You walk into your living room, and you notice a brand-new set of claw marks down the entire side of the couch. Your Javanese cat has scratched your favorite couch again.
You love your Javanese cat, and it can be frustrating. When your Javanese cat’s claws ruin your favorite couch.
Today in this post I’m going to show you eight top tips to stop your Javanese cat from scratching your furniture.
Tips To Stop Javanese Cat From Scratching Furniture
You can stop your Javanese cats from scratching furniture by being aware of their reasons. It’s crucial to understand that scratching by your Javanese cat is typical.
They aren’t doing it on purpose to hurt your feelings or bother you.
Cats in the wild scratch at the dead layers to remove them and maintain their claws keen for climbing and hunting, which is essential to their existence as quick predators.
Territorial marking can also be done through scratching. The scratch marks serve as a signal to other cats that an area is inhabited thanks to the smell glands that cats have between their claws.
So in a sense, scratching your sofa is a form of territorial marking by your Javanese cats.
Cats can stretch and maintain a healthy body through scratching. When they are bored or excited, they frequently scratch as a method to restore their physical and emotional lives.
Last but not least, cats like to scratch. Cats, like people, have a variety of coping mechanisms for stress relief, with scratching being one among them. Therefore, you cannot stop scratching itself.
Your Javanese cat can, however, scratch something else.
This is how you can employ several strategies together to stop your Javanese cat from scratching your furniture:
1. Provide the right scratching posts for your Javanese cat.
Scratching posts give your Javanese cat the freedom to scratch without destroying your furniture.
You need several of them that are strategically placed around your home. Such as placing a cat scratcher directly in front of the thing they scratch the most.
The key to have your Javanese cat use the scratching post is having the right material and design.
For example, your Javanese cat may prefer a vertical scratching post, so they can do a full body stretch. Or may prefer a horizontal scratching post.
Choosing the right material is also important. Your Javanese cat might prefer the feel of a sisal rope scratching post, or natural wood.
As it closely mimics what they like to scratch in the wild, a tree. Your Javanese cat may also prefer cardboard.
Since your Javanese cat may like to scratch vertically and horizontally. You may have different types of scratching posts throughout your house.
They may prefer the cat tree as their favorite one. Not only does it have a sisal scratching post, but it is a real tree that has barked for your Javanese cat to scratch on and leave its mark all over the tree.
This cat tree will absorb most of the scratching damage that would have occurred on your furniture.
Each cat has their own preferences. And you would need to find the right scratching post for your Javanese cat.
It’s a good idea to buy a few different types and observes which one your Javanese cat likes.
Lastly, make sure your scratching post is secured and not wobbly, otherwise, your Javanese cat may continue to use the sofa.
This is one of the top tips to stop Javanese cats from scratching furniture.
2. Don’t punish your Javanese cat when they scratch your furniture.
Don’t shout at your Javanese cat or spray them with a water bottle for their scratching behavior. You will only confuse and upset your Javanese cat.
Cats have a different perspective on their behaviors than people do. They do not perceive their own activities as bad or destructive. That is a people thing.
When you punish your Javanese cat for behaviors you find unpleasant, your Javanese cat will associate the punishment with whoever is delivering the message not with his own behavior.
Often this leads to him shying away from you. The people your Javanese cat originally loved and trusted are now perceived as scary and hurtful.
The problem with punishment is that it doesn’t teach the learner what to do, and your Javanese cat will continue to scratch the furniture.
Rather than punishing your Javanese cat, you can understand their point of view and work with them to create a new favorite scratching pad.
Provide something that your Javanese cat likes to scratch more than your furniture.
3. Rather than punishing your Javanese cat, you can use positive reinforcement.
It is like having a kid. Forcing a kid to do well in school may not yield results, but motivating them to succeed may have positive outcomes.
You want to encourage positive behavior from your Javanese cat by reinforcing good behavior like clawing at your scratching post versus undesirable behavior like scratching your furniture.
Start by scratching the scratching post yourself. Then wait for your Javanese cat to mimic you.
Cats are copies of cats, after all, they learn from watching others. This is called observational learning.
After they copy you and scratch the scratching post, immediately reward them with a treat.
This will reinforce scratching the scratching post instead of your furniture and build a stronger bond with your Javanese cat. Cat respond so much better to positive reinforcement.
4. Trim your Javanese claws regularly.
Trimming your Javanese claws regularly will cause less damage to your furniture. You should trim their nails every one to two weeks.
