what product can i use to stop my cat from scratching rug
The 6 best products to protect your piece of furniture from true cat scratching
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- Here are the best products to protect your furniture from cat scratching in 2021
- The best product to protect furniture overall
- The all-time scratching post
- The best article of furniture guard
- The all-time scratch record
- The best floor scratcher
- The best true cat claw covers
- What else we considered
- How nosotros tested
- Why didn't we include cat scratching deterrent spray?
- Why exercise cats scratch furniture?
- Should cats be declawed?
- Our sources
The all-time product to protect furniture overall
Part furniture guard, part scratching mail, the Sofa Scratcher does double duty to protect furniture from devastation.
Pros: Combination scratcher/furniture baby-sit, fits snugly confronting a burrow or chair corner or leg; held in identify by the weight of article of furniture instead of tape or pins, made of toxin-free sisal, available in 7 colors
Cons: More expensive than furniture guards and nearly standalone scratching posts, calorie-free assembly required
The genius of the Sofa Scratcher Squared and its half-moon shaped cousin, the Sofa Scratcher, is that its sisal-covered edges fit snugly against a couch or chair, providing a cat with a "legal" place to scratch right at the center of the room where Calder said cats prefer to mark their territory. The Sofa Scratcher lines up flush against furniture and its wood core of prevents your cat from sinking their claws into the upholstery.
My furniture-scratching cat seemed to enjoy flexing his claws on the Sofa Scratcher Squared — the manner that best fit my square-cornered furniture — as much as he enjoyed using them on the couch, itself. He tore at the sisal guard every fourth dimension he jumped onto the piece of furniture for a nap. After near 6 months of use, information technology still looks virtually make new.
Different shields and tape, both styles of Sofa Scratcher take a rectangular polycarbonate base that slips under the leg of a couch or chair, using its weight to keep it in identify. Felt backing on the scratcher keeps it from rubbing. The 24-inch alpine foursquare scratcher and its two v.5-inch wide panels perfectly covered both the chair and couch I tested information technology on.
Those with taller furniture may demand to find another solution such every bit scratch record or a furniture baby-sit to protect the remaining inches of furniture that stick out across the scratcher. Considering it didn't match the shape of my article of furniture, the one-half-moon shaped scratcher left gaps large enough for a adamant cat to still reach the upholstery.
Both Sofa Scratcher styles crave very fiddling assembly (just three screws adhere the base to the scratcher) and come in seven colors. They are made in the United States and their sisal fabric is toxin-free.
The best scratching mail
The On2Pets Skyline Sisal True cat Scratching Post has three poles and a wide, turf-covered base for happy vertical and horizontal scratching.
Pros: Three horizontal scratching posts of unlike heights, sisal-covered posts, broad base covered in scratchable artificial turf, holds up to 32 pounds, fabricated in the United States
Cons: Requires lite associates
To stop a cat from scratching article of furniture, the goal is not to punish the behavior but to redirect it. Every true cat has their own personal scratching preference. If your cat is scratching vertically on your piece of furniture, it's likely they volition prefer a vertical scratcher, said Quagliozzi. If they scratch carpets or rugs, a horizontal scratch pad is more likely to satisfy their want. Some, like my true cat Osito, savour both. Any they like, Calder said information technology'south important to have multiple scratchers.
Of the 7 vertical scratchers nosotros tested for this guide, the On2Pets Skyline Sisal Cat Scratching Post was the clear favorite. Both cats returned to the scratcher multiple times a day during the first month of testing. Vi months later, one still scratches at that place daily.
Resembling a city skyline, this scratcher has three sisal-covered vertical posts at heights of xxx.5 inches, 22 inches, and 16.5 inches bunched together at the center of a wide rectangular base of operations. The base of operations is covered in scratchable artificial turf. Afterward six months, the scratcher's sisal is a lilliputian shaggy simply all the same looks dainty overall.
Made in the United States, the Skyline Scratcher is sturdy and tin withstand upwards to 32 pounds of cat. Information technology requires some light assembly upon arrival. This scratcher falls in the heart of the pack in terms of toll. Considering how frequently my cats use information technology and their continued interest in it over time, it's well worth the cost.
The best piece of furniture guard
Clawguard Article of furniture Shields are an piece of cake-to-install, semi-permanent fix to protect furniture and carpet from a true cat's claws.
