting furniture with better options (see #10 below).

But if you’ve got furniture that tempts your cat, temporary protection is essential during this transition period and can mean the difference between success and damaged furniture.

This will also probably make the training process go faster, because your cat won’t be able to scratch the wrong thing during the training phase.

Protection options:

  • Double-sided tape
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic covers
  • Furniture covers

Be warned though, if your furniture is a material your cat is really drawn to, it may be that no amount of training or scratcher placement will deter them once you’ve removed the protection again. 

Microfiber furniture gets my vote every time (see #10)! Find more cat-proofing tips in our guide to cat-proofing your home.

6. Neglecting Exercise Needs

A bored cat with pent-up energy often turns to excessive scratching. Physical and mental stimulation through play is crucial for reducing destructive behaviors and maintaining your cat’s overall wellbeing.

Regular play sessions help:

  • Release energy
  • Reduce stress
  • Prevent boredom
  • Strengthen your bond

Everyone should have prey-play sessions built into their daily cat care routine.

7. Using Punishment

Punishment creates fear and anxiety, and may even lead to more scratching. This goes for all unwanted cat behaviors and is certainly true for scratching. 

So never do these things with your cat:

  • Spray with water
  • Yell or chase
  • Hit or swat
  • Use shock mats

These methods damage your relationship and don’t address the underlying need to scratch.

At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that spraying your cat with water is one of the most common mistakes cat owners make. 

And that’s because it seems like it works really well. After all, the cat does indeed stop doing whatever they were doing. Usually immediately! 

There, problem solved, right? 

Not really, actually. Yes, the cat stopped doing the thing. Great.

But the reality is, you are unwittingly damaging the trust your cat has in you. You’re telling your cat that sometimes you’re scary and unsafe to be around. As a result, they trust you maybe a liiittle bit less than before – or maybe even a lot less. 

Not only that, but cats are smart and figure out very fast that they won’t get squirted if they scratch when you’re not around. So it doesn’t actually stop the behavior like many think it does, it just makes them change when they do it.

The same explanation applies to yelling, chasing, hitting, and swatting. 

8. Overlooking Stress Triggers

Cats often increase scratching behavior when stressed. Understanding and addressing these underlying causes is just as important as providing appropriate scratching surfaces.

Watch for stress from:

  • Schedule changes
  • New pets or people
  • Moving furniture
  • Construction noise
  • Territory disputes

Address underlying stress factors while providing appropriate scratching outlets.

Remember that scratching is natural and necessary for cats. Success comes from redirecting this behavior to appropriate surfaces, not trying to stop it entirely.

9. Declawing Your Cat

We get it – it really sucks seeing your cat destroy your furniture!

But declawing is simply not a solution for furniture scratching. Full stop, end of story.

In fact, declawing is an amputation that removes the last bone of each toe. Not only is the procedure painful for the cat, but it can lead to lifelong physical and behavioral problems including:

  • Chronic pain
  • Litter box avoidance
  • Increased biting
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Back pain from altered gait
  • Arthritis

Many countries and U.S. jurisdictions have banned declawing as an inhumane practice. It needs to be banned everywhere.

Instead of considering this damaging surgery, focus on providing appropriate scratching outlets and protection methods described in this article.

10. Using Furniture With Cat-Tempting Materials

I once had a chair that I was so excited to find for free on craigslist – it was just what I was looking for and in perfect condition. I also worried that I might regret the choice because the chair was upholstered in a knit fabric. In face, I knew better, but I tried anyway.

Things did not go well. 

Brown tabby cat on arm chair with shredded fabric

Here’s that gray chair with Phoebe (and her favorite rope toy). The chair proceeded to get much more shredded than it is in this picture 🙁

Despite having thoroughly trained my cats with scratching posts all over the house, my beautiful new chair instantly became their favorite thing to scratch.

Many cats love sturdy, vertical objects they can sink their claws into (like trees!), and this chair was a dream come true in that regard. 

I had no chance. And so a few months later I passed the chair along for free on Craigslist, but this time it was pretty shredded in the back and on the arms.

The lesson here is that furniture choices can prevent scratching problems before they even start. Cats are naturally drawn to loose-weave, plush fabrics and materials they can sink their claws into.

Here are some examples of poor choices:

  • Any loose-weave fabrics (like my chair, above)
  • Chenille
  • Tweed
  • Nubby textures
  • Natural fibers like jute

Some examples of good choices:

  • Leather or pleather
  • Microfiber/ultrasuede (my go-to)
  • Tight-weave fabrics
  • Smooth surfaces

This preventive approach, combined with appropriate scratching options and some training, significantly reduces or even prevents furniture damage. 

From experience, I can tell you it’s well worth it to get rid of scratch-tempting furniture and replace it with microfiber or another optimal material from the list above.

All my stuff is either microfiber or leather.

Last Meows – Success Takes a Multi-Faceted Approach

Protecting your furniture while meeting your cat’s scratching needs requires a balanced strategy. Focus on providing appropriate alternatives, understanding your cat’s preferences, and making smart environmental choices. 

With patience and consistency, most cats learn to use the designated scratching surfaces you provide for them.

Remember that scratching is a natural, necessary behavior. The goal isn’t to stop it but to redirect it positively. If you avoid these common mistakes and follow through with proper alternatives, both you and your cat can live happily with your furniture intact.

Read Next: 33 Things to Cat-Proof in Your Home

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The information provided here is not meant to replace professional guidance from your own veterinarian or cat behavior specialist.

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