Ideas to Keep Cats Off Leather Couches

Foil Her Plans

• Your cat knows that when she jumps up on your couches, she will feel the smooth, cool feel of the leather on the pads of her feet. This is where the element of surprise can work in your favor. Spread some aluminum foil over the leather seats and watch what happens. The feel of the aluminum, in conjunction with the awful crunching that reverberates when paw meets foil, may make her think twice about jumping up again.

Get Trigger Happy

• If aluminum foil does not do the trick, water might. Keep a spray bottle filled with water near your leather couches. The minute you catch sight of your cat on the leather, pull the trigger. The stream of water coming from the spray bottle will startle--not to mention annoy--your furry housemate. Reach for the spray bottle each time you see it loafing on the leather. Eventually your cat will get the hint and find a new place to snooze.

What's That Smell?

• Try putting a protective barrier between your favorite leather couches and your cat. The use of a cat repellent spray can make your couches less inviting to a feline family member. Cat repellents such as those with a bitter apple base will taste and smell offensive to cats. In many cases, all it takes is one or two doses of the nasty stuff sprayed on your couches to make your cat turn around and rethink a leap onto the leather.

Make Some Noise

• Bells, whistles, loud clapping, coins in a tin can, even two pot lids clanking together may be just enough to keep your cat off your leather couches. Loud, sudden noises can catch your cat off-guard. If the noise sounds each time your cat meanders toward your leather couch, the cat will begin to associate the sound with the couches. Keep it up and your cat will learn to stay away in lieu of having to subject itself to the annoyance.