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Looking For The Best No-Scratch Spray For Cats?
Here’s a look at our favorites, including our top pick – Claw Withdraw Cat Scratch Spray Deterrent.
#1 Best No Scratch Spray For Cats
You might think that your kitty is purposefully scratching up all of your favorite things in the house, especially the ones that are most conspicuous to guests in your home. While it’s understandably frustrating and I won’t try to downplay the issue, scratching is normal behavior for cats. They don’t just like to scratch—they need to scratch.
When a cat scratches something she gets a good stretch, a little exercise for her muscles, and she marks her territory with tiny scent glands in her paws. That’s actually why cats appear to target the larger, front-and-center furniture and drapes in the house. It’s their way of leaving their mark on their home, helping them to assert their space and feel comfortable (consider it their version of interior decorating, making your house a home).
Instead of getting angry every time you see your cat start to scratch the couch, try to train her and encourage good habits instead. You can spray a no-scratch deterrent on the surfaces in the home that you’d like to protect and place a scratching post nearby that she can use as an alternative. It’ll take some getting used to, practice, and repetition, but it’s a heck of a lot better than blowing your top every time you see the fraying curtains.
What to look for in no-scratch spray for cats
A simple Google search will reveal that there are many, many no-scratch sprays for cats. The good news is that you have options—the bad news is that many of those products use toxic chemicals that are unsafe for your cat and will stain your furniture. They may effectively deter your cat from the couch, but you’re not going to like the smell, either, so it’ll be a deterrent for both of you.
Back to the good news, though—there are plenty of natural, effective solutions that you can use! As you sort through your options, here are a few things to look for:
- Natural versus chemical – I think we’ve addressed this topic enough, but I’ll throw it in one more time. Avoid chemical-based solutions like the plague. Look for natural solutions with essential oils and plant-based ingredients.
- Essential oils – for most of the options that we’ll talk about today, essential oils are the active ingredients. Some of the more popular oils that are effective in deterring cats include lemongrass, eucalyptus, ginger, clove leaf, sassafras, citronella, tea tree, sage, and fennel.
Claw Withdraw Cat Scratch Spray Deterrent
Claw Withdraw is another great natural solution that’s made with plant-based ingredients. It’s easy to use, and it won’t stain your furniture—even if you spray it on your furniture, drapes, and flooring every day. It creates an invisible, protective shield that will keep your cat away from anything you spray.
Claw Withdraw is also safe to use on plants, so it’s a great way to keep your cat from climbing the Christmas tree or shredding the planter on the coffee table. The company behind Claw Withdraw, Pet MasterMind, backs their products with a 100% money-back guarantee.
SmartyKat Anti Scratch Training Aids
This training spray from SmartyKat (kudos for the clever company name) is a great scratch deterrent to protect your furniture, rugs, carpet, and drapes. It’s made with lemon oil and eucalyptus oil, and all SmartyKat products are designed to exceed applicable safety standards, so it’s perfectly safe for your cat.
Cat Scratch Deterrent Spray – Natural Training Solution To Effectively Stop Cats From Scratching Furniture and Household Items
The Anti-Scratch Aroma Spray by Mindful Pets uses a blend of essential oils and natural ingredients to repel cats from furniture and deter them from scratching. The company uses a special formula with all of the popular natural additives that are proven to be effective and reliable.
Active ingredients in the compound include lemongrass oil, ginger extract, clove leaf oil, sassafras oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, sage oil, and fennel extract. Mindful Pets backs all of their products with a 100% money-back guarantee, so if you’re not satisfied you can return the spray for a full refund.
Pet Organics (Nala) CNB04116 No Scratch Spray
The Pet Organics No Scratch Spray is an all-natural solution that’s made in the USA. It’s an effective deterrent to keep your cat from scratching up the furniture and drapes. The solution doesn’t use any harsh chemicals, so it’s safe to use on all of your household items without worrying about stains or lingering smells.
Lion Tamer No Scratch Cat Spray 8oz – 100% Natural and Safe Cat Scratch Deterrent
If you’re looking for a no-scratch spray that actually smells pleasant (most of the other ones we’ve talked about have a neutral smell), Lion Tamer is a solid pick. It uses a blend of floral oils that’s proven to ward off felines but smells good to everyone else that lives in the house.
As it’s a natural, non-toxic solution, it’s safe to spray on house plants. Lion Tamer has a 180-day no scratch guarantee, so you can trust it’ll work every day you spray while you gradually train your cat to stop scratching home furnishings.
Takeaways
Let’s circle back to the beginning—it’s not enough to just get a no-scratch spray to deter your cat from scratching surfaces in your house. No-scratch sprays only work when they’re part of a training regimen where you deter the cat from scratching certain items while offering acceptable alternatives nearby.
Purchase one or more scratching posts that offer thick material (sisal is ideal), and make sure the posts are tall enough that your cat has to stretch to reach the top (it’s even better if they can’t reach the top). If it’s not tall enough or thick enough, they’ll lose interest quickly. Also, make sure the scratching post is weighted. If the post falls over and scares your cat, they probably won’t ever play with it again.
Oh, and one more thing—try to avoid disciplining your cat for scratching inappropriate household surfaces. Researchers have done more tests than I can count that prove cats don’t associate discipline and punishment with the negative activity. Instead, it just leads to a broken bond between you and your pet. Use a no-scratch spray and a scratching post, be consistent, and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.
