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1 question that worries all cat owners is: How to keep cats from scratching furniture? Fortunately, training your cat such that it sticks to its scratching post instead of your expensive furnishings is not that difficult a task. The first thing you have to know and understand is that cats do not scratch to annoy you; it is a biological need. Hurting your pet is not going to achieve anything; instead you must make it a habit to reward the cat every time it "listens" to you and stops scratching.

The following tips can be used to keep your pet from scratching the wrong places:

• The most effective short-term ploy is to squirt your scratching cat with a water spray. Cats hate water, and squirting them will decidedly do the trick. Every time the cat begins to scratch at your furniture, you can aim the water-squirt, and watch them run. However, this method is only effective if you are home at all times, and aware of what your cat is doing.
• Another useful tip is to cover the most popular scratching areas with aluminum foil. When the cat approaches the foil-covered furniture, and begins to scratch, the feel and noise of the material will definitely scare it away, and the next time just about the cat will be wary and hopefully not scratch the same place(s).
• You can also cover the popular areas with double-sided tape, so the cat cannot get its claws into the furniture to scratch its way to satisfaction. Eventually it will get frustrated and in a few days you can remove the tape, as by then the cat will be conditioned not to scratch.
• Often owners prefer to clip the nails on their felines on a regular basis so that not much damage is inflicted on the furniture. While this may be a viable option, you must always take your cat to the vet. Also keep in mind, that if your pet is a creature of outdoor interests, the loss of its claws may be a sharp blow.
• A useful pointer to remember when you are buying new furniture for your home is that Velour type materials are very hard for cats to scratch. The underlying material is quite resilient and the most they will be able to do is get a tiny hole in it with their claws. Also keep in mind that cats love to scratch at wood, but only if it is bare, or has a ridge to it, like a decorative rising in the wood. Hence, look for furniture that has straight wooden legs instead of those with decorative (and expensive!) carvings.