HELP!! Cat is destroying our new couch!

7 years ago

We just got a new couch and a chair to replace some old furniture. Our one and a half year male cat took a big liking to it right away. We only had it for a couple of days and there are threads and bumps sticking out already. We sprayed it with citrus, for which he doesn’t seem to care at all and applied sticky paper deterrent to the side corners. When he touches the sticky surface he doesn’t like it, but he’s not a picky scratcher so he finds a bald spot and goes for it. On top of that he starts to lick the tape and tries to take it off with the teeth all while his whiskers are sticking to it. He is a weirdo. There is a scratching post right next to it, which he uses too. Any suggestions or help is appreciated. We have a polyester blend woven fabric on the furniture (when buying it we haven’t thought about him scratching it because he hasn’t touched our old couch, only scratched it up underneath). Are there any sprays or coatings on the market that would make the fabric of the couch more durable?

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Comments (5)

Marta
7 years ago
Hi! Our cat (aged 17 now) was a notorious couch-destroyer... especially leather sofas. when we got our last sofa, I purchased a “scat mat” (Amazon) that gives a very weak shot when something touches it. The cat has not come close to the sofa since then! We instead got him a cozy catbed in front of the gas fireplace and he loves that!
christine 5b
7 years ago
I know you've tried sticky tape and your weirdo cat LOL, one of my cats is even weirder LOL, I used clear packing tape in the areas they started to scratch and that worked for me, after a few months they gave up trying to scratch that couch.
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socks
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
How sad. I know how upsetting this is because our cat thought the new sofa was a big scratcher for her. Make sure Kitty’s claws are trimmed. Won’t really protect the furniture but if her claws are bothering her, keeping them trimmed could help. There are also glue on plastic tips which really work to prevent a cat from damaging the furniture. We used these for several months and then finally our cat gave up on the sofa. I would recommend you do this right away. Probably a 2-person job.

I think we used the brand called Soft Claws but there are many available on Amazon. Maybe your pet store. It’s not cruel at all. Our cat had pink...lol.

Otherwise—Could you (temporarily) wrap target areas in aluminum foil? Or attach hanging sheets of newspaper. Get another scratcher or two, if Kitty has upright scratchers, try a couple of the flat scratchers.
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I use these. Place one by each place being scratched, You can gradually find another place more out of the way. My cat loves them so much, he gets excited when I buy a new one.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SmartyKat-Super-Scratcher-Single-Wide-Corrugate-Cat-Scratcher-with-Infused-Catnip/10804637

My vet also will clip the claws tips for only $10.

ETA: Yes to any of the suggestions above to wrapping the furniture until he is using the scratchers.
annztoo
7 years ago
What type of scratching post is near the sofa and how tall is it? My cats love this post and they've never touched my furniture. Is he scratching on the vertical part of the sofa or the horizontal sections? Try some of the cardboard scratchers on the floor if he likes horizontal.

Have you tried catnip on the scratching post? Also, do you have a cat tree/tower in the room? If not, I suggest buying one and make sure it has at least one post wrapped in sisal rope.