We’ve all been sitting on the couch watching TV only to hear the sound of fabric ripping as our beloved feline scratched the fabric on our couches or other furniture. You’ve probably done everything in your power to stop your cat from clawing your furniture to no avail.
However, some pet owners say that cats won’t claw up velvet. The fact is, most cats don’t scratch velvet because it doesn’t have any loose threads for them to pull. We’ll discuss why velvet doesn’t tempt cats, give you a few fabrics cats don’t claw, and more, so join us.
Will Cats Claw Velvet?
Cats target fabrics with elevated and loose weaves and adore scratching fabric with loose threads, so silk, tweed, and linen are horrible choices for cat owners. Velvet, however, has a very small and tight weave, which means your cat won’t scratch it simply because they won’t enjoy it. But all cats are different; while most cats don’t enjoy clawing velvet, yours might.
Which Other Fabrics Will Cats Not Claw?
So, we know cats don’t enjoy clawing velvet, but what if you don’t want a velvet couch? Are there any other fabrics you can get that your cat won’t scratch? Yes, there are. There are a variety of other options that most cats won’t scratch.
You can buy furniture made of leather, faux suede, and microfiber. All of these have short and tightly packed weaving and aren’t enjoyable for your cat.
How to Stop a Cat from Clawing Furniture
If your furniture isn’t constructed with one of the claw-repellant fabrics, you probably don’t want to buy new furniture. So, what can you do to stop your cat from clawing the furniture you already have? Let’s start with what not to do.
Do not declaw your cat; it is a massive step to take to prevent them from scratching furniture. The surgery to declaw your cat involves amputating the bottom part of its toes, which leads to permanent pain for the rest of its life. This pain can cause behavioral issues and make your cat aggressive.
You also shouldn’t use deterrent sprays composed of harmful essential oil. The sprays may keep your cat away, but if it touches the chemicals from the diffuser or sprayer, it could ingest them while grooming. Felines don’t possess the correct enzymes to metabolize essential oils like peppermint, birch, wintergreen, or pine oil.
The best way to keep your cat from scratching your furniture is to redirect them to something else to scratch. Get them a scratching post and place it close to their favorite scratching spot. Make sure they can see the post from where they scratch, then when you catch them scratching, make a loud noise, like clapping your hands.
This noise will jar them out of the instinct to scratch and hopefully motivate them to move over to the scratching post and run their paws along it. When you see your cat use the post, give them a treat. Over time, your cat will realize it will be rewarded for scratching on appropriate material.
One of our preferred scratchers, the Hepper Hi-Lo Modern Cat Scratcher, is a surefire way to keep your kitty out of trouble (or at least away from scratching the things they should not!). It's not only stylish, but it's functional as well. It's made of sturdy cardboard with a durable plywood and metal frame and can be set up in three different ways – high, low, or lower. The different positions encourage maximum engagement, exercise and stretching, and of course, intense scratching (they can throw their whole body into it).
With the Hepper Hi-Lo, your cat gets to have a blast scratching like a maniac, and you don't have to worry about them causing so much chaos or scratching your stuff. There are even replacement cardboard pieces available, so you really can let your cat go to town on this, and know that it will be long lasting. Click here to learn more about this awesome scratcher.
At Excited Cats, 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!
Final Thoughts
When it comes to cats clawing at furniture or any other fabric they can get their sharp claws into, it may seem like a never-ending task to get them to quit. However, felines are unlikely to scratch velvet, microfiber, leather, or faux suede furniture.
You can also use physical deterrents like aluminum foil, scratching posts, and positive reinforcement to keep your cat from clawing up everything you own. Never yell at or hit your cat for doing what comes naturally; it’s best to find a way to deter the cat from clawing the furniture instead. If your cat is not responding to your redirection attempts, you can contact your vet for recommendations.
Featured Image Credit: FotoMirta, Shutterstock
