keeping Brutus off the furniture

Brutus is 6 now and the sisal post is holding up, but he's getting into the leather sofa again. I've tried the vertical ones, the angled ones, even the weird carpeted cube thing. He ignores them all. Just wants to carve his name into the couch base. Anyone got a solution for a big cat that doesn't respect furniture?

Oh man, I feel you. Kettle is a DSH so he's not huge, but he found one spot on my bookshelf and just *lived* there for a week. I finally got him to stop by putting a piece of aluminum foil over it. Cats hate the texture. It's cheap, it's ugly, but it works until you can move the furniture or get a better post.

The foil idea is good for small spots. For a whole sofa base, that might be hard to keep up with. I've seen Bear is destroying the couch where they talked about using a double-sided tape specifically made for cats. It looks like the sticky stuff they use in vet clinics. Did anyone try that on a large piece of furniture?

I used the tape on Cleo's favorite chair leg. It worked for about two days, then she learned to jump over the taped area and scratch the wood just above it. Cats are resourceful. If you use tape, make sure you cover the entire vertical surface they might reach, not just the bottom inch. Also, check Has anyone tried the sticky tape method? for the specific type that doesn't leave residue on leather.

The residue is the big worry. I don't want to ruin the leather. And he's 20 lbs, so he can probably just push through the tape if it's not thick enough.

I am worried this is more about stress than just scratching. Bella has been acting weird lately, scratching at the door frames. Is this related to Indoor cats acting out? If Brutus is anxious, will scratching the furniture go away if I address the anxiety? Or is it just a habit at this point??

It could be both. I use Feliway and similar products in my living room and it helps Kettle settle down, but I still had to redirect his scratching to the post. You can't just diffuse the air and expect the cat to stop using the sofa. You have to make the post more appealing. Maybe try a Scratching posts that actually stay up review? Brutus might just need a base that's heavier.

Actually, the weight might not be the issue if he's ignoring three posts. It might be the material. Some cats prefer cardboard or carpet, others prefer sisal. If he likes the leather feel, maybe a post with a leather wrap? Or just accept that the sofa is part of the territory and use a cover?