Cats’ claws are an essential part of their paw and regardless of what type of scratching or clawing you may be experiencing you should never consider declawing your cat. Any cat can be trained to stop unwanted behaviors that involve the use of their claws, it just takes a little creativity and a lot of perseverance. Cats use their claws for climbing, scratching, pouncing, turning, balancing and defense, and that tool should never be taken out of their arsenal.

The best way to stop your cat from clawing and scratching is by using positive reinforcement. Offer your cat a place that they can sharpen their claws such as a scratching post and praise them when they use it. Use bitter smelling sprays on places they like scratching but are not allowed to scratch to discourage them and make the idea less appealing.

You can also trim your cat’s claws to prevent any damage while they are still in the learning phases of the process. This can be done at home, by a groomer or at your veterinarian. You can also use soft claws as an alternative to declawing your cat’s nails. Soft claws are plastic covers that easily fit right over your cats nail and prevent them from doing damage when they scratch.

To discourage bad habits you can use a loud distracting noise when they start scratching on something. Make the noise until they walk away from whatever they are scratching. Additionally, you can try the old water squirting technique. Cats hate being wet, so a simple spray of water in their direction when they are misbehaving will usually do the trick. Both noise and water require reinforcement by doing them over and over until your cat gets the picture, but with consistency your cat will get the picture.