While your cat needs to scratch, you need to keep your furniture in reasonably good working order! Cats have a built in need to scratch. It helps to exercise their upper bodies and helps to keep their claws in check. If cats didn't scratch then they'd get very cross. I'm sure that it also feels lovely.

Thing is though, you want to make your cat to stop scratching all the fancy furniture. Well I must admit that it's easier said then done. But here are a few tips that you can try to help stop that scratching:

Get a Cat Pole. If you don't have a cat pole, get one now. Drop everything and get one (or order one online). Cat poles are one of the best ways to help reduce a cat scratching all the furniture. You are NOT going to drum the need to scratch out of him, so don't even bother. What you have got control over though is where that cat does the scratching (sort of). If he's scratching a post instead of your couch, that's a good thing, right? Right. A cat pole gives your cat the opportunity to scratch elsewhere.

The trick is to get your cat to use it. Some cat posts have little toys on the top of them which can sometimes be useful. Rubbing catnip over the post is another way to increase interest. You can place cat poles near the furniture that the cat is ruining, or you can place it out in the middle of the room.

Reinforce Good Behaviour, Warn Against Bad Behaviour. If you catch your cat scratching your furniture, scream, stamp, raise your voice. Do something that makes the cat look at you with those eyes that know they've done something wrong. The more you can do this, the better. The second part is to encourage good behaviour. When your cat used the cat pole, go over to the cat and give him a cuddle, or show some other form of affection.

While this does take some time to get working, it's worth it. Eventually your cat will begin to get the idea that scratching your furniture is bad, and that he shouldn't do it.

Make It Bad Scratching Material. Put some double sided sticky tape on the furniture. When the cat goes to scratch it, he will feel the horrid sensation of stickiness, and should give it up. You can experiment with other nastiness as well.

In the end, it comes down to gently showing your cat where your cat is allowed to scratch - and where he is not allowed. There are more ways to stop your cat scratching furniture, but if you're able to implement those above tips, you'll go a long way.