Every seasoned cat owner can recall at least one experience where their cat has gone off the rails and destroyed a lovely piece of furniture. Perhaps it was the side of a couch or your favorite expensive curtains; out-of-control cats can wreak havoc on your living spaces. 

We can't really blame them, though. It's no brainer for cats to climb and scratch on furniture, but what if we told you that you don't have to worry about your cat damaging your furniture any more? 

We'll get to that in a minute, but first and foremost--Please do not declaw your cat.

Cats need their claws for many things. So before you decide to declaw your cat, keep in mind that many veterinarians are highly against declawing cats because it is painful and potentially dangerous to them. Think of the procedure as the equivalent of cutting half of one of your fingers off. Do you want your cat to experience this? 

Remember, cats heavily rely on their claws for many things, more than just scratching for fun. Cats scratch to get rid of their claws' dead outer layer, mark their territory, and stretch their bodies. 

I hope this convinces you. 

In this article, we'll go over 7 tips to protect your furniture from cats. These strategies dive into the best methods for keeping your cats away from your expensive furniture when they knead. Keep reading to learn more.

Cats have a very keen sense of smell, which helps them discover and hunt down their prey in the wild. So naturally, targeting their sense of smell should help stop them from scratching, right?

Attractants are natural ways to calm or entice a cat's behavior or curiosity. Catnip is a prime example of a natural attractant of which cats can't seem to get enough. 

Catnip derives from several different types of mint leaves that cats find naturally irresistible. Most people use attractants such as catnip as a training method to get their cat to use the litter box or convince a cat to scratch a scratching post/pads. 

We even use catnip as a reward for good behavior. However, be sure to limit the amount and frequency of time you use attractants, like catnip, since overusing it may weaken its effectiveness. 

For your cat's mood, attractants may calm a cat down or excite them, depending on the cat. Most attractants are available at most big-box stores or online.

A scratching post or emery board is the most common way to help keep your cat from scratching your furniture. Scratching posts come in various styles, from as grand as a miniature castle to a simple post you stick to the arm of your sofa or other furniture. 

Similar to scratching posts, cat furniture is perfect for giving your cat a space of its own. The need for personal space may come up when your cat feels anxious or annoyed and looking to retreat.

When buying cat furniture, make sure it has a rough exterior to promote scratching. Then spray catnip or other scents to attract them to it. If the cat furniture is separate from their scratching post, make sure to put the cat's furniture near the post and away from the couch. As your cat scratches its post or furniture, it will release pheromones. These pheromones will make your cat want to go near its furniture instead of your couch when the need to scratch strikes. 

Suppose you are interested in buying some cat furniture. In that case, you can always search for cat towers or kitty condos at your favorite online pet store. Cardboard emery boards work better for older cats. You can also mount these to the wall if you like. Just make sure the scratcher is attached securely if you decide to place it on the wall. If not, the scratcher could fall off the wall and end up hurting your cat. 

Claw caps are plastic covers you glue onto your cat's claws. Most people use them to prevent their cat from scratching up furniture, but these also help when you need to administer medications or when you move to a new place that is unfamiliar to your cat. 

Our Sofa Slipcovers are great for pet owners. Use them as an extra layer to protect your furniture from spills, pet stains, and smells.

Not only can you protect your couch with these stretchy slipcovers, but you can also give your living room a new look at the same time!

When training your cat to scratch cat furniture instead, using our slipcovers can help make your job much easier.

Since you can easily remove them try soaking your sofa cover in a deterrent mix, simply place your slipcover into a bucket with the deterrent mix and allow it to soak. Next, wring it out and allow it to air dry. As a result, the entire slipcover will deter cat scratching behavior and help train your cat to look elsewhere.

Protecting your furniture from a pet is not a small task, especially for cat owners. Cat scratching will happen regardless of age or surface, as it's a naturally beneficial habit for cats. In turn, when cats scratch, it ruins your sofa and other furniture that may hard to replace. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for training your cat to scratch other surfaces and stop your cat from scratching your couch. 

However, one critical thing to remember is to remain patient with your cat and be mindful that all these scratch-prevention methods take time to sink in. Even if you train with them every day, some cats are stubborn and may take longer than others. 

We hope the best for you and your cat in this scratch-free journey from all of us here at Miracle Sofa. We also like to thank you for taking the time to review the tips we've listed and hope they're able to help.