I put up with my cat Luna's scratching for over a year. By the time I finally decided to do something about it, the damage was already done — my living room couch looked like it had been through a war zone, and my landlord was not happy.
I thought to myself, "This can't be that hard to fix, right?"
If only I had known. Over the next few months, I tried everything: spray bottles (she just got sneakier), double-sided tape on furniture (looked terrible and barely worked), aluminum foil (she'd just scratch right next to it), and I even bought two expensive scratching posts that she completely ignored.
I'd spent over $800 replacing furniture cushions and repairing carpet patches. Not to mention the stress of constantly monitoring Luna and feeling guilty every time I raised my voice. It felt like I had to choose between my home and my cat. Nothing worked for more than a few days.
I was ready to give up and accept the fact that I was doomed to live in a shredded apartment forever.
Then a good friend showed me something I didn't know I needed.