Why Is My Pet Chewing or Scratching the Furniture? (And How to Stop It)
If your sofa is starting to look like it’s been through a wild jungle expedition, or your favourite table leg now has teeth marks, you’re not alone. Whether you’ve got a mischievous puppy, a curious kitten, or a bored bird, chewing and scratching furniture is one of the most common complaints among pet owners.
But don't worry, this behaviour can be managed. Here's why it happens and what you can do to keep your home in one piece (and your pet happy, too).
Why Do Pets Chew or Scratch Furniture?
It might seem like your pet is on a mission to destroy your home, but these behaviors are actually quite natural, and each species has its own reasons.
Dogs
- Teething: Puppies need to chew to soothe their gums.
- Boredom: Lack of physical and mental stimulation leads to destructive behaviour.
- Anxiety: Chewing can be a coping mechanism when left alone.
Cats
- Territorial Behaviour: Scratching leaves scent marks (yep, it’s their way of saying “this is mine”).
- Claw Maintenance: Scratching helps shed the outer layers of their claws.
- Boredom or stress: A restless cat is a scratch-happy cat.
Birds
- Instinct: Parrots and other birds use their beaks to explore and manipulate.
- Boredom or lack of foraging opportunities: No toys = furniture becomes the entertainment.
How to Solve the Problem
1. Redirect the Behaviour and Provide Chew Toys with Different Textures
When pets chew or scratch furniture, it’s usually because they’re acting on a natural instinct, so instead of trying to stop the behaviour altogether, it’s more effective to redirect it toward something appropriate.
For Dogs:
Dogs, especially puppies, explore the world with their mouths. Teething, boredom, anxiety, and even lack of exercise can drive them to gnaw on couch legs or shoes. Redirecting this behaviour means offering safe and satisfying alternatives that meet their chewing needs.
Rotate between different chew toys with unique textures, rubber, rope, plush, and even freezeable options.
This keeps your dog mentally engaged and less likely to get bored with one toy. Some favourites among dog parents are:
Benebone Wishbone
The Wishbone is curved for a paw-friendly grip so your pup can quickly grab it and get a good chew going. Think about it: dogs don’t have thumbs.
Super chewer? Bring it on. Benebones are tougher than real bones and last for weeks.
100% real bacon for flavour. And yes, dogs can tell the difference.
KONG Classic Stuffable Dog Toy
The KONG Classic red rubber toy helps satisfy dogs' instinctual needs and provides mental stimulation; the toy helps solve chewing, teething, boredom, crate training, digging, barking and more.
This unique toy has an erratic and unpredictable bounce, keeping all breeds of dogs engaged and entertained during interactive play sessions.
The hollow interior allows for stuffing with kibble, peanut butter, or KONG Snacks or Easy Treat, offering an added challenge and extended play time for your pet; dishwasher safe for easy clean up.
The KONG Classic red rubber formula is created for average chewing dogs, and is recommended by veterinarians and trainers worldwide.
WOOF Pupsicle
For Cats
Scratching is how cats mark territory, stretch, and maintain claw health. If they don’t have a proper outlet, they’ll use your furniture as a substitute.
Provide scratching surfaces with a variety of materials and orientations: vertical posts, cardboard pads, and sisal-covered furniture. Sprinkle catnip or use a dangling toy to attract them.
SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post
Satisfy your indoor cat’s natural urge to scratch and protect your furniture while your cat gets in their exercise and stress relief.
The sturdy design of the scratching tower allows kittens and cats of all sizes to fully stretch when they scratch.
A durable sisal fibre design ensures the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post will stand up to your cat’s claws, with less snagging than carpet or furniture fabrics.
Assembly is a breeze with our simplistic design, requiring only two screws and two dowels to go from the box to your living room.
This design is easy on the eyes, and neutral colour options allow your cat’s favourite activity to be placed seamlessly alongside your furniture.
