Keeping Pets off Furniture

I won't even try to hide it from you. In our house, the animals roam and jump about pretty much wherever they want-and our furniture shows it. But there's nothing wrong with a preference for no dog hair on the sofa or that cats not be allowed to roam the dining room table. There are many happy pet homes that have areas forbidden to animals. The trick is communicating to your pet that a certain surface or area is a no-pet zone.

The number one way to keep your pet off a surface is to make that surface uncomfortable for them. Then it's less you having to train your pet to stay off then it is a matter of them not even wanting to be on that surface in the first place.

To keep dogs off furniture, bring in plastic carpet runners-the ones carpet cleaning services use to make a path from the front door to the next room-and place the plastic over the furniture upside down, with the spikes facing up. Voila! You've just made for a very uncomfortable nap for Spot.

If you can't get your hands on the carpet runners, many pet stores sell hard plastic spiked strips that accomplish the same thing. Or if you're more of a nature-loving sort, try pinecones. That's right, from the woods to your sofa-just toss them right onto a favorite chair and let the fun begin.

There are also some electronic instant pet proofing systems that are safe and effective for dogs. Think of them as an electric fence inside your house that keeps Spot away from certain areas.

For cats, try aluminum foil. Cats hate it because their claws pierce it, they have poor traction, and they dislike the crumpling sound it makes. So think rock-n-roll 70's decor and roll out the foil on your favorite chair when you're not using it.

Another option with cats is double-sided tape, available at any pet store. Cats are not fans of stickiness and the tape is typically an effective measure to keep them off (or keep them from clawing) furniture.

You'll have people tell you that spraying water in a cat's face whenever he jumps on the forbidden furniture is effective, as it makes them jump right off. The only problem with that method is that cats are intelligent and quickly come to understand that you need to be present in order for them to be sprayed. Now you've taught your cat to fear you and they'll still probably hang out on the couch in your absence.

The truth is that it's easier to keep dogs off furniture than cats. Cats are very, very smart. We have four of them. Draped at this very moment, most likely, wherever they prefer in our house... 

Article by Dr. Jeff Werber, DVM