by K.D.

Created on: January 17, 2007   Last Updated: May 13, 2008

It's no secret that cats and leather furniture don't exactly mix! Kitty claws on a new leather sofa could easily spell disaster. So what can you do to prevent your feline friend from turning your couch into a scratching post? If you are willing to protect your furniture at your kitty's expense, then declawing the cat may be an option. On the other hand, if you would rather spare kitty the pain and suffering of declawing, here are some alternative methods you could consider:

* Buy plastic caps for your cat's claws. They are sold at most major pet stores and can be an effective, although tedious, way of protecting your furniture. A major downfall to this is that even if you somehow manage to get your cat to let you put these things on properly, the claws will grow relatively quickly and break through the soft plastic cap. Therefore, it is a process that needs to be repeated regularly.

* Give kitty his or her own personal space AWAY from your furniture. Cat beds are cute and relatively inexpensive. If he has his own place to relax, he might be less likely to try and share yours!

* Even if your cat was previously accustomed to getting on the furniture, it is possible to train it by new rules. Each time the cat gets on the furniture, yell or make a loud noise to startle it away. Although this will take time, eventually, your cat will get the point. Be careful, however, NOT to push or hit the cat off of the furniture. This will cause the cat to instinctively stick out its claw and hold on, which could have disastrous results on leather as the cat slides down it!

* Buy a scratching post for your cat so that it has something that it can sharpen its nails on without ruffling your feathers.

* If all else fails, consider introducing your kitty to the outside world! But if you do end up making your indoor cat an outdoor one, be sure to spay or neuter it in order to avoid contributing to the stray cat population! There are numerous animal clinics and organizations that offer free or low cost spay and neutering services so check out the resources in your local area.

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