Did I just come up with the best ways to keep my cat AWAY from my furniture?

[Mr_Kitty]

So I am either being ridiculous or even endangering my kitten by coming up with these ideas or just costing myself more than I should without yielding the results I am hoping for BUT I WANT TO KEEP MY FURNITURE IN PRISTINE CONDITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE PLEASE.

I am thinking I am going to get this Sofa Cover but since it is not thick enough, I am going to get a heavy duty cover and place that first and then use the black stretching cover on top. I don't get to keep the design of my sofa but at least it should be safe. I need the stretchy one on top cause the one underneath does not cover the SIDES and frankly none of them do which really defeats the purpose of having a Sofa PROTECTOR:

Something like that as the first layer: Heavy Duty Sofa Cover
Cover it with this one as a second layer: Sofa Slipcover Spandex
I may use this loose one as a THIRD layer: Slipcover with Ruffles

Then I have a Recliner with a second piece Foot Rest which needs to be protected but there are no Spandex-like covers for it so I am going to have to use this one only:

Maybe this one but I don't think it will fit my design
Recliner heavy duty protector

I could also just go for a heavy duty blanket and be creative with the application process:

Heavy Duty Blanket


THEN AGAIN, MAYBE I SHOULD BE SMARTER AND CREATE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL KEEP HIM AWAY FROM THE AREAS I WANT TO KEEP CAT-FREE:

I watch Jackson Galaxy on YouTube quite a bit and I only recently discovered his channel and shows. I don't know what everyone here thinks of him but he seems to really know his stuff when it comes to cats. He says to CREATE the best areas for your cats to keep them from doing what you don't want them to do.

Starting off with a decent Cat Tree WITH a couple styles of scratching areas and a toy as well as a hiding spot and high resting spot:

Cat Tree

I can set up a real high climbing tower which will most likely be irresistible to a cat and it wouldn't even WANT to be anywhere else (like resting on my musical instruments and laptop): High Climbing Tower (9ft)

Get a couple scratching posts NEAR areas I want to avoid the cat scratching as opposed to what people think (like set them far away from the sofas):

Scratching Post

I can get a few toys which will definitely tire them out and divert their attention from turning my furniture into their play area and toys:

Fish Toy Flopping Fish
Smart Cat Toy Ball
Yosoo Catch The Mouse Motion Cat Toy

I was considering an automatic laser but I don't want to blind my cat by accident nor do I want the laser to point to a spot where I wouldn't want the cat jumping to so I will get a regular laser pointer. I found a real cool deal but one of the reviews worried me and I want to make sure it is safe for cats:

This is the one

And here is the scary review:

Interesting feeding solutions for when JUST PLAYING is not enough and the reward of a treat is more attractive:

Catit Senses 2.0 Digger for Cats

Thinking of leaving this one near my bed so if it has urges in my bedroom, it can go nuts with this AND MAYBE also ON my sofa? So it will serve as HIS seat and he does not interact with the sofa and this works as a barrier:

Omega Paw Ripple Board Scratch'n Massage Kitty Bed Bundle

I know they love warm spots which is why my friend's cat rests on his laptop almost always so what if I get a few heat pads and make it way more irresistible than my comfy sofa and maybe even place it on the sofa but it might reach for a different part of the sofa and scratch it while laying on it:

K&H Manufacturing Thermo-Kitty Mat 12.5-Inch x 25-Inch, 6-Watts, Mocha

I heard cats don't like Citrus.... What if I get a few balls with holes in them and fill them with Zest and other citrus like strong smelling stuff and leave it behind the sofa and on the sofa on top of the back rest behind my head:

Dried Lemon Peel

There's also this product but I am not sure if this will hurt its mental state long term:

Relaxivet Pheromone Calming Spray for Cats

There are all these Cat repellents and I worry that maybe they repel them because they're toxic to them:

Pet MasterMind Claw Withdraw Cat Scratch
FELIWAY Spray 60 mL - Helps Control Urine Spraying & Cat Scratching
Lambert Kay Boundary Indoor/Outdoor Cat Repellent Pump Spray

Then there are the shock collars which I don't agree with and I think are cruel. I want to make sure that I don't make my cat trust me less and love me less by succeeding keeping him away from my furniture and other belongings. I gotta find the best way to eat my cake and have it too.

 

[di and bob]

Sounds like you have it covered! LOL.....my cats ignore my furniture, which is covered by the way with standard coverings, not because they scratch, but because of all the hair. It is nice to whisk it away and have a nice hair-free place for company. I never see them on the couch but it is still covered with hair, they must use it when we are gone. They are on our laps on the recliners the minute we sit down. I have those corrugated cardboard large scratchers from Walmart which we lay around, and they use them several times a day. I just got a three-foot-high sturdy scratching post from Amazon, they really stretch using it, they need more exercise. I used to have ONE cat that insisted on using the couch to scratch, I did get him to stop with double-sided tape I applied to the corners.

