Looking for the best cat repellent for leather furniture? Cats love the smooth, soft feel of leather. If you have leather furniture at home, you might find it extremely difficult to keep your cat away from them.
Cats are infamous for scratching furniture. Although leather is a durable material, it won’t stand against a cat’s claws. Once your cat has decided to turn your leather furniture into a scratching post, it’s important to act quickly to break this habit.
Thankfully, there are many methods to keep cats off leather pieces without having to resort to drastic measures. No matter how bad the scratches are, you should NEVER declaw your cat. This is a cruel procedure that can lead to long term health problems for your pet.
Without further ado, here’s the best methods on how to keep cats off leather furniture.
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How To Keep Cats Off Leather Furniture
- Provide scratching alternatives.
- Give your cat an alternative lounging area.
- Use a cat repellent spray.
- Protect leather furniture with a velvet couch cover.
- Use cat scratch tape.
Best Products To Keep Cats Off Leather Furniture
1. Scratch Pads
Looking for ideas on how to keep cats off leather furniture? Cats love to sharpen their claws on anything that’s available to them. They are notorious for scratching furniture, especially leather ones.
One of the best ways to stop cats from damaging leather furniture is by providing them scratch pads or other scratching alternatives.
As a pet owner, you can keep your leather furniture in good condition by training your cat to use the scratch pad instead. First, identify the piece your cat enjoys scratching on. Then, place the scratch pad near the leather furniture so your cat can play with it instead. Use positive reinforcement and give them treats whenever they use the scratch pad.
Distract your cat with interesting and exciting scratch alternatives like this Cardboard Cat Scratch Pad from Coching. This product is made of heavy duty, 100% recycled cardboard, and has unique scratching textures that close resembles tree bark. Cats love cardboard and often prefer it to leather furniture, so I highly recommend trying it out!
2. Cat Lounging Areas
Pupagree Cat Window Hammock | Amazon
Here’s another tip on how to keep cats off leather furniture: provide your cat an alternative lounging area. Get a cat window perch, bed, or house, and place it near the furniture piece. This provides your cat an alternative place to rest, which will discourage them from using the leather furniture.
If your cat still prefers the leather couch to the cat furniture, you can train it to use the new lounging area instead. Use positive reinforcement techniques, such as giving them treats, whenever they use the cat furniture. Whenever you cat jumps on the leather furniture, pick it up and place it on the new lounging area instead.
To make this change easier, give your cat an irresistibly relaxing and enjoyable spot to rest. I highly recommend using a Cat Window Perch like this one from Pupagree. Cats love sunlight on their fur and seeing the outside world. To distract your cat from the leather furniture, install the window perch at a nearby window.
3. Cat Repellent Spray
One of the best way to keep cats off leather furniture is by using a cat repellent spray. These sprays will not harm the cats in any way, but will discourage them from coming near specific items.
Cat repellent sprays are easy to use and can be sprayed anywhere you want to keep your cats away from. With consistent use, this is a safe and effective way to train cats to avoid areas that are off-limits. For this product to work, you’ll need to reapply the spray every 24 hours or until the habit is broken.
For leather furniture, I highly recommend using this Cat Spray Deterrent from BlueCare Labs. This is best cat repellent for leather furniture and effectively stops cats from scratching, chewing, and jumping on off-limit areas. This product is formulated specifically for cats and makes any surface smell and taste awful to them.
Note that there are some downsides to using deterrent sprays. Not all formulas work for every cat and the smell can be unpleasant for humans.
4. Velvet Couch Cover
Not sure how to keep cats off leather furniture? Keeping cats off leather furniture can be a daunting task. If you can’t seem to stop your cat from clawing and scratching your leather couch, protect it by using a thick couch cover, specifically a velvet one.
A velvet couch cover will give your leather sofa a luxurious look and feel, while keeping your cat away. Velvet materials are tight weave and are harder for cats to get their claws into. It’s a great solution to protect your leather couch until your cat is trained to stay off.
I recommend using a thick velvet couch cover like this Velvet Plush Couch Cover from Amazon. This product is machine washable, and comes with separate covers for the sofa base and cushions. The thick, plush material is perfect for protecting your leather couch from cat scratches!
5. Cat Scratch Tape
Looking for the best cat repellent for leather furniture? Try using cat scratch tape. These tapes are designed specifically for cats and teach them not to claw furniture. They’re easy to use and are applied directly onto furniture pieces they enjoy scratching.
To keep cats off your furniture, try using Sofisti-Cat’s Scratch Deterrent Tape. This sticky, clear tape is designed to discreetly train cats to keep off furniture. Since cats dislike sticky surfaces, this method effectively teaches cats to stop scratching or jumping on off-limit areas.
Note that this product is not safe for bonded leather and some types of faux leather. If you aren’t sure what type of leather your furniture is, I recommend testing a small piece of tape in a hidden area. If the cat scratch tape is not safe for your leather type, place a couch cover over the sofa before applying.
Summarized: How To Keep Cats Off Leather Furniture
In this post, I’ve gathered the best tips on how to keep cats off leather furniture. Here are all the recommended products in one convenient list:
- Coching Cardboard Cat Scratch Pad
- Pupagree Cat Window Hammock
- BlueCare Labs Cat Spray Deterrent
- Velvet Plush Couch Cover
- Sofisti-Cat Scratch Deterrent Tape
Conclusion
Cats make excellent companions. They are clean, playful, and affectionate, making them wonderful house pets. Unfortunately, cats are also notorious for scratching furniture, especially expensive leather ones.
Cats love to sharpen their claws on anything that’s available to them. Although leather is a durable material, it won’t stand against a cat’s sharp claws.
Once your cat has decided to turn your leather furniture into a scratching post, it’s important to act quickly to break this habit. In the post above, I’ve gathered several different ways to keep your leather furniture safe from scratches and clawing.
Last Words Of Advice
For animals, positive reinforcements always work better than negative ones. Before using cat repellents (like cat deterrent strays or cat scratch tape), try providing your cat scratching and lounging alternatives.
Use positive reinforcement techniques, such as giving them treats, whenever they use the new cat furniture or scratch pad. Remember to place the scratching and lounging alternatives near the leather furniture piece so they can use it instead. Distract your cat with interesting and exciting products (like a cardboard scratch pad or cat window perch).
Whatever method you choose, be patient and give it time to work. No matter how bad the scratches are DON’T declaw your cat. This is a cruel procedure that can lead to long term health problems for your pet. If needed, use couch covers to protect your leather furniture until your cat is properly trained.
I hope this post gave you some helpful tips on how to keep cats off leather furniture and good luck! What is the best cat repellent for leather furniture for you?