**This is collaborative post**
Cats and dogs can both develop destructive behaviours. When it comes to cats, they may scratch on things they’re not meant to. In the case of dogs, its often a case of chewing things to shreds. This behaviour can be hugely frustrating but fortunately there are many ways to put it to an end. Here are just a few ways to stop your pet from destroying your home.
Train your pets
In most cases, destructive behaviour can be trained out of pets. This can be done by telling off your pet if it is chewing or clawing something it shouldn’t be and praising it for attacking its own toys. With puppies and kittens, this can sometimes be a real battle – you may have to just be persistent until your pet knows what they can and can’t attack.
Use deterrent sprays
There are repellent sprays you can buy to discourage cats and dogs from going near certain items. These tend to contain citric scents that animals dislike. You could try spraying this solution onto any item that you don’t want your pet to go near such as rugs and curtains.
Offer stimulation with toys
Many pets get destructive when they’re bored or lonely. Dogs – especially puppies – will develop separation anxiety when left at home and may try to distract themselves by destroying whatever they can get hold of. Offering lots of toys may serve as a substitute for your personal belonging. Pay a little extra for toys that are branded as ‘indestructible’ – they often aren’t, but they’ll take longer to destroy than cheap toys, keeping your dog happy. Cats can get lonely too and may need toys – it may be worth looking into the best toys for cats home alone. Make sure to rotate toys so that they always have new toys to play with.
Keep valuable possessions out of reach
You may be able to protect certain items by simply storing them out of reach. If you’re sick of your dog chewing the remote, consider placing it on a high shelf somewhere. There may also be ways of containing and protecting items – mail cages for instance can stop your dog destroying letters, whilst a stairgate might stop a particularly sly dog getting into the kitchen and invading the bin.
Choose the right furniture materials
Certain furniture may be able to withstand attacks from your pets. This is likely to be more of a problem with cats that are known for scratching sofas. Loose fibre sofas and leather sofas should be avoided if you’re an owner of a destructive cat – tight-weave microfiber sofas are perfect for deflecting cat claws and could be your best choice if you’ve tried all other measures.