How to protect furniture from cat claws

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How do you save your couch from a cat's claws?

Cats are incredibly clean. They wash all the time, lick everything and everything, brush their claws, even brush the plaque off their teeth. Just like us, right? I'll tell you more: if your cat isn't doing it, he's either sick or deeply stressed.

1). If you look closely at the claw, it has a longitudinal groove inside. The base of the claw looks like an isosceles triangle, it hides a pulp containing many vessels and nerve endings.

That's why cats have very sensitive clawed fingers. And this groove is trying to get clogged with dust from the tray. We have a nail file to clean the nails, and the cat cleans the claws in her own way.

2). Also, cats have a mechanism for replacing an aged claw with a new one. The claw itself consists of keratin, a tough horny protein that grows out of the joint of the finger. The aged horny layer dies off after a while, and cats rip this "cover" off against the scratching post.

This is similar to how a snake changes its skin or how a cancer changes its old pelt for a new one. By removing the old piece of claw, the cat gets a new young sharp claw.

3). Cats only have sweaty heels. There, at the base of the claw, are also scent glands. Therefore, the cat not only exercises and manicures its claw, but also marks its personal "boundary post", the border of its territory. It's just like predators: the higher you leave your mark, the scarier and more dangerous you will seem.

A cat's claws grow to some personal (individual) fixed length. That is, unlike dogs, cases of a long claw curling up and digging the claw into the pad of the paw are very rare in cats. Nevertheless, growing claws can cause trouble both for us and for the cat.

It's trivial, she might get her claw caught in a curtain and break her finger. Or, when scratching at a door with glass, she might get her claw caught between the glass and an ill-fitting windowpane and cut her finger off trying to free herself.

And our hand scratches? When I give my cats anthelmintics, the first thing I do is clip their claws. Otherwise, I have to go to work in clothes with very long sleeves.

6 effective ways to break the bad habit of sharpening claws on furniture

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It's no secret that cats are very neat and tidy. At the slightest opportunity they start to wash themselves. No less important procedure for them is the sharpening of their claws. The problem is that for manicure they choose not a very appropriate tool – chairs, sofas, wallpaper on the walls. And this is already a problem for humans.

Why do cats sharpen their claws?

• Because of the growth of their claws, cats have itching in their pads, and when they scratch, they scratch their paws and thus relieve not the most pleasant sensations;
• marks its territory – scratches on walls and furniture mean that this space belongs to the kitty;
  exercise, which allows the furry pet to keep itself always in shape;
• attracting attention to his person and getting rid of stress, because cats and cats always miss their owner, want to get affection, warmth and care from him.

Before choosing a method to combat furniture spoilage, you should understand what caused it / Photo: fb.ru

Before looking for ways to solve the problem of damage to upholstered furniture, it is necessary to understand what caused it.

How to wean the pet from a bad habit

10 tips on how to protect furniture from the mischief of pets and teach them to spoil it

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Zoopsychologists name three common reasons why pets and birds spoil furniture in different ways. They are lack of attention from their owner, boredom and excess energy, and the breeding instinct and all that goes along with it. The pet is sacred, but the furniture will have to be protected and cleaned. This material will give detailed advice on how to do that.

In addition to the common steps for taking care of furniture, pet owners will need special measures. Among them is the fight against unpleasant odors, stains, bad habits of pets. The main task is not to spoil the coating/upholstery of the furniture when cleaning, so use the gentlest possible methods, as appropriate.

1. How to get the smell of pet urine out of furniture

This can happen because of a struggle for territory, protest, feeling unwell, or a basic lack of skill to go to the toilet in the right place. Don't leave it for later – act before the stain has had time to dry. Regardless of who is at fault (a cat, a dog, a rabbit or even a hamster), you should act according to the following general algorithm:

1. Neutralization . For this, a special spray or spray from a pet store is suitable. It breaks down biological substances, rather than masking the smell, as an air freshener. It is through a chemical reaction of neutralization, the smell disappears completely, there is a real removal of the stain.
2. Cleaning. Clean furniture as the covering allows. Most often, sofas are cleaned with special shampoos, cabinet furniture with a soapy solution. After treatment with folk methods, complete the cleaning with a soapy solution.

