How to keep cat off furniture

Cats scratching your furniture is a natural consequence of owning cats that most cat owners would like to avoid. Cats are stubborn and persistent and don’t honestly care about what you want, especially when what you want conflicts with what they want.

Vinegar is an excellent natural cat repellant that can be used to teach your cats where they should and shouldn’t be spending their time. You can use vinegar, soap, and water to make a homemade cat repellant spray. Here’s how!

• Vinegar, either white or apple cider
• Hand soap
• Water

You can use either white or apple cider vinegar for this cat repellant. You might want to try both and see which one works better for you and your cats. The smell of the vinegar will deter the cats from scratching, chewing, and even marking surfaces. The soap will make it friendly and gentle on the surfaces you spray it on and keep them from smelling vinegar-y to the humans in the house.

Any water will work. Purified, distilled, or even plain old tap water; won’t change the effectiveness of the spray.

It would help if you used gentle hand soap not to be abrasive to any fabric surfaces you might spray the mixture on. You’ll want to use a clear soap formula. Otherwise, the coloring might bleed onto fabrics or surfaces.

You might wonder if the soap neutralizes the smell for the cats, and it does not. Cats have 200 million scent receptors in their noses. Humans only have 5 million; you can’t smell all the things your cat can. Not by a long shot.

You’ll want to start by pouring one part vinegar and one part water into your spray bottle and swirling them thoroughly. Once they’re well-combined, it’s time to add the soap! The whole mixture is equal parts of all three ingredients.

Shake the bottle hard for a while to make sure that the soap combines into the water and vinegar well; otherwise, you might be able to smell the vinegar after you spray the surfaces.

You can either spray the areas down with a spray bottle or pour the mixture onto a cloth and wipe it onto a surface. You’ll want to spray and reapply the repellant roughly once a week to maintain the effectiveness of the spray.

This mixture can be used on both indoor and outdoor areas but may see diminishing returns outdoors as the smell is not as strong as commercial cat repellants for outdoor use. If you’re trying to keep cats off your property, this mixture may not be strong enough to keep them away.

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You can change the strength of the mixture by lowering the amount of water in it. A little bit of water will strengthen the power of the mix and make it easier to spray, but too much will dilute it. If you find that the mixture is too potent for you or your cats, you can increase the amount of water in the mix to bring down the strength while retaining the repellant effect.

Other Options for Keeping Cats Off Furniture

There are other options for keeping cats off counters and furniture, depending on where they’re going, that you’d like to correct. Here are a few alternatives you can use to help your cats find a more suitable place to nap and preen their claws.

Cat Furniture

From beds to trees and scratching posts, there’s no shortage of attractive furniture pieces made with cats in mind! These furniture pieces are made with cat comfort in mind and might be just the thing to convince your cat that there are other places to sleep beside your favorite chair.

Scratching posts are made to feel good and satisfying for cats to scratch and finding a good one will often attract your cats to the post rather than the couch. If you’re having trouble with cats scratching your furniture, make sure there are enough appropriate places for them to scratch. Try multiple different kinds of scratching posts for the best chances of success!

Another thing to remember is that cats enjoy sitting in high places to survey their kingdoms. The back of your sofa or your chair may seem like a perfect perch for them to take up in their patrol. If you’re having trouble with your cats getting up on the backs of your furniture, providing them appropriate high places to sit might reduce their time on the backs of your furniture.

Related Read: How to Keep Cats Off Your Car (6 Proven Methods)

Conclusion

While vinegar is a fantastic natural cat repellant, it’s essential to give your cats alternatives to your furniture so that they’ll have a comfortable and appropriate place to rest and scratch. If you provide options, you may be able to stop treating your furniture with vinegar altogether! Regardless of how you achieve harmony with your cats, we hope you can find the perfect solution for you and your cats!

Featured Image Credit: Sarah Fields Photography, Shutterstock

Training cats to stay off furniture helps protect sofas, beds, tables, and other prized furnishings from claw marks, scratches, and cat hair. You can repel cats from furniture with sprays and unpleasant textures. You can also use clicker training to train your cat to get down on cue. Sometimes, cats play on furniture due to boredom. Make sure your cat has plenty of entertainment so they won't resort to clawing the furniture.

1. 1

   Make the furniture less appealing. Cats are drawn to furniture for a variety of reasons. A cat may jump on a couch near a window or get on a kitchen counter in search of food. Make your furniture less appealing by eliminating the built-in rewards cats seek by climbing on furniture.[1] X Research source Go to source

   • Keep blinds closed if you have furniture near windows. This way, cats will not be drawn to furniture to sunbathe or look out windows.
   • Remove any excess padding from furniture when it's not in use. For example, after you get done lounging on your couch to watch a movie, remove any blankets or pillows you used.
   • Keep surfaces in the kitchen free of food and other debris that cats will be drawn towards.

2. 2

   Line furniture with tinfoil. Cats dislike slippery surfaces. When not in use, line furniture with tinfoil. This will deter your cat from jumping up on the furniture as they will dislike sliding around.[2] X Research source Go to source

   • This tends to work best with small bits of furniture, such as coffee tables.

3. 3

   Try double-sided sticky tape. For non-fabric surfaces, place double-sided sticky tape in stripes or criss-cross patterns on things like coffee tables, mantels, and kitchen counters. If your cat finds their feet get sticky after jumping on a piece of furniture, they're more likely to stay off that furniture.[3] X Research source Go to source

   • Do not place double-sided sticky tape on leather furniture. It will leave residue behind that's difficult to get off.

