At Veazie Veterinary clinic to help break/prevent this habit we believe you need to know why your kitten or cat scratches.

Cats scratch to mark their territory. They do this by:

1. Visually marking the object (defacing furniture)
2. Leaving their scent from the glands on their paws

Cats choose furniture because it is centrally located in the house, which is where they will claim their territory.

Now that we know why they scratch, we can use scratching post training and nail trimming to modify their behavior. Scratching posts can be purchased or constructed at home. The covering material should be similar to the furniture material. Keep it in the middle of the room or directly in front of the piece of furniture the cat uses most. You can also sprinkle catnip on the post for an added incentive. After your kitten adjusts to the post, you can slowly move it to a discreet spot later. There are several scratching deterrents that you can use to help the scratching post training along.

1. Cover furniture with a "scat mat" or two sided tape on cardboard. The kitten won't like the feeling on its paws.
2. Place mousetraps UPSIDE DOWN (so they won't catch the cat's paws) and covered with newspaper on/around furniture. Be very careful.
3. Install a motion sensor to turn the radio on which may scare the cat away when it scratches.
4. Keep a hair dryer on the furniture attached to a long cord. When you hear the cat scratching, plug in the cord. The noise will deter the cat from scratching but it won't associate you with the noise, so it won't become afraid of you

Nail trimming is helpful. By keeping the nails dull and slowing their growth it will decrease the need of the cat to scratch. The younger the kitten is when you start trimming the easier it will be. Trimming 1-2 times a week is best. Feel free to ask a technician for help anytime.