3 homemade repellents to prevent your kitty from scratching furniture

Cats are wonderful pets, but just like dogs sometimes leave us without shoes, cats can leave our furniture ruined with their sharp claws. Although having scratching posts usually helps a lot, you may also be looking for other ways to prevent them from scratching your furniture, so here we provide you with three homemade repellents for cats.Why do cats scratch furniture?Cats scratch even when they play or stretch, but the main reason they do it is to mark their territory or as a threatening signal to other cats. Additionally, since their claws need to be sharpened regularly, cats also scratch things to remove the worn outer claws and make way for new ones.The best thing you can do to prevent cats from scratching your furniture is to have several scratching posts of different types; for example, there are some made of cardboard, others like carpets, some made of wood, sisal, and upholstery. However, if your kitty still scratches, these homemade repellents might work.Citrus will be a great ally for this purpose, but there are also other smells that most cats hate, such as lavender, rosemary, or thyme, so you can try having these plants at home or in the garden to keep them away.Citrus repellent for catsThis recipe is very easy to make and works very well; you only need citrus peels, water, lemon juice, and a bit of citrus-scented dish soap, preferably. Heat 3 cups of water until boiling and immerse 2 cups of citrus peels in it; they can be oranges, lemons, grapefruits, just try to remove the white part as best as you can.Keep the pot on low heat and let the mixture boil for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool. Then strain and pour it into a spray bottle; once there, add the juice of half a lemon and a splash of dish soap. Shake well to mix, and you're done. Test it in a small area to ensure it won't damage your furniture's material, and never use it directly on the kitties.Vinegar repellent for catsThis repellent is very simple, as it only consists of mixing water with vinegar and liquid hand soap in equal parts. This vinegar cat repellent can be used with a sprayer, but you can also clean with it or pour it directly onto the areas where your kitty scratches, whether indoors or outdoors.Garlic repellentFor this homemade remedy, you need garlic, pepper, and lemon mixed with water. Crush the garlic very well and then let the mixture sit for at least 24 hours until it is well matured. Strain and you're done; this is a powerful cat repellent. If you don't have kitties at home but do have a soft canine pup, here you can read about what type of food you can give them.