How to wean cats off forbidden pieces of furniture

Contributor(s): Deanne Pawlisch, CVT, MA. Deanna Polisch is a certified veterinary technician. She trains veterinary clinic staff and teaches veterinary assistants at Harper College in Illinois. He has been a board member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation in San Antonio, Texas since 2011. He holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Loyola University and a master's degree in anthropology from Northern Illinois University.

Number of sources used in this article: 8. You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

If you train your cat to stay away from forbidden pieces of furniture, it will help protect couches, beds, tables and other valuable objects from claws, scratches and hair. You can scare the cat away from furniture by using repellent sprays and auxiliary items with unpleasant textures for the cat's paws. You can also train the cat with a clicker so that it will jump off the furniture at your voice command. Sometimes cats start playing with furniture simply out of boredom. So be sure to provide your cat with enough entertainment so that it won't have to sharpen its claws on your furniture just for fun.

Discourage the cat from the furniture

• Keep curtains closed if furniture is near windows. This way, the furniture will be less likely to attract cats wanting to lie in the sun or look out the window.
• Remove unnecessary soft objects from furniture when you are not using them. For example, if you were watching a movie while lying on the couch, remember to remove all blankets and pillows after watching.
• Don't leave food or food scraps on kitchen surfaces that may attract cats.

Place prickly plastic floor mats on furniture. Prickly plastic floor mats can be placed on furniture when not in use. The prickly texture of plastic mats will irritate the cat's paws. It won't hurt her, but it will be unpleasant enough for her to refuse to jump on furniture with this covering. [5] X Source of Information

Use the scratching post effectively

• For example, if a cat likes to paw at a sofa upholstered with soft fabric, this may be a clue that she would prefer a scratching post covered with carpet rather than some hard or prickly material such as sisal.
• Observe the cat's behavior to see if he likes sharpening his claws on vertical or horizontal surfaces. If the cat prefers to sharpen its nails on the carpet, buy a horizontal scratching post. If the cat prefers to sharpen its nails on door frames and furniture, get a vertical scratching post.
• Also remember that you and your cat may have different ideas about what an ideal scratching post should look like. You might want it to be tidy, not very noticeable and not bother you, whereas the cat might be dissatisfied if it doesn't get a whole pile of torn cardboard as a result of claw grinding, for example.

If your finances are tight, try making an inexpensive homemade scratching post. You can make a scratching post even from unnecessary leftovers of different materials. For example, you can make a great scratching post out of old wrapping cardboard and scraps of carpeting.

Turn the couch into an unattractive object

• Special enzyme pet cleaners will allow you to remove cat odor from your couch. You can purchase such a product at your local pet store or online. But don't waste your money on deodorants that only mask odors without removing the enzymes that are their source.

• It may take weeks to months before the cat stops trying to sharpen its claws on the couch. Leave unpleasant objects on the sofa for as long as possible and then start to remove them one by one.
• If the sofa protected in this way doesn't look very attractive, you will probably vacate it in the event of guests. Only then don't forget to return the cat repellent objects to the sofa as soon as possible, otherwise there is a great chance that it will start sharpening its claws on it again.

• A cotton ball soaked in perfume or cologne may also help. Keep in mind that a cat's nose is more sensitive than yours, so there is no need to use too many scents to discourage it from the couch.
• If you decide to discourage the cat from the couch with unpleasant smells, don't place the scratching post too close to the couch. If the scratching post also smells bad, the cat won't use it and it will lose any meaning for him.

How to protect a sofa from a cat: simple and affordable ways

How to protect upholstered furniture from cat claws, why the animal begins to scratch the sofa. The use of replacement covers and scratching post, training the pet. The use of folk remedies to protect upholstered furniture, the use of specialized sprays.

The appearance of a kitten in the house is accompanied not only by joy, but also by some problems. Animals with pleasure sharpen their claws on the upholstery of upholstered furniture. Scolding the pet for this makes no sense, but it is necessary to protect the furniture. Otherwise, the upholstery will very quickly fall into disrepair.

