You love your cat, but you also love your leather couch. So, if your favorite feline has taken a shine to clawing at your leather couch, you’ll want to be able to protect the sofa from it. But how can you do that?
There are quite a few ways you can deter your cat from sinking its claws into your leather sofa! Most of them are simple to do, so you can use a variety of these tips to ensure your pet doesn’t continue utilizing the couch as a plaything. Keep reading for eight tips on how to protect leather couches from cats!
How to Protect Leather Couches From Cats
1. Add more scratching posts to your home
Probably the easiest way to get your pet to stop using your leather couch as a scratching post is to simply incorporate more scratching posts throughout the house. You will want to have at least one post (or scratch pad) near the sofa, so you can redirect your cat’s scratching while still allowing the cat to do what it wants in the same area. Make sure you have plenty of other scratching areas in your home, too, so your feline knows it has options.
The Hepper Hi-Lo Cat Scratcher features a modern and clever design that offers cats an appealing place to scratch – and a way to keep them from scratching all the things they shouldn't. Unlike most cat toys (where your cat probably just prefers the cardboard box they came in), cat's flock to this design ... maybe it's because there's cardboard in it!
- Premium Materials - Hepper's cardboard scratcher is made with dense, B-flute cardboard, and a metal...
- High, Low and Lower - A single cat scratch pad won't keep your cat engaged. 3 unique positions keeps...
- Activates Muscles - The Hi Lo isn't just a cat nail file to stop the chief cat couch scratcher. The...
With its 3-position setup, textured cardboard, and sturdy frame, it encourages their natural scratching behavior, steering them away from clawing at items like furniture, walls, carpets, curtains, and people. The Hi-Lo is a reliable solution to safeguard your home and create a more enjoyable environment for your cat, all while looking modern and stylish.
At PangoVet, we've admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
2. Utilize scratch guards
Scratch guards are highly beneficial for keeping your cat from scratching your leather couch. These are designed to be attached to a sofa (or other pieces of furniture) with tape and can be incorporated pretty much anywhere on the couch’s surface (especially on the sides and corners where kitties most like to flex their claws!). Technically, scratch guards won’t stop your cat from scratching, but since it will claw at the guards and not your leather couch, the leather will be safe. And when these guards have met their end, you can take them off and replace them with new ones.
3. Make use of a couch cover
If more scratching posts or a scratch guard don’t work with your pet, you might want to invest in a couch cover. The leather on your couch will no longer be able to be seen, but at least it’ll be safe. And you can remove the covers when you have company, so your sofa can be seen if you prefer. Couch covers are quite stylish these days, and there are tons of couch cover options, so you’re sure to find one that goes with your décor.
4. Keep the cat’s nails short
This is one of the simpler ways to keep your leather couch protected from the cat—make sure your cat’s claws are regularly trimmed! You’ll need to trim nails every 3–4 weeks, but it will go a long way in keeping your leather sofa more protected. If you aren’t confident in your ability to cut your pet’s nails, you can take it to your vet or a groomer who can get the job done.
When it comes to at-home cat nail care, we like Hepper's Cat Nail Clipper Set because it has it all: two sizes of well-designed and made clippers, a nail file, and a handy carrying pouch. The clippers even have built-in safety guards and locking switches to keep both hooman and kitty calm, and the blades are made of sturdy, easy-to-clean stainless steel when the job's done.
- Complete Set - These cat nail clippers include both a large and small pair, meaning it works well as...
- Razor Sharp Stainless Steel - The most comfortable cat nail clippers for indoor cats provide a fast...
- Safety First - With a safety nail guard and locking spring, you can make sure every grooming cut is...
At PangoVet, we've admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
5. Give your cat its own furniture
Maybe your cat is attracted to leather because it enjoys the feel of it, or perhaps your cat just likes to hang out on the furniture. So, why not get your pet its piece of furniture (preferably faux leather), so it can do whatever it wants with it? There are so many options you can choose from when it comes to cat furniture, but a kitty sofa or loveseat is probably the best option to mimic your leather couch. Put your cat’s favorite blanket or pillow on the furniture and give treats to them to entice it into using the new furniture. Hopefully, soon, your cat will ignore your sofa on its own!
6. Redirect your pet’s attention
Every time you catch your cat with its claws sunk into your leather, redirect its attention elsewhere. You can engage your pet by playing with it, giving it a treat or toy, or having it cozy up to a different texture, such as a soft blanket. By redirecting their attention each time it tries to claw the furniture, you’re training your pet to ignore the leather in favor of something more fun.
7. Ensure your feline is getting enough exercise
You might not think so since cats sleep so often, but felines do get bored. And if your pet is bored and full of pent-up energy, it may take it out on the leather couch. But if you ensure your cat gets plenty of exercise and playtime each day, it’ll be less likely to engage in destructive behavior due to boredom. So, take a few minutes out of each day to play with your cat!
8. Use spray deterrents
You’ll need to be a bit careful if you use this tip, so you don’t use a product that damages the leather of your couch, but spray deterrents can be useful on some occasions! Felines have an amazing sense of smell, which means that some scents smell downright awful to them. So, if you spray your sofa with something smelling of citrus or rosemary, it should be a pretty good deterrent. You’ll likely need to spray the sofa down a couple of times a day, but it’ll be worth it!
Conclusion
Felines and leather couches aren’t always a great mix, but the two can coexist together. You simply need to make it, so your pet doesn’t want to scratch the leather on your sofa. Luckily, there are several ways you can go about deterring the cat, whether it’s by placing scratch guards on the sofa, incorporating more scratching posts into your home’s décor, covering the couch with fabric, engaging your pet in play and exercise, trimming your pet’s nails, getting it furniture of its own, or using spray deterrents. Use a combination of these tips to ensure excellent results!
Featured Image Credit: lermont51, Shutterstock
Contents
- How to Protect Leather Couches From Cats
- 1. Add more scratching posts to your home
- 2. Utilize scratch guards
- 3. Make use of a couch cover
- 4. Keep the cat’s nails short
- 5. Give your cat its own furniture
- 6. Redirect your pet’s attention
- 7. Ensure your feline is getting enough exercise
- 8. Use spray deterrents
- Conclusion