Pros: Clear and flexible, made from durable marine-grade vinyl, withstands abrupt claws, installs speedily with upholstery twist pins, waterproof, comes in iv sizes, tin be cutting down to smaller sizes, fabricated in the Us, long-lasting
Cons: Visible on furniture and carpeting, upholstery pins may go out marks on delicate materials
One way to prevent a cat from destroying piece of furniture is to make the locations they savour scratching less desirable, according to Sanchez. Roofing an area with slick vinyl can discourage destructive tendencies.
Of the 2 vinyl guards I tested, the Clawguard Furniture Shields offered the most protection from scratching. Not fifty-fifty an X-acto pocketknife left marks and a push pin could only fully penetrate it with heavy pressure. The clear, flexible material attaches to upholstery or carpet with twist pins inserted through holes that line the length of the border. When the shield is screwed tight, the clear plastic caps on the pins look like small buttons. It took me less than v minutes to completely install ane shield.
These shields are waterproof and fabricated in the The states. Each package of 2 shields comes in four sizes with 6 to eight pins (we tested the vii.5-by-xviii.five-inch actress-large version), and the shields can be cutting down as needed with scissors. The best thing about Clawguard Furniture Shields, aside from the protection they offer, is that they will last for months, if not years, without needing to exist replaced.
Despite beingness made of clear vinyl, Clawguard Furniture Shields are easily visible. And while my upholstery did non testify signs of having been embedded with pins when I removed the guard after testing, it is possible that more delicate materials will.
All in all, Clawguard Furniture Shields are a quick set up for making an ugly problem disappear, equally long equally your cat has attractive, culling locations for carrying out their natural scratching instincts. After figuring out the vinyl was unpleasant to scratch on his first effort, my furniture-scratching cat did not touch on it again, preferring instead to apply the nearby posts and pads.
The best scratch tape
Mucilaginous Paws On a Whorl temporarily deters a true cat from devastation by making furniture scratching too sticky to be enjoyable.
Pros: Adheres to a variety of surfaces to prevent scratching, transparent, comes in multiple sizes including a tape roll, adhered well to furniture throughout iii-calendar week testing period, easy to remove, leaves no residual backside, not too aversive for cats
Cons: Droppings clings to glutinous exterior of tape, visible on furniture
Like piece of furniture guards, scratch tape takes the fun out of scratching a couch leg or the border of a carpet past covering information technology in a cloth that prevents a cat's claws from finding satisfaction. Of the two versions nosotros tested, we institute the one recommended by Quagliozzi, Sticky Paws, best at deterring scratching without causing unnecessary fear, hurting, or discomfort. "Glutinous tape is not too aversive for cats," said Calder. It may exist unpleasant to scratch just doing and then doesn't cause discomfort or fear.
Sticky Paws is a transparent, double-sided tape. One pasty side adheres to upholstery, rug, and other household materials while the other sticky side faces out toward the cat. When they scratch, the record briefly grips their nails and paws, preventing them from digging in.
Mucilaginous Paws comes in different shapes and sizes, but my favorite was the Viscous Paws On a Roll, which works like a packing record dispenser to easily cut the tape to size. Like the article of furniture guards, after my furniture-scratching cat got his paws on the tape only one time, he chose non to focus any more energy on it, turning instead to nearby posts and pads.
The biggest problem with using Gummy Paws is the reason it works in the beginning place: Stuff sticks to it. Dust and pilus are attracted to the sticky outer layer, although I was surprised to detect that later on three weeks on my article of furniture, information technology had collected less debris than expected. While the interior of the tape adhered well throughout the testing period, it is more than temporary than article of furniture guard, was more hands penetrated in our testing, and requires regular replacement. The tape left no residual behind afterward removal, but it'due south not the about aesthetically pleasing pick on the market.
The best floor scratcher
The Our Pets Double-Wide Cat Scratcher satisfies even timid cats with its unproblematic pattern.
Pros: Unproblematic blueprint, affordable, made from recycled materials, recyclable
Cons: Slides around some on hardwood floors
Some cats like to scratch vertically, some like to scratch horizontally, and some like a petty of both. If you lot've plant destruction on rugs, carpets and flat cushions, your cat falls into 1 of the latter two categories and providing them with a properly placed flooring scratcher may be the solution to your trouble.
We tested four floor scratchers and constitute that the uncomplicated design of the Our Pets Double-Wide Cat Scratcher was the most universally bonny to our feline testers. This affordable scratcher made from recycled corrugated cardboard is eighteen-inches long and 10-inches wide and raised i.25 inches off the footing in a cardboard frame. It also comes with a small purse of catnip to help entice the feline set up. It
The durable interior pad of the scratcher is reversible, and so even if your cat claws through the top layer in short order, information technology can be rejuvenated just past turning it over. How long that volition take is specific to private cats, only after almost two months of use by my two cats, ours still looks near new. When information technology is completely worn out, the pad and frame tin can exist recycled.