Cat Wall Shelves, Stable & Safe 4 in 1 Cat Furniture Set
The cat wall furniture set is made of solid wood multi-layer board and pet-friendly peach velvet fabric, making it less prone to bending and less prone to shedding. The fibre cross orientation of each wood layer forms many supporting points, making each cat shelf can bear more weight. The safety of your cat is always our top priority.
The cat wall shelves are designed for US standard 16-inch drywall; through scientific arrangement, each bracket can be installed on the wood stud. Greatly reduced the complexity of the installation and increased the stability. Even if you are a novice at cat climbing wall installation, you won’t find it difficult.
The wall-mounted cat furniture set includes a cat bridge, a cat wall bed, a cat scratching post and a cat shelf. Your cats can sleep, jump, scratch, and play with these pieces, one set for all different demands. You can also DIY your own cat jungle gym according to different moving lines, providing countless fun for both you and your cats.
The multi-functional cat climbing shelves fully utilise home vertical space, saving your floor space. Your cats can play in their own climbing frame when you work or rest, consuming their energy, thereby correcting bad behaviour. Also, it provides your cats a private territory away from your dog.
This cat walkway set has the fresh colour of green, it simulates an outdoor lawn and a natural tree, your cats can climb or jump in the activity place, just like running through the wild jungle. It is also a decoration to embellish your room, perfect for the window side, living room, bedroom, and other scenes.
Cat Wall Shelves, Stable & Safe 4 in 1 Cat Furniture Set - Available on Amazon
3-Sided Vertical Cat Scratching Post
This isn’t just a scratcher—it’s a play zone, a stress reliever, and a wellness tool all in one. Infused with premium organic catnip (sourced in the USA), it encourages natural scratching that promotes healthy claws, stretches muscles, and eases tension.
Crafted from recycled cardboard and bonded with non-toxic corn starch glue, it’s safe, sturdy, and eco-friendly. Its sleek, neutral-toned design blends beautifully into any home—plus, it saves your furniture by giving cats a surface they actually prefer to scratch.
Use it vertically or horizontally based on your cat’s scratching style. The added cubby hole offers a cozy hideaway or exploration space, and the curved structure provides multiple angles for stretching and scratching.
Get more from your purchase—this scratcher rotates for up to 6x the use, making it far more durable than standard ones. Built with superior-quality cardboard and backed by a 1-year warranty.
3-Sided Vertical Cat Scratching Post - Available on Amazon
For Birds
Birds chew to explore, relieve boredom, and wear down their beaks. If they’re left without proper enrichment, your wooden furniture or décor becomes fair game.
Introduce bird-safe shredding and foraging toys with different textures, such as wood, leather, cardboard, and paper. This satisfies their natural urge to chew and keeps their beaks busy.
Natural Bird Foraging & Parrot Shredding Toys Box
Crafted from eco-friendly, natural non-toxic materials such as pine cone, sola, apple wood, and coconut shell, ensuring safe play and satisfying natural instincts. These natural bird toys for conures are perfect for your feathered friends.
Encourages mental stimulation and physical exercise, making it ideal for bird foraging toys enthusiasts and promoting overall well-being. Perfect for parakeet foraging toy activities.
Provides a rewarding exploration of natural textures, stimulating cognitive skills and encouraging natural foraging behaviors. Ideal for bird shredding toys and foraging toys for parrots.
Simply place the box in your bird's habitat for instant play without installation. Convenient for parakeet chew toys and shredding toys for birds, ensuring endless fun.
Designed for parakeets (budgies), cockatiels, lovebirds, finches, canaries, conures, and more. These bird chewing toy box for parakeets caters to a wide range of bird species that enjoy foraging and shredding activities.
Natural Bird Foraging & Parrot Shredding Toys Box - Available on Amazon
Bird Pull Spoons and Spinning Toys
Birds will spend hours to chew, forage, pull, scratch the rings and shake the spoons, let them spin and crash into each other. Shiny and has rings and spoons to play with and bite. Offering your bird to enjoy vision, hearing, physical and mental pleasure at the same time.
