A cat’s scratching reflex is simply too deeply
deep-rooted to be eliminated. The best solution for a cat’s scratching is to
provide an alternative place to scratch, instead of scratching your furniture,
drapes, carpets and walls. The best alternative is to provide a well built
scratching
post. The scratching post should be tall enough to allow the cat to
stretch to full height without tipping it over. It should be covered with rough,
easily shredded material such as sisal rope, cardboard, or tree bark. Some cats
like carpet-covered scratching posts, but they can get the claws stuck. Others
like the feel of the carpet's underside. There are vertical and horizontal
posts. You may need to try different materials, shapes and sizes. Some cats love
a scratching post right away, while others will not go by it. To encourage a cat
to use it, you can rub your cat's paws up and down the post may attract him to
it once his scent is deposited on it. You can also spray it with
catnip. The best place for a scratching post should be near your
cat’s sleeping spot, since most cats enjoy scratching when they wake up. If your
cat is still scratching your furniture, drapes, carpets and/or walls you can try
the following tips:
1. Trim the cat’s nails.
2. You can put Sticky Paws (double sided tape) on the edges of your furniture.
3. To keep your cat from scratching your drapes/curtains, use tension rods instead of drilled rods into the wall. The tension rods will simply fall down on top of the cat if it tries to claw them.
4. Replace drapes, curtains, shades and/or horizontal blinds with vertical blinds. They work very well as cats cannot climb up them, cannot shred them, cannot shed on them, and they can not be bent the way horizontal blinds can. It is furthermore easy for cats to push them aside to look outside.
5. You can buy Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange spray and spray it
on any areas that you do not want the cat to scratch.
6. It said that cats hate water. Get a small trigger spray bottle and fill it with water. When the cat scratches simply squirt the cat once with the water. Do not squirt your cat in the face, and try to make sure your cat doesn't see you squirting it. The cat should immediately stop and run. If it didn't see you, it will think the behavior he was doing triggered the water. If he did see you, he can get sneaky and only do the behavior when you're not around.
7. Declawing. Please understand there is a lot of debate regarding this. Please talk to you Veterinarian.