If you’ve lived with cats for a while, at some time you’ve probably dealt with the issue of your cat shredding furniture. There are some things to do to minimize the cat shredding behavior and make the furniture less attractive to feline claws.
Verbal and/or physical reprimands rarely if ever work. One thing to help with the retraining process is a deterrent like double sided tape. Put the tape on all furniture corners, not just the ones the cat has already scratched. If you don’t cover all of them, your cat will simply switch to an untreated corner and just shredding the new spot!
In her book, Starting From Scratch, Pam Johnson-Bennett recommends a brand called Sticky Paws. Sticky Paws is made specifically to prevent cat shredding and doesn’t leave a sticky residue when removed from furniture. It’s available from Amazon in a roll format for $14.50.
If your cat is an all-around scratcher and doesn’t shred just furniture corners, Johnson-Bennett recommends covering the entire piece of furniture tightly with a sheet, taping the corners down to prevent your cat from getting under the sheet. Another trick is putting narrow PVC pipe around furniture cushions to hold the sheet in place.
Once the sheet is in place, put pieces of double sided tape on the corners to reinforce the concept of no scratching zones. If double-sided tape isn’t an option, try a slick surface like a plastic carpet runner or placemat.
If your furniture has been shredded past the point of no return and you decide to shop for a replacement, make sure to look for fabric that’s smooth, not rough textured or nubby. The less attractive the scratching surface, the less likely your cat will be to try shredding it!
Written by Karen