With sturdy spoons and rings that produce delightful sounds, captivat your pet bird's attention and play for a long time happily and add more fun. It is adorned with stainless steel measuring spoons and rotating rings for an irresistible visual appeal, your bird will surely like it.
It is designed with stainless chain and hook, convenient to hang on any places, like the top and out by side of the cage. A very fun addition and nice decor to your little cuties' room.
The hanging spoon and rotating ring toys are pet-safe, non-corrosive, chew-resistant and with durability. A very stimulating toy for small to large size birds such as amazon parrot, african grey, parakeet, cockatiel, cockatoo, macaw, etc.
Bird Pull Spoons and Spinning Toys - Available on Amazon
Climbing Hammock Swing Mat with Colorful Chewing Toys
Parrots love to peck, chew, shred, preen and climb. This bird foraging wall toy meets small birds' daily needs, matched with vivid colored toys can easily attract cuties' attention, encourage their ability to climb and nibble.
This swing mat is made of natural seagrass, with four durable stainless chains convenient to hang any places, like the top of the most large ormedium bird cage or hang outside of the cage and decorated with assorted colorful toys which are made of wood blocks, takraw balls, cardboard rings and dyed with edible pigment, colorful and well made, safe for birdies to chew and play. A very fun addition and nice decor to your little cuties' room.
This parakeet toy provides small parrot birds a elevated place to perch and explore, can help them avoid boredom, depression and destructive behaviors. Meanwhile, you can tie cuties' favorite toys to the climb mat, this combination design can entertain and exercise as well as satisfy birds' chewing instinct.
Seagrass size 11 x 7.8 in., this bird play mat toy suits for parakeets, cockatiels, sun conures, caiques, lovebirds, finches, canary ect various types of small birds. Besides, it can be a nice gift for friends who have birds.
Climbing Hammock Swing Mat with Colorful Chewing Toys - Available on Amazon
2. Make Furniture Less Appealing
- For dogs and cats, try a Bitter Apple Spray, which discourages chewing on furniture legs, cords, and fabric.
- Reapply regularly, especially in high-traffic areas or places your pet returns to frequently.
3. Tire Them Out
One of the simplest (and most overlooked) ways to prevent destructive behavior? Use up that extra energy.
A tired pet is a calm pet, and a calm pet is far less likely to chew, scratch, or destroy your furniture out of boredom or frustration.
For Dogs: Keep Minds and Bodies Busy
Dogs need daily physical and mental stimulation. If they’re full of pent-up energy, that couch leg is going to look awfully tempting.
Here’s how to help:
- Go for longer or more frequent walks, mixing up the route for new smells and sights.
- Incorporate play sessions like tug-of-war, fetch, or chase around the yard.
- Add training games or puzzle toys to challenge their minds—like the KONG Classic Toy filled with treats or peanut butter.
Not only will they be too tired to chew the coffee table, but they’ll also be happier and more bonded to you.
For Cats: Activate the Hunter Instinct
Even indoor cats crave movement and mental stimulation. If they’re lounging all day with nothing to do, scratching your furniture becomes their version of excitement.
Try these ideas:
- Use interactive toys like feather wands, laser pointers, or battery-operated “prey” to simulate hunting.
- Rotate catnip toys, treat-dispensing balls, and cardboard tunnels to keep things interesting.
- Build a simple DIY obstacle course or use cat trees and shelves for climbing and jumping.
Give them something better to do, and your furniture will thank you.
For Birds: Play and Forage Like in the Wild
Birds are incredibly intelligent and social. Without enough stimulation, they’ll chew on furniture out of sheer boredom or frustration.
Keep them occupied with:
- Foraging toys that make them work for their food or treats—like puzzle feeders or shreddable boxes.
- Out-of-cage time in a bird-safe space, where they can stretch their wings, interact with you, and explore.
- Training sessions or trick-learning to mentally challenge them and strengthen your bond.
A busy beak is a happy beak, and far less likely to take on your bookshelves.
