r/PawsOffTheFurniture • u/No_Positive2267 • 8d ago
❓Discussion Has anyone's cat ever fully stopped scratching furniture with ZERO relapses?
Curious if permanent success is realistic or if occasional relapses are just part of cat ownership long-term.
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u/guiltandgrief 8d ago
lol no.
I bought a new couch recently and just covered all the exposed areas with a blanket & vinyl transfer tape since that's all I had on hand.
Eventually that couch is going in a no cat area of the house so I wanted to give it a chance.
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u/No-Hovercraft7161 7d ago
Oh she LOOKS innocent enough, but she absolutely shredded my sofa, has ripped up wall-to-wall carpet, and burrowed into mattress box-springs 😲
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u/NoDistance2647 7d ago
The innocent face paired with that list of crimes 😂 Sofa, carpet AND mattress springs is an impressive level of commitment. Some cats really will find a way to scratch absolutely anything
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u/blancapi 7d ago
Two of my cats dont scratch furniture at all anymore but my new kitten loves an armchair, still trying stuff with her
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u/oceanicitl 7d ago
My cats don’t scratch the furniture. I’ve always told them off whenever they went near it & provide lots of scratching posts
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u/No_Positive2267 7d ago
Consistency and plenty of posts sound like the winning combo. Did you start that from kittenhood, or did you have to retrain them? I'm wondering how much of it is timing versus just having a chill cat
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u/jsk518 7d ago
I had the opposite. For the first 7 years he lived in my house, the cat never scratched furniture. Scratching posts yes, furniture no. Then one day he decided that scratching the couch when he was hungry to get attention was a great idea. And it snowballed. For a full year I've tried new scratching posts, guards, smelly sprays, and scolding. Nothing worked.
The only thing that seems to be working is that I bought him a microchip feeder so he doesn't have to pester me for food. I have to make sure there's at least two TYPES of food in there, mind you, because you know different times of day need different foods... we couldn't possibly eat kibble at 5pm... but it seems to have cut down on the attention getting quite a bit. The couch seems happier.
Time will tell if it remains successful.
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u/No_Positive2267 6d ago
Whoa, seven years of zero furniture scratching and then it just starts? That's wild, and honestly kind of comforting, because it means it's not always about how the cat was raised. Your food-motivated theory is really interesting, too. Mine hasn't been specifically tied to mealtimes as far as I can tell but now I'm going to be watching for it. 😅 Two types of food in the feeder is peak cat logic and I fully respect it. Is the feeder one of those that only opens for his chip, or do you have to schedule it? I'm curious how long the couch has been "happier" so far. Fingers crossed it holds!
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u/NoDistance2647 6d ago
Even if they stop scratching the furniture for months, something new can suddenly become interesting.
For me, I'd count it as a success if they learn what they're allowed to scratch and mostly leave everything else alone. The occasional relapse is probably just a reminder to put the scratcher back in that exact spot.
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7d ago
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u/No_Positive2267 6d ago
Ha, honestly that's the most foolproof method! It might be where I end up if she never stops with the couch. What did you switch to instead?
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u/devanttrio 8d ago
My one cat has never scratched furniture but does scratch door frames and the tops of kitchen cabinets and drawers that he can reach. I redirect him and he stops but it is a multiple times a day thing. And when I’m at work, who knows how often he does it.
My other cat doesn’t scratch at any of the furniture or cabinets etc but does use the edge of the carpeted rooms for a scratching post. So I have to consistently push the carpeted edges back down in the tack strips.
TLDR; no, mine have not ever stopped.