I think every cat owner at one point or another has had some piece of broken, ripped or shredded furniture. Whether it’s the sofa, curtains or the carpet, you definitely don’t want kitty ripping it up.

So how do you alleviate the problem of an indoor cat using your furniture as a toy?

Firstly of course you need a scratching post. These should be introduced at a very early age but if your cat is a little older and still hasn’t used a scratching post then don’t fear, there is still time to train him to use it.

Simply place the post somewhere and take your cats paw and make scratching actions on the pole. Soon enough he or she will begin using it and hopefully stop using your furniture.

There are tons of different posts and cat gyms available today, some quiet expensive. These are some of my favorites:

Cat Toys

Cat toys are a good distraction if your kitty is using your furniture too often. If your cat is a complete indoor cat then you’ll need to keep her amused as she is not getting the stimulation of hunting and playing that an outdoor cat gets each day.

That means buying some quality, fun toys for your cat. Some of the best are:

If your cat continues to scratch your furniture you need to simply deter him from doing so. Many cats do not like the smell of citrus so placing this near the furniture can help. You can also make a loud noise or clap each time kitty jumps on the sofa or tears at the curtains. Over time she will learn that if she doesn’t want the loud noise, she shouldn’t touch that.

Most cats eventually grow out of being destructive in the house. It’s a great idea to build an outdoor enclosure or cat furniture to put kitty in during the day as she can release energy out there rather than in your living room. I find that when I do this, he is so exhausted from the days adventures that he is too tired in the evening to play with the curtains!