Can't get my cat to stop scratching

[AelitaJezebelle]

My cat is constantly scratching the couches and the carpet. Those are her main go-tos. I have a few scratching posts for her and scratching mats, but she rarely uses them, and half the time she just scratches the carpet in front of them. I've tried scratch deterrant spray on the furniture, catnip and catnip spray on the scratchers, and she still scratches wherever she wants. I'm not sure what to do with her. It doesn't help that I'm at work most of the day, so I'm not always there to keep an eye on where she is scratching to try and redirect her.

I've been having some cat fever lately and wanting another cat, but I need to get Diane's scratching issue taken care of before considering that.

 

[amethyst]

Have you tried different material scratchers? Since she seems to like to scratch the carpet, if you haven't already, try getting some cat scratchers made of carpet. Also are the scratchers big enough? It seems most cat scratchers are small, but some like to fully extend when scratching, also some cats like straight vertical posts, others like flat mats, and some like an angle. Also are the mats and posts stable? Some cats prefer things that are sturdy and don't move when they scratch on it.

 

[AelitaJezebelle]

Have you tried different material scratchers? Since she seems to like to scratch the carpet, if you haven't already, try getting some cat scratchers made of carpet. Also are the scratchers big enough? It seems most cat scratchers are small, but some like to fully extend when scratching, also some cats like straight vertical posts, others like flat mats, and some like an angle. Also are the mats and posts stable? Some cats prefer things that are sturdy and don't move when they scratch on it.

I do have a carpet scratcher. It was the first one I bought, since she likes carpet. I also have a cactus, which is sorta more that ropey sorta material, and some cardboard scratching boards, which she doesn't seem to care for. I don't think I've seen her use the boards once. The posts she does at least use sometimes.
The carpet one's pretty generic. The cactus is a bit larger and has branches. It also has feathers on top that catch her attention. She likes feathers. I have another one in my car I need to set up that has a ball on top she can bat, which I hope will draw her to it. I'd love to get her a cat tree once I have the money.

 

[Caspers Human]

Watch your cat to see where she goes and what paths she takes through the house. Pay attention to the places where she stops the most.

You can't just plunk down a scratching post and expect a cat to use it. The post has to be in the right place.

A cat's scratching post is like an American Indian totem pole. It marks the boundaries of a cat's territory. It has to be in the place where the cat thinks others will see it and recognize it as a boundary marker.

Our cat, Casper, has a routine where he races along the downstairs hall, makes a J-hook up the stairs then, when he hits the upper landing, he does a half climb up the wall. We bought him a scratching post and, when we put it there, at the top of the stairs, Casper started using it almost immediately.

Casper also starts in the upstairs hall, runs down the stairs, hooks around and heads for the living room, ending up in the corner near the TV. We put another post in that spot and, BOOM! He used it on the first day!

We put Casper's cat tree in the opposite corner of the room and, again, he was on it within a day.

I'll bet you a nickel that, if you observe your cat and figure out where her hot spots are and put some scratchers in the most likely spots she'll start using them on short order.

What if somebody bought you a brand new exercise machine but they put it in the middle of your dining room? Would you use it? Probably not. It would probably get more use if you put it in a spare bedroom or the basement. Right?

Most humans will buy these fancy, new items of cat furniture then do the feline equivalent of plunking down in the middle of the dining room then wonder why their cat doesn't like them.

If people would spend a week or two just watching their cat's behavior to figure out what their cat likes, they would have a whole lot less trouble keeping them from scratching up the furniture.

 

[LTS3]

Try the tips here:

23 Proven Ways To Stop A Cat From Scratching Furniture – TheCatSite Articles
Renting With A Cat? Find Out How To Keep Your Landlord Happy – TheCatSite Articles
How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat – TheCatSite Articles

 

[ClumsyBear]

Mine also likes to scratch the couch. I put treats on his scratcher now and then or when he's scratching the couch, I take him to his scratcher instead. It seems to be helping. He's been using his scratcher more frequently!