Microfiber can dissuade cats from scratching

Dear Cathy,

I read your recent column on how to get cats to stop clawing the couch and wanted to share my solution. As a woman in her 70s, I have had two cats in my home at all times for decades. I am very much against declawing cats. To me, it’s amputation. It’s illegal in some countries; I wish it were illegal here.

My advice on how to prevent cats from damaging a couch is to buy microfiber couches. I have had four microfiber couches over the years, and they are impervious to my cat’s claws. It must not be a satisfying texture for them to scratch because they seldom, if ever, try to use it. As a bonus, spots are removed easily with a wet cloth.

— Colette Agazzi, Palos Heights, Illinois

Dear Colette,

Thanks for your letter. I wondered what might be an option for those of us who don’t want to buy new furniture and found microfiber couch slipcovers available online. These slipcovers might be a permanent solution or a temporary training tool. Provide a scratching post, so your cat always has something he can scratch.  

Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, children’s author, syndicated pet columnist, and pet expert with more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal