Petlife No Scratch

A cat scratching the sofa isn't being naughty, it's marking territory in the way cats do - which is why telling it off rarely works and changing what the sofa smells like to a cat often does. Petlife's approach is a scent a cat wants to avoid rather than a physical deterrent like tape or a cover.

No Scratch uses a mixture of herbal essential fragrances that Petlife say are designed to discourage cats and kittens from scratching the surface they're sprayed on - furniture, carpets and curtains are all named as suitable. It contains no harsh chemicals and Petlife say it leaves no unpleasant smell for people in the room, and a single application is rated to last up to 7 days.

• Herbal essential fragrance blend
• Discourages scratching on furniture, carpets and curtains
• No harsh chemicals
• No unpleasant smell left behind
• One application lasts up to 7 days
• 150ML bottle

On coverage. Petlife say it can be used on any surface, but they don't publish how large an area one spray treats, so a big sofa or a full stretch of carpet edge may need more than a single spritz to cover properly. It's a deterrent rather than a training tool, so a cat determined to scratch one specific spot may still need a scratching post nearby as the alternative.

Who it's for: owners trying to keep a cat or kitten off a particular sofa, carpet or curtain, who want a scent-based deterrent rather than covering furniture in tape or plastic.