The scratcher slides around a fleck on a smooth floor when a cat really gets clawing, but ours has never flipped over or shot across the room. Despite the sliding, this is easily down my timid cat'due south favorite scratcher. She not only uses it multiple times daily just posts upwards regularly on the pad to snooze or sentinel squirrels outside the window.
While it doesn't have the play elements of some of the other scratchers we tested, that also means the Double-Broad Scratcher has nothing to distract from its true purpose: serving as a place for cats to stretch and status their claws.
The best true cat claw covers
Soft Claws Cat Nail Caps allow your true cat to scratch and use their paws naturally without causing damage to your furniture.
Pros: Flexible vinyl, fits medium-size cat claws well, multifariousness of colors, final four to six weeks, comes with forty caps plus nontoxic agglutinative and half-dozen applicators, affordable, doesn't interfere with natural scratching and hook extension
Cons: May be difficult to get on, may fall off before four to six weeks are upwardly, many cats volition not tolerate them
Nail caps prevent your cat's claws from scratching your furniture. Calder likes Soft Claws (also chosen Soft Paws), and out of the ii nail cap brands we considered, we plant the medium-size Soft Claws nail caps to be better sized for a nine- to 13-pound cat'due south claws.
Soft Claws are made of a durable, flexible vinyl that slips over the nail. The caps don't interfere with a true cat'due south power to extend or retract their claws and come up in a broad variety of colors. Super stiff nontoxic adhesive keeps each cap secure for four to six weeks. Each package comes with 40 smash caps, two bottles of agglutinative, and six applicators.
According to Calder and Sanchez, nail caps can be a good solution for preventing damage without taking abroad a cat's ability to practice the innate behavior of scratching. While it's important to teach a true cat to focus their scratching on posts and pads, in the short term "these nail caps may exist just the relief your furniture needs," Sanchez said.
The biggest drawback of nail caps is that many cats, including mine, will non tolerate them. Fifty-fifty those whose cats are okay with their claws being handled may observe getting them on and situated correctly is a challenge. It's besides not uncommon for caps to fall off before their iv- to half dozen-week lifespan is up.
What else we considered
All of the products we tested for this guide to protect furniture from cat scratching are loftier-quality plenty to get the job done. Hither are the ones that didn't quite make the cut only may work for your needs.
Scratching Posts
- Max & Marlow Tall Scratch Post: At 26 inches, this was the shortest of the scratching posts we tested. But, with a soft bird toy attached to the superlative past an rubberband cord and another on a spring on the base, information technology too has the most bells and whistles. My vertical scratching cat likes this post only uses the On2Pets Skyline Scratcher far more than often, possibly because it has iii posts instead of simply one, plus a scratchable base.
- Petfusion Ultimate Cat Window Scratching Post: I liked the blueprint of this scratching postal service, which has a perch at the top that suctions to a window for stability. My cats, however, did not experience the same. They used neither the sisal scratcher nor the perch.
- Smartcat Ultimate Scratching Post: The Smartcat Ultimate is tall enough to accommodate a full body stretch and has a sturdy wooden base of operations. Still, my cats showed no interest in using either this scratcher or the similarly shaped Frisco Sisal Scratching Postal service, which seems to be due to its imposing column shape.
- Frisco 33.5-inch Sisal Scratching Mail: This scratching mail service is similar to the Smartcat Ultimate, but with a foam-color faux-fur covered base and superlative, information technology'southward less aesthetically pleasing. Like the SmartCat Ultimate Post, my cats did not use the Frisco scratcher, obviously because of its imposing column shape.
Furniture Guards
- Furniture Defender Cat Scratching Baby-sit: Like Clawguard'due south Furniture Shields, these piece of furniture guards are clear and flexible merely with slightly thinner vinyl that may be easier to penetrate than the marine-grade vinyl used in the Clawguard Piece of furniture Shields. The Piece of furniture Defender comes in five sizes and carries a 100% money-dorsum lifetime guarantee.
Scratch Tape
- Clawguard Protection Tape: Although this tape is high quality and looks nicer on article of furniture than Sticky Paws, it does non have a sticky outside. Every bit a result, Clawguard Protection Record functions more like a temporary piece of furniture shield with an adhesive backing for twice the cost of Gluey Paws On a Roll.
Scratch Pads
- Kong Naturals Cat Scratcher: Of the floor scratchers we tested, Kong'south incline version was the second simplest design. While my brave cat liked this ramped scratcher, my timid i was not impressed.
