Expert: Brandy - 1/11/2007

Question
Hi,
Is it true that cats tend not to scratch leather furniture? We want to get a cat
but are afraid it will use our expensive leather couch as a scratching post.
Do you have any suggestions to prevent a cat from destroying leather
furniture? Do softpaws work (the caps that are glued onto a cat's claws)?
Thanks!

Answer
We donated our first beautiful cloth sofa when we got our cats. We've had leather ever since, with the only scuffs due to hubby's habit of lying on the couch with his shoes on.

Not all cats will keep away from leather couches, though, so before you even bring a cat into the house, get a scratching post, preferably made of sisal (rope). Get a few, as a matter of fact, leave them in several locations in the house - hallway,  corners of rooms, near a window. We also use the disposable cheapo-ones made of cardboard, which my group leaves in shreds.

I've never tried the softpaws for the simple reason that I haven't the patience to sit with 4 14-pounders and glue those things on, though I know of people who swear by them. And please don't think that declawing will stop the scratching...it won't. I've seen that first-hand (a declawed cat belonging to a family friend pretty much demolished an Early American style sofa, which is hard for a fully-clawed cat to do).
Cats scratch by instinct. Besides the obvious gotta-scratch reasons for stretching muscles and re-sharpening claws, there are small scent pads located on the tips of the toes which leave the cat's personal mark on whatever it scratches.

Just make sure that the scratching post(s) you get for your soon-to-be cat are large/long enough so the cat has no need to go anywhere else.
Good luck