And it is best to start this activity when your Javanese cat is a kitten so that they get used to it. Choose high quality and easy-to-use nail clippers.
Your Javanese cat’s claws are round, so clippers with curved edges are much more comfortable since they apply pressure evenly around the whole nail.
5. Use feliway calming spray.
Feliway is a calming spray for cats that mimics pheromone that your Javanese cat naturally produces.
It is a drug-free solution that helps reduce signs of stress in cats and scratching.
You can use this spray directly on areas in your home where your Javanese cat marks with scratching such as the sofa.
Simply clean the areas marked by your Javanese cat with warm water or mild soap, and then spray directly on the sofa. Re-spray daily to reduce the likelihood of re-marking.
Using a feliway spray can trick your Javanese cat into thinking that they have already marked the territory, and thus spare your furniture.
6. Make the furniture less attractive.
There are a few techniques you can use to make the furniture less attractive for scratching.
I am not a big fan of using sticky tape or anything that will make your furniture ugly.
There are a lot of work to implement and I don’t believe they are a good long term solution.
One option is to use a decorative blanket or sofa cover that your Javanese cat dislikes scratching. It is easy to implement and looks beautiful in your house.
7. Use soft nail caps.
If your Javanese cat continues to scratch your furniture after trying the other methods, you can try the soft nail caps.
They glue on your Javanese cat’s claws and are safe, easy to use, and last for approximately four to six weeks.
They will eliminate the damage of scratching and pain for your Javanese cat.
I am not a big fan of this solution because it is not a long term solution and requires a lot of work for you to for you to keep reapplying the soft nail caps. Use this method as a last resort.
8. You should never declaw your Javanese cat.
Declawing is the amputation of your Javanese cat’s claw and bone from each toe. It performed on a human being, it would be like cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.
If you declawed your Javanese cat he will often become painful, and may develop aggression or litter box problems.
It is one of the most cruel things you can do to your Javanese cat.
Educated cat parents can easily train their Javanese cats to use their claws in a manner that allows everyone in the household to live together happily.
Stopping your Javanese cat from scratching your furniture may require you to implement multiple strategies that we explored, but it is possible.
FAQs
Can Javanese cats be trained to not scratch furniture?
They can be taught to stop scratching furniture, of course.
They can’t be readily persuaded to quit scratching, despite the fact that it comes naturally to them.
By training them to scratch in the proper locations, you may teach them.
By doing this, you can give your Javanese cats plenty of scratching posts to use, preventing them from ever getting close to your furniture again while they scratch to their hearts desire.
How do I stop my Javanese cat from ruining my furniture?
How to stop your Javanese cat from scratching your furniture may require you to implement multiple strategies that we explored above in this article, but it is possible.
Therefore try to provide your Javanese cat with a scratching post, say buy two or three scratching post.
You can as well trim their nails, cover your furniture, and spray your furniture. With these in place your Javanese cat will stop ruining your furniture.
Purina also says; If you’re wondering how to stop cats from scratching furniture over and over again, you should make sure that you clean the object(s) in question thoroughly to remove the scent markings, as cats are more likely to scratch areas when they can smell their scent fading and will want to ‘top it up’.
What scent keeps cats off furniture?
If you are looking for a scent to keep cats off furniture, you can try citrus spray the fragrance is irritating to cats, it will help keep cats off the furniture.
The smell of citrus is a very concentrated solution. So you can keep cats off the furniture by introducing the smell of citrus.
Citrus spray is an excellent repellent, it is natural and will be great for use on furniture and other surfaces.
Does Trimming Javanese cat’s nails help with scratching?
Yes, trimming Javanese cat’s nails will help with scratching. If their claws or nails are left untouchable for a long period of time it will grow too long and become curved as a result can’t be retracted completely.
However, if you want to maintain your Javanese cat’s claws say every week or so trim the sharp tips of toes on all the four feet of your Javanese cat.
Clipping your Javanese cat’s claws will also help prevent them from becoming snagged in carpets, fabrics, and skin.
Why do Javanese cats scratch furniture?
Javanese cats have a need to scratch because scratching is an instinctive cat behavior. They take Scratching as their normal life.
Reason why Javanese cats scratch furniture is that they scratch to remove the dead part of their nails.
Scratching is part of the exercise, whereby they get a good stretch while scratching.
At times, they do scratch to express their emotions, like when they are excited or when they are in stress.
Javanese cats also scratch furniture in order to mark their territory or to mark objects with their scent, because they have scent glands in their paws.
