Cats scratch. That's what they do. A lot of times they scratch the stuff we don't want them to. My cat Kimba, bless him, he's a great cat, but he loves to scratch all the wrong things. Declawing was never an option, and he hates having his paws touched so the nail caps are a no go. I had to think outside the cat to find ways to get him to stop scratching our stuff. I've finally come up with a three step way to keep him from scratching the wrong things, and start scratching the stuff. Here's how I did it.
I put a cat scratching post in the bedroom, specifically at the base of the bed. When he comes into the room, the first thing he does is scratch it, and then jumps on the bed. This keeps him from scratching the sides of my mattress, his old focus. You can even add catnip to the base of the scratch post to entice your cat if he is still indifferent to the scratch post. Chewy has adorable scratch posts, like this cactus one. Get it here https://www.chewy.com/frisco-cactus-cat-scratching-post/dp/240930?
Putting a sizable cat tree in your living room, preferably near a window where your cat ordinarily goes to watch some cat tv, can direct their scratching behaviors there. We got this exact one pictured from wayfair, and our cats use it for lounging and scratching everyday. We also have a small cat tree in our hallway for random jumps and scratches. Grab the cat tree pictured here https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/go-pet-club-72-cat-tree-gpc1508.html?piid=27708111
Even with the scratch post and tree deterrents, my cat Kimba still scratches the side of our chaise lounge on our sectional. I bought some Cat Training Tape, and used it on the corner he scratches. He hasn't scratched there since. The tape is clear so its hardly noticeable, you'd really have to be looking for it to find it. His recent scratching desires have been taken out on our storage ottoman, so we taped there, and he's stopped. This tape really does wonders for those stubborn areas cats just won't give up! Get yours here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y854XYJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
There are other options that you can try that may work for you, that unfortunately haven't for me. Each cat is different, so these options may provide better luck in your situation
cat deterrent spray that you spray on the areas you don't want your cat to scratch
Feliway diffusers use pheromones' to chill your cats out and send them the message to not scratch
Hopefully some of these suggestions can guide you to getting your cat to scratch the right things versus the wrong things. Best of luck in your journey!
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