4. 4

   Use a spray. Repellent sprays often work great for fabric surfaces. If you want your cat off a couch or a chair, spray that surface down with a commercial cat repellent spray. Commercial sprays will not harm cats, but will contain oils and other scents that repel them from furniture. Follow the directions on a spray bottle closely and apply it to your furniture to keep cats down.[4] X Research source Go to source

   • Always test a spray on a small, unnoticeable patch of furniture first. Make sure it does not cause any damage or discoloration to the surface before applying it all over your furniture.

5. 5

   Lay plastic floor mats over furniture. Plastic floor mats can be turned upside down and laid over furniture when it's not in use. Floor mats have small knobs on the bottoms that irritate a cat's feet. These knobs will not harm cats, but will be uncomfortable enough that your cat will be deterred from jumping on furniture.[5] X Research source Go to source

6. 6

   Use a motion-activated noisemaker. Set up the noisemaker near the furniture you don't want your cat to go on. Then, when your cat jumps up on the furniture, the noisemaker will emit a high-pitched sound that's unpleasant to cats. Over time, your cat will associate the furniture with the unpleasant noise.

7. 7

   Create built-in punishment. Cats respond better to built-in punishment. Rather than punishing your cat after it gets on the furniture, leave something on the furniture to startle your cat. Place some lightweight cookie sheets on the edge of the couch or chair, for example, that's balanced near the edge. When your cat jumps up, they'll land on the trays and be startled. With time, this may discourage your cat from getting on counters.[6] X Research source Go to source

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1. 1

   Get a clicker and target stick. Cats can be trained to move on command using clicker training and a target stick. You can buy a clicker for training at a local pet shop. A target stick is simply a long stick you use to guide your cat on and off surfaces. You can use any long stick you want, such as a wooden rod you would buy at a craft store.[7] X Research source Go to source

2. 2

   Teach the cat to follow the stick. To start, you want your cat to learn to follow the stick. Place the target stick near your cat's nose. As soon as it starts sniffing the stick, move the stick. If the cat follows the stick with their nose, click the clicker. Give the cat a reward, like a small treat. This will teach the cat it should follow the clicker stick to get rewarded.[8] X Research source Go to source

   • For a few days, spend short training intervals teaching your cat to follow the stick. Once your cat consistently follows the stick, you can train your cat to stay off furniture.

3. 3

   Pick a command. Choose a command to use to get your cat off furniture. The command can be something like, "No" or "Get off." You want your cat to eventually jump off the furniture in response to this command.[9] X Research source Go to source

4. 4

   Guide the cat down when saying the command. Each time you see your cat on the furniture, get your training stick. Say your command while guiding your cat off the furniture. Reward your cat with a small treat when they obey.[10] X Research source Go to source

   • If you consistently guide your cat off furniture each time you see them on a couch or counter, they will eventually respond to the command without the help of treats or a training stick.

1. 1

   Stay away from spray bottles. Many owners use a spray bottle to punish a cat when they get on furniture. However, spray bottles are unlikely to help much when training your cat. Your cat is unlikely to make the connection between the punishment and the behavior. A spray bottle also only succeeds in stressing your cat out. Stay away from spray bottles as a training tool.[11] X Research source Go to source

2. 2

   Make sure your cat has scratching posts. Cats need to scratch to keep their nails trim. Unwanted scratching and pawing is often the result of uncomfortably long claws or nails. Keep a scratching post in your home. This will give your cat an outlet to scratch and keep it off the furniture.[12] X Research source Go to source

3. 3

   Give your cat room to play. Cats may take over areas like furniture if they don't have space of their own. Have a room in your home, or a corner in one of your rooms, where you keep your cat's toys, food, and bed. When you play with your cat, play in this area. If your cat feels it has its own space, it's less likely to invade yours.[13] X Research source Go to source

   • Think about what kind of toys your cat likes the most and then fill its play area with them. The more you tailor the space to your cat, the more likely your cat is to spend time in it.

4. 4

   Do not punish your cat. Punishing cats is rarely an effective means of keeping them off furniture. Yelling at your cat, or putting in its cage when it misbehaves, will only stress your cat out. Stick to positive reinforcement, like giving your cat a treat when they get down from furniture, over using punishment.[14] X Research source Go to source

   • If you don't reward your cat's good behavior, it's more likely to keep misbehaving.

5. 5

   Play with your cat daily. Cats sometimes act out as a form of boredom. Make time each day to play with your cat to keep it active and entertained. The less bored your cat is, the less likely it is to resort to climbing on furniture for attention.[15] X Research source Go to source

   • Pick up some cat toys at your local pet store. Cats enjoy objects that are easy to bat around. They also tend to be attracted to noises. Pick up toys that do things like jingle, such as balls with bells in the them.
   • You can tie a toy to a string a drag it off the floor. You can also throw items for your cat to chase.

• Aluminum foil
• Double-sided tape
• White vinegar
• Plastic tarp or covering
• Scratching post
• Pet repellent spray

Co-authored by:

Certified Veterinary Technician

This article was co-authored by Deanne Pawlisch, CVT, MA. Deanne Pawlisch is a Certified Veterinary Technician, who does corporate training for veterinary practices and has taught at the NAVTA-approved Veterinary Assistant Program at the Harper College in Illinois and in 2011 was elected to the board of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation. Deanne has been a Board Member of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Foundation in San Antonio, Texas since 2011. She holds a BS in Anthropology from Loyola University and an MA in Anthropology from Northern Illinois University. This article has been viewed 138,444 times.

Co-authors: 5

Updated: October 8, 2020

Views: 138,444

Article Rating: 79% - 43 votes

Categories: Cat Training

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