How to Stop Your Pet From Ruining Your Furniture

By Derek Rogers

One of the biggest worries that pet owners have is how to stop their pets from ruining their furniture. Often, you do not realise how at risk your furniture is of being scratched, chewed and even urinated on. It isn't until you bring your pet home that you see just how much pet proofing you still have to do around your home.

Cats are the main culprits when it comes to ruining your furniture. This is because they instinctively need to sharpen their claws. If an alternative is not given then they will use whatever is nearest to them and that does often end up being your furniture! Dogs mainly chew the furniture and male dogs could use it as a territory marker. So just how do you stop your favourite pets from ruining your furniture?

Preventing Furniture Damage

There are a number of ways in which you can stop your pet from ruining your furniture. If you own a cat then the best way to prevent it is to provide them with a scratching post.

Scratching posts are designed to be appealing to your cat and they can use them instead of your furniture to sharpen their claws. You can purchase several different types of scratching posts and ideally, you want to choose one that will be appealing to your cat. You can purchase plain ones or posts that have toys attached to them. You can also purchase scratching posts that have additional levels for your cat to climb on.

Basically, it would be a good idea to get the post with as many features as possible as that will gain your cats attention. Posts with toys are a great option because it is often after your cat has been playing that they need to scratch their claws. So even if you purchase a plain post, placing it close to their toys is definitely a great idea.

If you own a dog then to prevent chewing, it would be a good idea to make the furniture taste uninviting. Generally, most dogs do not like bitter tastes sousing a bitter apple spray should stop the problem. You should also provide them with plenty of toys to chew on instead. That way if you catch the dog chewing the furniture you can say a firm "No" and then place a toy that they should be chewing in front of them. You will need to keep a close eye on your dog if you want to successfully stop them from chewing the furniture but your persistence will be worthwhile!

If your pet is allowed to sleep on your sofa then there is a large chance that they will ruin it as they get on and off it. Placing a cover over the sofa will not only protect it from scratch marks, but it will also prevent it from getting covered in pet hair.

Overall, it isn't overly difficult to protect your furniture from your pets. You just have to keep a close eye on them and provide them with something else to keep their attention on. If you follow these tips then you should end up with clean furniture that remains in excellent condition for years to come!

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For information on pet supplies, he recommends Seapets, one of the UK's leading suppliers of Cat Scratch Posts.