4 Simple Ways To Keep Cats Off Any Outdoor Furniture

Are you tired of your cat scratching your favorite couch?

We’ve got you covered. Today, we’ll tell you tried and true ways to keep cats off any outdoor furniture.

Let’s get this straight; your cat won’t stop scratching. In fact, it does need to scratch stuff for a lot of reasons we’ll mention below. The solution to your problem is to give it something else to scratch, other than your new patio furniture. At the same time, you should use something to drive it away from the furniture.

Read on to find out what a scratching post is, how to make your DIY cat repellent, and enjoy a peaceful night on your patio!

Why Do Cats Scratch Furniture

Cats are intelligent, sly, and aloof. That’s probably why we doubt the motives behind their pesky actions. Whether it’s scratching your furniture, sitting on your keyboard when you want to work, or following you to the bathroom. We always think there’s a reason behind that.

Actually, there is a reason; we’re not entirely wrong. But most of the time, it has something to do with cats themselves, not us. Did we mention how individualistic they are?

Cats scratch furniture for plenty of reasons.

Clean Their Claws

Probably the main reason cats scratch is to retract their nails. When they scratch, they get to remove dead husks from their claws. They’re not sharpening their nails. They’re getting new ones.

Exercise Their Bodies

Scratching is a good exercise for cats, where they get to stretch their muscles. This is especially true when it comes to high unapproachable stuff. The idea of putting stuff away in a high place so that your cat can’t reach out fails for that reason. Your cat is tempted even more to reach out for high stuff to stretch its back!

Mark Their Territories

Cats love to mark their territories. It’s something they do in the wild, and they continue to do it in domestic environments since it’s how they communicate.

Cats’ paws have scent glands that are activated by scratching. Meaning, when the cat scratches something, it’ll leave its scent, claiming it as its territory.

Feel Good

We’ll give it to you here. Yes, your cat might scratch stuff only to feel good.

Cats do it to relieve stress and release energy. If you look at the bright side, it’s a good way to release this unwanted energy.

[Related Article: How High Can A Cat Jump Without Getting Hurt]

How to Keep Cats Off Outdoor Furniture

Now that we know why cats scratch, we can treat the problem. Here are four proven ways to get your cat off your furniture without spending a fortune.

Get Your Cat a Scratch Post

Since you won’t be able to stop your cat from scratching -we’re being realistic here-, why not give it something to scratch?

Scratching posts are dedicated to this reason, to distract your cat from scratching your furniture by letting them focus on scratching their own furniture. Smart, huh?

Here are a couple of suggestions you can buy.

Our favorite feature of this SmartCat Pioneer Pet Ultimate Scratching Post is that it’s 32 inches high. It’ll be both enjoyable and challenging for your cat to reach out to and scratch. Remember, cats love something to stretch to.

For such a long post, you need it to be sturdy so that the cat doesn’t knock it out. SmartCat’s post checks this item too, thanks to its 16 x 16 sq.inch base.

Finally, you need to consider your cat’s scratching preferences. It’s mostly texture that determines that. One of the most favorable textures to cats is sisal, and we love that this post is made of woven sisal.

If you have a challenging cat when it comes to scratching, you ought to try this PetFusion 3-Sided Vertical Cat Scratching Post. It sports the shape of a pyramid. This gives your cat the opportunity to scratch from different angles, plus a hole in the center to explore and play with.

The post has organic catnip leaves. Cats love catnip! It’s granted that they’ll be attracted to this post. They’ll favor it over your non-catnip furniture!

Homemade Spray To Keep Cats Off Furniture

If you have cushions in your patio, a smart solution would be to spray some repellents to drive cats away.

You can make your own repellent at home. Apple cider vinegar is an inexpensive repellent to cats, bugs, and spiders. What makes it a prime candidate is that it doesn’t stink and won’t stain your furniture. Mix some apple cider vinegar with water in a bottle and spray over your cushion whenever your cat approaches. It’ll drive it away.

Or you can purchase something like Nature’s Mace spray that also drives cats away without poisoning them.

There are also ultrasonic repellents that use waves to drive cats and dogs away. It has motion sensors to detect they’re approaching the territory. Then, it releases the waves. We think this might be a bit far-fetched and impractical. You won’t necessarily find electricity plugs available. However, if you think this is a convenient idea, check out Ancokio’s ultrasonic animal repellent.

What Can You Spray On Furniture To Keep Cats Off

What cats love most about scratching is the texture. Thus, it’d be a clever idea to give them a texture they hate so much that they won’t attempt to scratch it again.

To do this, apply double tape to your outdoor furniture -or the bits that you can- like wooden or metallic parts. When your cat approaches it, she’ll know she shouldn’t do it again!

In fact, there are anti-scratch cat tapes available on the market for this purpose, like Polarduck Anti Cat Scratch Tape. What makes them special is that they’re non-toxic to cats, and they won’t ruin your furniture. You can use regular tape if you want.

Make Your Own Potpourri

Here’s a smart solution for both you and your cat. Make a potpourri that you’ll enjoy, but your cat will hate. The secret? Citrus!

If you’re not familiar with the term, a potpourri is a mixture of dried fruits and flowers. It’s used for decor and sometimes cooking. The thing is, cats don’t like the smell of citrus. You can make a special potpourri and add a few drops of lemongrass oil, orange peels, tangerine, and lime.

You’ll get to enjoy the scent, and your cat will stay away from your furniture. Win-win!

What About Declawing

Well, some cat owners have gone far to think of declawing their cats as a permanent solution for that pressing scratching problem. We don’t recommend this.

Many people think that declawing is like getting a manicure. You “trim” off your cat’s nails, et voila! No more scratching.

This can’t be further from the truth. In fact, declawing your cat means entirely removing its claws, which instils removing the last joint of every finger. Not only is it cruel, but it’s also dangerous that some countries ban this procedure.

Moreover, declawing has some nasty side effects like physical pain, infections, and tissue necrosis. Subsequently, this affects your cat’s health, overall wellbeing, and even its ability to use the litter box.

Declawing is a big no!

Wrap Up

Acceptance is key. You love your little feline friend, so you’ve got to accept its flaws, and scratching is one of them. This doesn’t mean you have to live with its destructive results, though.

Get your cat a post and use the methods we mentioned above to drive it off your outdoor furniture. It’ll work. We promise!