How to Stop a Kitten Scratching the Furniture

Scratching is normal cat behavior, so you don't need to stop it. The answer is to give her a cat scratcher she likes more than your sofa, put it right where she already scratches, and reward her every time she uses it.

Make the furniture less appealing for a while, keep her nails trimmed, and never punish her. Veterinary guidance agrees that a properly trained cat can learn to leave furniture alone.

Why is my kitten scratching everything?

She isn't being naughty, and she isn't getting back at you. The Cornell Feline Health Center notes that cats who damage things are usually just exploring and playing.

Scratching does several jobs at once. The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) lists them: keeping up the claw motion cats use to climb and hunt, stretching the body, and pulling off the worn outer layer of each claw.

Here's the surprising part. Scratching is also a message. Cornell explains that special glands on a cat's paws leave her scent wherever she scratches, and the shredded marks are a visual sign too.

So the corner of your couch is a signpost that says "I live here." That's also why the same spots get hit again and again.

The AAFP calls scratching both inherited and learned. Cornell puts it alongside grooming as an innate behavior. You can't train it out of her, but you can choose where it happens.

What kind of cat scratcher should I buy?

Start by watching her for a day or two. Cornell suggests noting two things: what she scratches, and whether she stretches up tall or scratches flat along the floor.

Then match it. A cat who reaches up the side of the couch wants a tall vertical post. A cat who digs at the rug wants a flat, horizontal scratcher on the floor.

Which material works best?

Cats like wood, sisal rope, carpet, cardboard and rough fabric, according to the AAFP. Sisal stands out in the research.

In an internet survey of cat owners summarized in the AAFP's Claw Friendly toolkit, most cats aged 9 and younger preferred sisal rope. Cats 10 and older leaned slightly toward carpet. Homes with more posts also saw more sisal and post use.

If you're not sure, the toolkit notes that some vets suggest starting with a sisal post plus an inexpensive cardboard scratcher, then adding other textures.

How tall and how sturdy?

Tall enough for a full stretch. Cornell's rule of thumb is a post at least as tall as your cat standing on her hind legs with her front legs stretched up.

The same survey found the ideal post was a simple upright, at least 3 feet tall.

Stability matters just as much. The AAFP says a scratcher should not move or fall over. For a kitten, buy a post sized for the adult cat she'll become.

Where should the scratcher go?

Placement is where most scratchers succeed or fail. The AAFP warns that if the location or the scratcher isn't right, a cat will simply choose something else.

• Right next to the thing she already scratches, such as the arm or corner of the couch. You can move the post a little at a time later, as Cornell suggests.
• Beside where she sleeps. Cats often stretch and scratch the moment they wake up.
• In more than one room. If she scratches in several places, Cornell advises a post near each one.
• In busy spots as well as quiet ones, so she can leave her mark where the family spends time.

Some cats need help noticing the new scratcher. A scratcher that mounts on the arm of a couch, or one placed squarely in front of the target gives her a better option in exactly the right spot.

How do I redirect her from the couch?

Two things happen together. The scratcher gets more rewarding, and the furniture gets less appealing for a while.

1. Draw her to the scratcher with play, a toy dragged across it, or a small food reward. Praise her the moment her claws touch it.
2. Cover the spot she's been scratching. The AAFP suggests double-sided sticky tape, foil, plastic or loose fabric. Cornell adds that a blanket or sheet of plastic over the area works too.
3. If you catch her scratching the couch, gently pick her up, carry her to the scratcher, and reward her when she uses it.
4. Keep the furniture covered until she's reliably choosing the post. Then uncover it slowly.

Catnip helps many cats, though not usually the youngest. The AAFP toolkit notes that most kittens under four months won't respond to it. More on that in our guide to catnip for kittens.

One practical warning from the toolkit: if your cat likes to chew plastic, use tape, foil or fabric instead.

Why shouldn't I spray or scold her?

Because it backfires. Cornell explains that cats don't connect a punishment with the scratching, so it only teaches her to be afraid of you. She simply learns to scratch when you're out of the room.

The AAFP goes further. Stress can increase scratching, and punishment adds stress. Its guidance calls enrichment, such as play, perches and places to rest, essential to changing the habit.

A relaxed kitten is easier to read, too. Our guide to signs of happiness in cats shows what contentment looks like.

Do nail trims and nail caps help?

Yes, both cut down the damage while she learns. The AAFP notes that kittens and indoor cats need more regular nail trims than outdoor cats, whose nails wear down naturally.

It's gentler than it sounds. Cornell's method is to press the paw softly so the nail extends, then clip just the sharp hook at the tip. Stay well clear of the pink part, called the quick, which carries blood vessels.

The toolkit advises trimming a few nails at a time with small rewards, so it becomes a routine she accepts. Add a pair of cat nail clippers to your kitten supplies early, while handling is still new to her.

Soft plastic nail caps are another option, glued over the claws so she can scratch without leaving marks. The AAFP says they usually need reapplying every 4 to 6 weeks, while Cornell gives 6 to 12. Some cats pull them straight off.

What about declawing?

Major veterinary groups advise against it, and the reason is anatomy. Declawing removes the last bone of each toe. Cornell describes it as an amputation of the bones at the tips of the paws, far more than a nail removal.

The AAFP, now renamed the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, strongly opposes declawing as an elective procedure. Its position statement says it isn't medically necessary in most instances. Since 2021, its Cat Friendly Practices no longer perform elective declaws.

The AVMA updated its own policy in July 2025. It now strongly discourages declawing and encourages owners and vets to try nonsurgical alternatives first.

The AAFP lists the short-term risks as pain, bleeding, swelling, infection and nerve injury. Longer-term problems can include lameness, claw regrowth and lasting pain. Cornell adds that declawing doesn't remove the urge to scratch, and a declawed cat can't climb or defend herself outdoors.

Everything in the sections above is the alternative. The AAFP toolkit is clear that a properly trained cat can learn not to scratch furniture, doors and walls.

Call your vet promptly if your kitten:

• suddenly starts scratching far more than usual, or in new places
• limps, or won't let you touch a paw
• has a nail that looks split, overgrown or curled toward the pad

Questions new kitten parents ask

At what age can I train a kitten to use a cat scratcher?

Right away. The AAFP says kittens and cats alike can be trained to use scratchers with toys and rewards, so there's no need to wait.

How many scratchers does a kitten need?

More than one. Put one by her bed and one beside each spot she scratches. The survey in the AAFP toolkit found post use went up with the number of posts in the home.

Vertical or horizontal scratcher?

Whichever she already uses. Watch whether she stretches up or scratches flat, and buy to match. Many cats enjoy both.

Should I replace the couch she's ruined?

Not yet. The AAFP toolkit warns that a cat who has always scratched one piece of furniture is likely to start on the new one too. Set up the scratchers first.

Sources

• Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Behavior Problems: Destructive Behavior
• American Association of Feline Practitioners: AAFP Position Statement: Declawing. J Feline Med Surg, 2017
• American Association of Feline Practitioners: Claw Friendly Educational Toolkit, Scratching Resources
• AAFP: Announcing End of Elective Declawing Procedures for Cat Friendly Practices, 2021
• FelineVMA: Introducing the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, 2024
• AVMA News: Discussion precedes HOD actions on cat declawing, animal pain, other resolutions, 2025
• JAVMA News: AVMA revises declawing policy, 2020

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat — they know the animal in front of them.