If you do not protect upholstered furniture from the cat, the upholstery will quickly lose its beautiful appearance. It is important to teach the cat from childhood not to sharpen its claws on upholstered furniture

Make the cat scratch appropriate objects

First of all, it is very useful to have special places in the house equipped with objects on which the cat can enjoy scratching its claws. Find a scratching post that is perfect for your cat. Some cats prefer to scratch horizontal surfaces, others prefer vertical ones. It's best to give your cat several different options to choose from.

Since scratching posts are a place where a cat can leave its scent and gain confidence in its territory, it is best to have a scratching post in each of the common areas of your home. If you have more than one cat, placing claw pads in these common, "neutral" areas will be less stressful. In most cases, it is the scratching post that the cat notices first when it enters the room. This happens because of the combination of the visual appearance of the scratching post and the smell of the cats who have used it.

The best way to tell if a cat likes the scratching post and the space is to see how often it uses the scratching post in your presence. A cat that scratches right in front of its owner is usually very confident in its territory.

Eliminate scratching inappropriate things

If your cat is scratching something that you consider inappropriate (say, your new leather couch or a nice rug), it's important to try to redirect her to something she's allowed to scratch. For starters, limit access to the part of the room where the cat is scratching.

Over time, you should be able to put a suitable scratching post there. Sprinkling any scratching post with treats and catnip is a sure way to divert the cat's attention away from inappropriate items she scratches. Trim the cat's claws to reduce disruption in the house. Older cats who don't move much can have ingrown claws, so be especially vigilant with older cats. Ingrown nails are very painful. But it can be eliminated with proper care and regular nail inspections.

How to protect furniture from cats: 5 tips and recommendations

Cats do not know that your furniture is not their property, and it can be marked and torn to shreds. Any piece of furniture in their environment belongs to them. If you want to protect your furniture from a cat's claws, you need to be proactive.

Perhaps the best way to prevent cats from using the couch as a scratching area is to install claw pads. The more scratching opportunities the cat has, the fewer pieces of furniture you will have to sacrifice.

You should have several different types of scratching post, and at least one in each room in which the cat spends a significant amount of time. If your cat doesn't like any particular type of scratching post, you may have to experiment to find the one that suits her best. Try different textures such as carpet, sisal, and corrugated cardboard to see which one your cat likes best.

Try placing the scratching post next to furniture that your cat is scratching. This will give you the opportunity to redirect the cat when it starts scratching your furniture.

Make your furniture unattractive

Your cat will be less likely to scratch on your furniture if it has things on it that it doesn't like. Things like double-sided tape on the knobs and back of furniture can deter a cat.

There is clear medical tape that is easy to stick on and off any furniture. It works by keeping cats from jumping and scratching the fabrics.

You can also try spraying it on fabric as a deterrent. Cats hate citrus smells like oranges, lemons, and limes, so try creating a spray with these scents. You can create a simple spray by squeezing citrus juice into a water bottle and spraying it on the surface of furniture.

You can also try making a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar, which will also serve as a deterrent. Spray it on areas of the furniture that your kitty frequently scratches.

You can test the homemade spray on an inconspicuous area of furniture, just in case it doesn't fit the fabric.

How to keep your home safe for and from the cat

Contributor(s): Jean Johnson. Jean Johnson is a cat expert and author of the blog KittyNook. Specializes in advice on cat health, cat play, and general information about cats and their breeds.

Number of sources used in this article: 8. You will find a list of them at the bottom of the page.

Being as charming as they are curious with sharp claws, cats are quite capable of damaging your clothes, bedding and furniture throughout the house. Fortunately, it is possible to prudently secure your own apartment so that the new pet doesn't destroy all of your belongings. Potential sources of danger to the cat itself should also be eliminated so that it doesn't accidentally injure or die.

Check the apartment and change your habits

Be sure to check the washer and dryer before running it. Cats have a tendency to get into secluded, warm places. When you're done using the above devices, close them so the cat can't get in and get into trouble. In addition, always look inside the washer or dryer before running it. [1] X Source of Information

Cover trash cans with lids. Some cats like to explore the contents of garbage cans, looking for something to eat that might not be quite edible, or just tipping the container over for no reason at all. The cat might hurt itself on some sharp debris, such as the lids of cans. A simple solution is to use a litter box or container with a lid. If you are concerned that the cat might hurt itself on the sharp edges of a metal litter box, use a plastic litter box. [2] X Source of Information