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Cat has been obsessively chewing on furniture

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anxiety chewing furniture
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1.6K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  scottyrocks  
A
#1 ·
I’ve got two cats, a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. Both are in good health. My 9 year old has always been a chewer. We have gotten him toys for chewing that he has historically seemed to like a lot.

For some reason, he has suddenly taken to chewing on the couch. He’ll scratch at runs on the side of the couch until they’re long enough to bite and then just go to town. I don’t care about the couch, but I can’t risk having him ingesting couch fibers and getting blocked up.

He has often done similar things in the past to beg for food, but he’s being particularly relentless this time. Even after a feeding he seems to gravitate over there and starts chewing. I tried redirecting him to his toys but he has no interest. When I keep him away from the couch, he has been finding other things to chew on that he has left alone in the past.

I sprayed some deterrent spray on the couch, which was working, but then I read that citronella is toxic to cats and that’s pretty much the main ingredient in the spray. So, I stopped using it.

I got him cat grass which he loves to chew on so I’m trying to redirect him to that. I don’t want to leave that out all the time though. He has been eating, using the litter box, and otherwise acting normally.

Would love some advice!
 
#2 ·
Cats scratch for several reasons; it aids in shedding the outer layer of their claws, marks their territory, and allows them to stretch their muscles. The allure of couches and furniture lies in their textures or the transferred scent during scratching. Offering scratching posts or pads with varying textures can redirect this behavior. Moreover, employing deterrents such as double-sided tape or specialized sprays can effectively discourage them from scratching furniture, guiding them toward appropriate scratching surfaces.
www.aspca.org

Destructive Scratching

There are various reasons that cats enjoy scratching, such as to stretch, mark their territory or during play. The best approach for pet parents is not to stop cats from scratching, but instead to teach them where to scratch.
www.aspca.org www.aspca.org
www.humanesociety.org

Stop cat from scratching furniture with a scratching post

Teach your cat what they can scratch and what is off-limits, like your couch or table.
www.humanesociety.org www.humanesociety.org
 
C
#3 ·
As @Kat Toy said, double sided tape on parts of the sofa your cat chews and scratches should deter him as cats don't like the stickiness of the tape. Putting down sheets of aluminum foil in front of those areas may work too as the sound and feeling of stepping on foil is unpleasant to them.

Get him a good scratching post, preferably one that is tall enough that he can stretch his body - at least 25 inches in height like this one:


A cat tree is a good idea too as cats feel secure when they are high up.
 
#6 ·
I second the cat tree. I built one with three shelves (the ones in the stores were sooo expensive). As soon as it was done the cats were on it instantly. I placed it by the dining room window so they'd have a good view. They left all the furniture alone!

If you're gonna build one I recommend making it tall enough, with a rubber pad on top, to 'grab' the ceiling so it doesn't fall over.
 
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