Answer: Cats often like to lie on chairs, sofas and other furniture and may adopt favorite pieces as part of their own territory. Many owners will not object unduly to this, provided that the furniture is not damage or covered with cat hairs. If you do wish to avoid this behavior it is best to train the cat from an early age only to use its own bed Most owners, however, will object when the cat beings to deliberately damage furniture and carpets by scratching at them at them. As was mentioned in an earlier section, this is natural behavior on the part of the cat, both to keep its claws sharp and to make its territory. Once cat has chosen an object or area to scratch it will usually not readily change.
To prevent or minimize damage indoors, cats should be trained to use a scratching post or board. This is piece of the log or board arranged vertically upright measuring 6 to 8 inches wide and 2 to 2 ½ feet high and for the cat to use it, it must be stable, preferably fixed onto a firm base or fastened to the wall. It is best kept in the room where the cat sleep as scratching is often performed upon waking. Ideally this boar should be introduced while the cat is still a kitten so that it gets into the habit of using it. Commercially produced posts may have a covering of cardboard, canvas or carpet, and some are scented with cat-mint to increase their attractiveness. Fastening a piece of the old carpet to a leg of the kitchen table has been suggested but this may simply condition the animal to damage furniture. Pieces of carpet may also harbor fleas.
The key to effective discouragement from scratching is a sudden shock. This could be given by simply throwing a magazine, bunch of keys of coat-hanger near, but not at, the cat, or even by spraying him with a water pistol. Less effective is not point at the cat and tell it loudly and firmly ‘No’ as soon as it begins to scratch the furniture or adopts the posture to begin scratching. Whatever discouragement is adopted, the cat should then be taken to the scratching post and its forelimbs moved in the normal claw sharpening movements to demonstrate how you wish it to behave. If an animal has been in the habit of clawing a particular piece of furniture, that item should be moved and the scratching post substituted in the same position then the training procedure should be adopted. In time the scratching post can be gradually moved to a more convenient position in the room. With carpet clawing, the scratching post should be placed in the most frequently damage area. In this case the post should remain there and not be removed subsequently.
If you cannot always be present other techniques have to be adopted. Many cats dislike smooth textures and covering a piece of furniture with plastic sheeting may discourage the cat temporarily. When buying furniture upholstered in fabric, it is worth bearing in mind that cats find loosely woven material much more satisfying to scratch at then thick, tightly woven material. Since cats dislike unstable objects, a deterrent can be to drape the item of furniture which is frequently damaged with a loose cover which will move if the cat attempts to scratch at it. Alternatively, the cat’s attentions may be discouraged by building alongside the scratched area a ‘booby trap’ of precariously balanced books or feeding bowls which will topple over if disturbed, or by placing some small object under one leg of a table so that it rocks if touched. And if the cat has to be left unobserved, it is best placed in a room where scratching has not previously been a problem.
