Cat won't stop scratching furniture!

My 9 month old male neutered  cat won't stop scratching the couches in our house. He has a very large cat tower to play on and multiple scratching posts, yet still decides to scratch the furniture! It feels like I have tried everything to stop him. I have tried squirting water at him, yet he still continues to scratch. I have tried picking him up every time he scratches the furniture and carrying him to his scratching posts to deter him, he scratches the posts for a little bit but then goes back to the furniture. I have tried giving treats every time he does use his scratching posts but this still doesn't completely stop him from scratching the furniture. I don't really want to use anything like soft paws because I would rather him be all free and natural but if it does have to come down to that, I won''t say no. Please help! Thank you!!

First, make sure his nails are trimmed.  Secondly, try putting double sided tape on the furniture where he scratches.   He won't like the sticky feeling on his paws and will stop.   Once he has stopped for awhile, you can remove the tape.   Has always worked for me.   Good luck!

My cats used to scratch my furniture a lot.  They actually killed a couch and I have to put a cover on it to hide the damage.  I moved their scratching posts in front of where they were scratching the couch and they stopped.  Also some cats do not like scratch posts.  One of my cats would only use the scratch matts that sit on the floor.

I know other people have had luck with double-sided tape but I never needed to try that.

wildhearts said:

My 9 month old male neutered cat won't stop scratching the couches in our house. He has a very large cat tower to play on and multiple scratching posts, yet still decides to scratch the furniture! It feels like I have tried everything to stop him. I have tried squirting water at him, yet he still continues to scratch. I have tried picking him up every time he scratches the furniture and carrying him to his scratching posts to deter him, he scratches the posts for a little bit but then goes back to the furniture. I have tried giving treats every time he does use his scratching posts but this still doesn't completely stop him from scratching the furniture. I don't really want to use anything like soft paws because I would rather him be all free and natural but if it does have to come down to that, I won''t say no. Please help! Thank you!!

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Squirting water, or other forms of 'discipline' don't work too well with cats - they don't associate the 'punishment' with the 'crime', and you'll likely only make them fearful of you. [article="29678"][/article][article="32493"][/article]

Where are the scratching posts situated? Scratching has a number of purposes for a cat, and one of its main functions is in marking territory. Cats have scent glands between their toes, and scratching is a natural way for them to mark out an area as theirs. For this reason, it's vital that suitable/allowed scratching surfaces are available in the socially significant areas of the home. By scratching the couches, your boy is saying that he's a part of your home and that he belongs with you. I'd start by placing some scratchers next to the couches, so that he has somewhere appropriate to scratch in the area that is so important for him to 'own'. For every 'no' there has to be an appropriate 'yes' - it's about making the right choice as easy as possible
Something like this or this might be a good solution. Products like Sticky Paws can work well too.
[article="29683"][/article]

SoftPaws style claw covers are a great tool, especially for use during retraining. They don't interfere with a cat's ability to extend/retract his claws at all, and are very good at protecting furniture. You do have to clip the claws first, though, and they need reapplying periodically as the claws naturally grow and shed. Be aware, though, that you should NEVER use claw covers or clip claws if your cat goes outside. They need full use of their claws when out of doors, so that is definitely something to take into consideration. [article="29669"][/article]

Have you tried Feliway? I don't believe it's a good thing to trim cat's nails. Even if they're only indoors, their nails are their biggest defense and cats always have the need to feel safe. You can spray some Feliway on the furniture, it'll probably work. 

The trick is to find the right types of scratching posts, mats, trees, boards, etc. plus the cat's preferred locations for them. That means lots of experimentation till you find the right combination. There are several tips in the article Columbine embedded about how to stop a cat from scratching furniture. What works for one cat might not work for another, so it takes perseverance on your part.

Our last cat preferred completely vertical or horizontal sisal surfaces and acquiesced to using throw rugs and a secondhand chair we got just for him. Mogli found all but one of those things, a sisal covered board hung on a wall, completely uninteresting, but adores large corrugated cardboard scratchers.