There are quite a large number of places cats can and often do scratch up in a household, and their top pick is not always the couch.
Some cats prefer scratching up mattresses, dining room chairs, or even walls. It’s not unheard of for a cat to go so far as scratching up doors, though it’s certainly less common than a cat taking claws to rugs or sofas.
No matter where your cat is currently scratching, if the end result is something you’re not pleased with, there are measures you can take to minimize or completely rid yourself of your cat’s poor scratch location choice. And I’m absolutely not talking about declawing here. Nor do I think it’s necessary to fit your cat with temporary nail caps like Soft Claws that cover a cat’s sometimes viciously sharp nails. These work, and very well, at protecting furniture – all while being extremely inexpensive, not altering the incredibly healthy feline scratch behaviour itself, and typically not being at all detrimental to a cat, but in my opinion, they can still be problematic, as if either an outdoor or indoor-only cat accidentally gets lost outdoors, he or she won’t be able to climb up trees and fences, let alone hunt, to maintain survival and eventually find his or her way back home.
What am I talking about then, if not declawing and not cat nail caps? Training your cat to stop scratching up furniture (here’s how).
It’s 100% possible. but you do have to be a patient and make sure to provide plenty of extra “cat scratch approved objects” for your cat to scratch on rather than the objects you love. Obviously, scratching posts work perfectly for this, but so do cardboard cat scratchers, small cat trees, or scratch approved “human” objects like rugs, furs, and wool blankets.
I’d fully encourage you to take it upon yourself to train your cat to stop scratching the furniture you love, but in the meantime, you’re likely going to want to try protecting what has been scratched on already, so the damage it’s taken won’t get any worse, or if it’s beyond help, transforming that spot into a scratch approved object in a visually pleasant way.
You can easily do all of the above with a variety of different furniture protecting optoins:
- Couch protector covers for cats
These cover couches, chairs, and other furniture fully or partially. Some can completely transform an old, scratched up looking sofa. Others can protect against spills as well as scratches, lots of options here. - See-thru plastic cat scratch guards
These are see-thru with either sticky tape backing or push pins for re-upholstered furniture. - Couch cat scratchers
These are essentially scratching posts and scratch mats that go on your sofa, usually on the corner where cats typically scratch, thus covering up any damage that’s already there while also being hard-wearing and pretty lovely looking add-ons that play into a cat’s desire to scratch in that particular spot rather than fighting it.
I’ll be addressing all of these furniture protection options below, but in case you’d like to browse through a number of other options, I’ve also got full articles on each type of furniture scratch protector type as well. Want to skip the remainder of this article and just head to a particular type? My article on couch protector covers for cats can be found here, my post on plastic cat scratch guards is here, and finally, my full post on couch cat scratchers can be found here.
If you can think of any other products that work as alternatives to these – either helping to prevent scratch damage or helping to transform an already damaged space into something that’s scratch approved – please let me know in the comments! Let’s start with the scratch guards, then move into the corner scratchers.
Furniture Scratch Protector Option 1: Couch Protector Covers for Cats
Want to look through more options than I list below? Check out my article on couch protector covers for cat spills & scratches here.
1. LAMINET Thick Crystal Clear Heavy-Duty Water Resistant Sofa/Couch Cover
Just want something that plain works? A run-of-the-mill clear plastic couch cover that you can throw on as a temporary measure while you’re out of the house, or even while you’re in the house, but waiting for emergencies to pass, that can prevent both claws and spills?
Laminet’s heavy-duty sofa cover seems like a solid bet. These particular furniture covers come in a variety of different sizes, fit for armchairs, recliners, love seats, sectional sofas, and more. If you try these out and find they work perfectly, but need furniture protectors for more than simply sofas or couches, keep in mind that Laminet provide clear plastic furniture proctors for tables and dining room chairs as well.
2. Sofa Shield Original Reversible Couch Slipcover Furniture Protector
There are so many different things besides scratches that these type of furniture protector covers can save your sofa from: litter accidents, sun fading, general wear and tear… so very much.
As additional benefits, Sofa Shield’s slipcovers are washable and don’t attract pet hair. These types of sofa covers ideal for cat owners strap on to couches, making them easy to throw off and replace whenever they get dirty and need a quick wash. They, too, come in a variety of different sizes so that it doesn’t matter how big or small your furniture is. Sofa Shield’s reversible slipcovers cover: chairs, futons, love seats, recliners, sofas, and over-sized sofas. In case you’re picky about colours and patterns and prints like me, they do also come in a slew of different options, so be sure to have a look around if this is the type of thing you were after.