 

[Margret]

Feliway spray is a pheromone spray, in my opinion the best one. All it does is mimic your cat's own pheromones, the ones s/he uses to mark territory (and no, I don't mean spraying, I mean cheek rubs). So it makes your house smell like home to your cat. I.e. it makes things smell safe and happy. But go easy when you're spraying it; I have congenital anosmia (I was born with almost no sense of smell) and if I go overboard with the Feliway even I can smell it!

There are also Feliway infusers that you can plug into the wall, but I'd avoid them; they can be a fire hazard.

No, Feliway won't make your kitten addicted or harm it in any way.

Many years ago when we were selling our house people would see that we had a cat and claim she made the house smell bad. I'd had someone with an excellent sense of smell check, and no, the house did NOT smell bad! I was taking proper care of the litter box and the cat didn't spray, or urinate outside her box, so what were people smelling? We finally figured out that it was actually what they WEREN'T smelling. Neither of us was a coffee drinker so our house was missing an odor people subconsciously expected. When we bought a coffee maker and started brewing a pot before showings the complaints about cat smells stopped. Think of Feliway as coffee-aroma for your cat.

Margret

 

[fionasmom]

I have had slipcovers for years and even got to the point where I started to buy them just for a change in decor, cats aside. It is really nice to be able to wash everything as well. You really have given a lot of thought to providing a nice home for both you and your cats.

 

[Margret]

Regarding laser pointers, your link was to some wand toys, not a rechargeable laser pointer. However, having read the review, I'd say the review is nonsense. Any laser pointer can be dangerous if you shine it in someone's eyes; you should be very careful with them. This is why the red dot doesn't come out to play with my Jasmine as often as Jasmine would like - Jasmine figured out very quickly where it was coming from so she tends to look at the laser pointer to try to figure out where the dot will go next.

BTW, if I recall correctly Jasmine's laser pointer cost $5 at PetSmart.

Margret

 

[maggie101]

My apt is majorly catified! A few suggestions, cats like to stretch so square or slanted scratching post. Not all cats like sisal mine are corrugated scratches. More expensive but last longer I would get cubes from target online if they're still there. My couch is covered with baby blankets. Easy to wash. I used to use covers but probably needed bought something better made. Every time you sit down the back pulls forward so I almost trip. Get the purrfect leather bouncer wand toy. It last 3 years. Other ones you have to keep buying replacements. Lots of chew toys. You can buy packs on amazon

 

[daftcat75]

Never use a shock collar. Cats don't respond to discipline anyway. You'll just create a neurotic cat with behavior issues. Instead, think of what the cat finds appealing about the problematic behavior and frustrate or remove the appeal. Or provide a more appealing and acceptable alternative. In most cases, it is easier to change your own behavior than the cat's. If your cat wants to get up on the counters, it's going to be a helluva lot easier to wipe down your counters, stove, and do your dishes than it will be to teach this cat not to be a cat.

Also do not use the citrus ball idea. It's not just that cats don't like citrus. It can actually be harmful to them. Look up "cats and limonene" for more information on this. By the same token, if you use air fresheners, try to use something like Febreeze which chemically destroys odors over some citrus-scented scent disguiser. Do not use essential oil diffusers either. Cats lungs and livers are much more sensitive than our own.

You may want a HEPA-filter air purifier to help out with odor management. Rather than putting potentially harmful stuff into the air to disguise it, the air purifier will pull those odor molecules out of the air. Hamilton Beach makes an affordable one that's whisper quiet and can be placed near the litter box. This will also reduce some of the dust in the air caused by litterbox digging.

It's my experience that a cat will cross a room for a sturdy, satisfying scratching post and spare your furniture. Usually they'll resort to furniture because they don't have a better alternative available to them. Once they've found a post or scratcher they like, they tend to prefer it by habit over convenience.

I would avoid all automatic laser toys. Usually the lasers aren't powerful enough to do any damage. But you don't want to take that chance. There are battery powered balls that wiggle on their own without lasers. Your kitty may be interested in one of these.

I would say the picture above is pretty accurate. It's amazing how much of a mess of furniture and toys these little fur kids can turn your home into. But it's worth it if you have a happy cat who isn't scratching or chewing things she shouldn't out of boredom or frustration.

Finally, you can use timed feeders if you have a kitty who wants to eat when you want to sleep. I would look for the ones with a clamshell design. My recommended feeder is not currently available. But the Catmate C10 or C20 is a close approximation. I recommend the clamshell over the wheel because the wheel can rotate uneaten portions inside it. With the clamshell, there's no time limit on a portion. Once it opens, it is available until you pick it up.

 

[basscat]

Our living room sofa fabric is "duck cloth/fabric". We chose that because we liked it. We now like it even more because the cats really don't phase it. Scratch as they may, it's looks unscathed. But, for the other furniture we couldn't really do the same because that duck fabric furniture was NOT cheap.
SO, for the one that eats furniture, we got some heavy canvas from army surplus store and made some "quicky" slip covers for the other sofa's. That works great.
Now we are considering ordering the same canvas in different colors and making nicer looking covers.