How do I prevent my cat scratching the sofas?

Try tabbing a bit of peppermint oil at the scratching areas. A LITTLE goes a long ways. They don't like the strong smell. They can smell it long after you can't. They usually will try to avoid that area then and then you can stop using it.

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Scratch-Guard-Furniture-Protectors/dp/B0078TE8KY also, keep your cat's nails trimmed regularly; and provide them with items that are the right texture and angle for scratching. A natural piece of wood with the bark on it, a 1" x 4" board ( maybe 24" long, wrapped with sisal rope and placed at an angle ...

Please don't declaw your cat ...

https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/how-to-stop-your-cats-from-scratching-furniture/

keep their claws trimmed and I use a spray bottle with water in it and when I catch them I squirt them they hate it -

I just read about this very thing. Vicks Vapor Rub is an apparent deterrent for this very thing. Found it on Utube look it up. It was all the things you never thought to use Vicks for. Mesquito repellent flies,etc. Good luck.

Sorry for chiming in to this thread so late, but I just had to share this in case it helps someone out. I wish I had gotten this advice years ago as a cat owner.

My best advice?

Give the book " Ultimate Cat Secrets" a read.

It really is the only long-term solution to discipline your cat, OP.

This might come as a surprise to you, but your cat actually wants to obey you.

It’s kitty’s independent, sassy nature that makes you fall in love with him, but it’s this very attitude that makes it frustrating to train fun behaviours into your favourite feline.

Cats respond best to positive reinforcement – yelling, punishing or disciplining your cat just won’t work.

In my opinion, Ultimate Cat Secrets is a must-have for all cat lovers. It's not just a cat training manual – it’s one of the quickest and most comprehensive guides to living with a cat that I’ve ever seen.

The easy access audio format makes it a breeze to digest from your computer or your mobile device and the lessons inside are easy to implement. And if that’s not enough for you, ordering now will score you FIVE great bonuses:

1) How to toilet train your cat and get rid of that stinky litter box forever.

2) Extra tips audio program which includes basic first aid and tips on my favourite kitty calming remedy.

3) Pet medical recorder – an absolute essential for parents of asthma cats or any kitty with a chronic medical condition.

4) Downloadable transcripts of the entire program and all the bonus materials.

5) 100 recipes to pamper your feline friend.

I HIGHLY recommend it.

Here's a link to their site

Hi there, I personally found this Practical Guide to Cat Scratching extremely helpful -

https://thrivingcats.com/all-about-cat-scratching/

It's literally got tons of tips and info in it.

Declaw the cat.

old posts popping up again

To break my cats of the habit, I used some clear contact paper and some quilting pins to adhere a panel on each sides and the front panels..... the cats didn't seem to enjoy the slippery feel when they tried to scratch. Then I added some cat nip to their scratching posts and boards and they switched over to them for their scratching needs.

Here's a post that might help https://www.purrfectpost.com/train-your-cat-to-stop-scratching-your-couch-in-7-days-or-less/