4. Reward Good Behaviour
Positive reinforcement is one of the most powerful tools in your training toolkit. When your pet makes the right choice, like scratching a post instead of the couch or chewing their toy instead of your shoe, let them know it!
By consistently rewarding good behavior, you’re helping your pet understand what earns your approval and attention. Over time, they’ll start to repeat those actions because they associate them with something awesome (treats, praise, affection, whatever makes their tail wag or purr louder!).
For Dogs
When your dog goes for their chew toy instead of gnawing on furniture, immediately praise them with a cheerful voice, petting, or a small treat. Timing is key: the reward should come *as they’re doing the good thing*, not afterward.
Try this:
- Keep treats like training bites handy during playtime.
- Say something like “Good chew!” in an upbeat tone and offer a treat.
- Over time, your dog will learn that chewing on their toy = awesome rewards.
For Cats
Cats can be more independent, but they still respond to positive reinforcement—especially when it involves their favorite treat or toy.
Try this:
- When you catch your cat using a scratching post instead of the furniture, gently praise them and give them a treat or a quick play session.
- Use a clicker or verbal marker like “Yes!” when they scratch the right spot.
- Sprinkle a little catnip or use feline pheromone sprays on their scratching items to make them even more appealing.
For Birds
Birds are incredibly smart and can be trained using positive reinforcement just like dogs. When your bird chews a foraging toy instead of your picture frame, reward that moment with something they love.
Try this:
- Offer a favorite treat (like a seed, fruit, or nut) when they interact with the right toys.
- Give verbal praise or a gentle head scratch (if they enjoy touch).
- Incorporate short training sessions with clickers or cues to reinforce positive actions.
Bonus Tip:
Be patient and consistent. It might take time, but the more you reward good behavior, the more your pet will choose the right outlet for their energy and instincts. Combine this with redirection and deterrents for a well-rounded, furniture-friendly approach.
When to Seek Extra Help
Sometimes, chewing, scratching, or general destructiveness goes beyond typical behavior. If you’ve tried redirection, exercise, enrichment, and positive reinforcement, and your pet is still tearing things apart, it might be a sign of something deeper going on.
Here’s when to consider reaching out for expert support:
1. Separation Anxiety
If your pet becomes destructive only when you’re not home, they might be suffering from separation anxiety. Signs include:
- Excessive chewing or scratching near doors and windows
- Howling, whining, or pacing after you leave
- Accidents in the house, even if they’re normally house-trained
This isn’t just bad behavior, it’s distress. A professional, like a certified animal behaviorist or vet, can help you develop a training plan, recommend calming aids, or explore behavior-modifying strategies.
2. Underlying Medical Issues
Some destructive behavior can be linked to medical concerns, especially if your pet is:
- Chewing or eating non-food items (called pica)
- Over-grooming or biting themselves
- Acting suddenly more agitated, restless, or disoriented
If you notice any of these red flags, book a vet visit. Pain, digestive issues, or neurological problems could be contributing to the behavior.
3. Poor Environmental Enrichment
In some cases, pets simply aren’t getting the stimulation they need. This is especially common in:
- Indoor cats with no climbing spaces or play opportunities
- Birds in cages without daily mental and physical enrichment
- High-energy dog breeds that need more than a short walk once a day
If you’re not sure how to meet your pet’s enrichment needs, a trainer, vet, or animal behaviorist can help tailor solutions based on your home, lifestyle, and your pet’s specific needs.
Don’t feel discouraged, destructive behavior doesn’t mean your pet is “bad.” It means they’re trying to communicate that something isn’t quite right. And the sooner you get to the root of the issue, the sooner you can restore harmony (and save your sofa).
Final Thoughts
Your pet isn’t trying to destroy your home, they’re just being themselves in the only way they know how. With a little patience, redirection, and creativity, you can save your furniture and keep your furry (or feathered) friend fulfilled.
Got a funny story or hack that worked for your pet? Share it in the comments below!
Comments
Post a Comment