One thing to note, however, these types of sofa protectors don’t cover the front portion of couches, the corner sections that many cats love to scratch, so keep in mind you may want to pair them with couch corner scratch posts or sofa corner safe guards (which, as mentioned, I’ll be showcasing later).
3. Chunyi Jacquard 1-Piece Polyester Spandex Fabric Slipcover
I honestly think I would go for one of these types of slipcovers if I had a sofa that had undergone quite a lot of wear and tear. Upon first seeing them, I didn’t think they looked all that great, but having looked through a bunch of product images, I actually think they’d look a lot better in real life than any of the product pictures really manage to capture.
As with the other sofa cover types, these also come in many different sizes, colours, and pattern/fabric varieties, so you’re sure to find something of the look you like if this is what you were looking for.
Furniture Claw Protection Option 2: Plastic Cat Scratch Guards
Not enough options? Want to look through more than what I’ve listed? Check out my full article on cat scratch wall, door, & furniture guards here.
1. Furniture Defender Vinyl Protector Guards Per Package
These types of see-through plastic scratch protector guards are perfect for fabric furniture as they fasten with screw pins. Furniture Defender in particular make some of the most well liked, best selling, and highest rated cat scratch guards out there. While there are plenty of other options, they’re definitely a good place to start looking for what you’re after. I do think they’re excellent for more than just furniture, cat scratch guards can be used on walls or even doors if your cat is scratching there, but these in particular fasten with screw pins and so it’s important to find sticker back ones if you’re looking to put scratch guards on anything besides fabric furniture.
3. Couch Guard The Cat Claw Protector Pinless Self-Adhesive Protector Pads
If you have leather sofas or do want to place self-adhesive protectors on walls, doors, and furniture without having to go the whole screw pin route, this is the type of thing you’re likely to want to go for. The whole backing is an adhesive, so you just place it onto the spot that your cat’s trying to scratch up. Definitely a good option to have if your cat scratches leather a lot, or if you need scratch protector guards on materials like wood or glass.
2. LAMINET Wall Shield Pet Scratch Guard
Like the idea of the sticker back scratch guards, but really don’t want to have the entire back completely covered in adhesive? You can go with something like these. Small circular Velcro branded pads mean you don’t have to stick very much onto a wall or a piece of furniture in order to keep these things up. Easily removable compared to the previous option, and easily replaceable as well, in case your cat is particularly viscous with the scratch guards.
Furniture Cat Scratch Protection Option 3: Couch Cat Scratcher Pads
Love the idea of corner cat scratcher posts & pads? Want to have a look at a few more options before committing? Check out my top couch cat scratchers roundup article here.
1. Sofa-Scratcher Rounded Couch-Corner Cat Scratching Post
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? If you can’t stop a cat from scratching up your sofa, you may want to just give in and hand a gorgeous looking scratch post integrated straight onto your cat’s favourite place to scratch (the corner, isn’t it the same for every cat?) right on a silver platter. I personally think these things look amazing. They come in a variety of colours so you’re sure to find something you like, and they even come in more angular options if you aren’t too much a fan of the rounded ones.
2. Docamor Cat Scratching Mat Sisal Sofa Shield
If you love the idea of a couch cat scratcher, but don’t want something that’s all that permanent, these sisal scratching mats are likely to be the perfect fit. There are so many types of these around that you’re sure to find what you’re looking for, and they’re typically very inexpensive, easy to move around and replace, and can do quite a good job protecting your funiture even though they are supposed to be temporary measures. I feel like they’d be just as good for l large or small couches if the side of the couch is all your cat is really after. Very handy in my opinion.
3. VIILER Cat Scratcher Pad Velcro Backing Table, Chair, Couch Leg Wrap
If you’ve got a cat who likes to scratch chair, table, couch, or sofa legs in particular, you probably want an option that’s easy to wrap around the entirety of the leg. There are a few of these around, but I think most people who have cats who like scratching on furniture legs don’t even realize they exist. Obviously, they’re easily removable and temporary measures that don’t damage your furniture at all, which is so good when you’re just trying to prevent damage to your furniture in the first place.
Your Thoughts on Furniture Cat Scratch Protectors?
What are your thoughts on these type of products?
If you had to choose between couch covers for cats, see-through plastic scratch guards, or couch corner scratching posts/wall mounted types, which do you think you’d like better and why?
Have you ever used these types of products before? What did you think of them? Do you have any tips for pet parents with cats who like to scratch in unusual places?
Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments!
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