- M&H Ramp and Rails Scratcher: Ane of my cats enjoyed both clawing this expensive inclined scratcher and playing with the ping pong balls embedded in its base. He unfortunately lost interest in information technology inside a calendar month, even when I sprinkled it with catnip and moved it to unlike locations in the home.
- Bergan Star Chaser Turbo Scratcher: Both of my cats enjoyed the light-upwardly ball that rolls around the runway that encircles this scratch pad. I even chose it every bit ane of our favorites for Insider Reviews' guide to interactive true cat toys. But while both liked the brawl, merely one of my cats was interested in using the scratch pad at the Star Attorney's middle.
Smash Caps
- Purrdy Paws ($thirteen): These boom caps were similar in quality to Soft Claws and they stayed firmly glued to our scratcher fork throughout five weeks of testing. They are, all the same, about 50% longer than Soft Claws, which some cats may observe awkward.
How nosotros tested
All of the products were provided as editorial review samples by their manufacturers with the exception of the nail caps, Max and Marlow Tall Scratch Post, and Piece of furniture Defender True cat Scratching Guard, which Insider Reviews purchased.
In an attempt to objectively compare the products in each category of this guide, I devised the following tests:
Scratch test
To determine how the piece of furniture guards and scratch tape would hold up over fourth dimension, I scratched them with three different tools: a fork, a push pin, and an X-acto knife. Each tool was dragged beyond the aforementioned section of the product 50 consecutive times and I noted if whatever penetrated the fabric and how long it took to exercise then.
Penetration test
I used the same iii tools in the penetration test. I conducted three trials with each tool every bit I attempted to brand a hole through the material. Offset, I applied light pressure, and so medium pressure, and finally, my total strength.
Nail caps test
Because neither of my cats volunteered to try out the smash caps, I tested their longevity by sticking two caps from each make onto the tines of a plastic fork. Each week over a period of five weeks, I scraped the fork on a scratcher 100 times and looked for any shifting or loosening of the caps.
Longevity test
Our best overall product and our top scratching post have remained in use since testing for the starting time version of this guide began in Oct 2020. I assessed each to identify any aesthetic or functional deterioration in their material over time.
Cat attract test
I doused each floor scratcher and scratching post with catnip and introduced them to my cats. I placed each in the locations they prefer to scratch and rotated them weekly, noting which scratchers they avoided, which they used occasionally, and which they returned to over again and again.
Why didn't nosotros include cat scratching deterrent spray?
Although a previous version of this guide included scratching deterrent spray, our experts confirmed that they are non helpful for redirecting furniture scratching. "They don't actually work, and they're an aversive," said Calder.
In animal behavior, an "aversive" is whatsoever tool or technique that uses discomfort, hurting, fear, or intimidation to force an beast to change their behavior. Deterrent spray is aversive because it assaults a cat's extremely sensitive senses of olfactory property and taste, making them sneeze and cough.
Preventing a cat from practicing inappropriate scratching past using scratch tape or furniture guards combined with training that teaches them to dear scratching appropriate toys similar scratching posts or pads is a more effective long-term strategy for changing their behavior than aversive tools and techniques. "Our goal is not to scare the true cat, it'southward more almost finding out why the behavior is occurring in the get-go identify," said Calder.
Why do cats scratch furniture?
Scratching is a natural, instinctual behavior for cats, co-ordinate to Sanchez. "Scratching serves many functions for a cat, including a communication tool that leaves both scent and visual marks at a site, a way to clean and condition the claw beds, and a keen way to stretch the muscles of the legs and toes," she said.
Cats who don't accept like shooting fish in a barrel to access scratching posts or horizontal scratch pads may plough their claws toward furniture and carpeting. But just owning a scratching postal service or pad isn't helpful if information technology'south non in a place your cat likes to scratch. Cats need a diverseness of choices in diverse locations to be fully satisfied. Sanchez recommends placing them in high-traffic areas and near your cat's favorite resting spots.
Some other reason your cat may prefer your piece of furniture to a scratching mail or pad? The material it's made from. "Some cats will strictly scratch on softer materials such equally paper-thin boxes or scratch pads, while other cats volition only use carpeted or alpine, sturdy posts," said Sanchez. Many cats bask scratching a sisal rope or cloth, but some may find other materials more attractive. If your true cat is attracted to rug, for example, Quagliozzi recommends framing a piece of rug for them to use.
Source: https://www.insider.com/guides/pets/how-to-stop-cat-from-scratching-couch
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