The internet is a dark and deadly place, all we want to see on the internet is our furry feline friends having fun, teasing other people and jumping from place to place. But then you come across a post that says; cat recliner incidents, and you will be horrified to know how much it happens or how people are so unaware of it. People with kittens are aware of the danger their cats can be in. Cats love to explore new places and this includes tiny spaces under the bed or couch or the recliner.
Recliners are like sofas but with a reclining feature, these are amazing for old age people. If you have a recliner along with a pet cat, there are chances many incidents can occur due to your cat crawling under the space of the recliner sofa.
There are many ways you can prevent your cat from going under the recliner or use other techniques to attract her attention elsewhere. Let’s discuss the best options for you and what you can do easily.
Cats and recliners
Cats love to crawl under the covers, bed or sofa. Now there is a new thing you need to be worried about, the recliner! Your cat loves to explore like any other feline out there and they find various and unique places to hide and scare the hell out of you.
Recliners are chairs with a reclining feature. They are soft and padded like a sofa but have the added advancement of turning into a reclined position. From the above photo, you can see the space below a recliner, this space is ideal for your cat to crawl into and have a nap. This space is also extremely small that you never bother to look under it and when you set your reclined position back to the original position, this can cause your cat under the recliner to become seriously injured.
These recliner accidents are pretty horrible and can badly wound your cat. People after knowing this have purged their home from all recliners. While this is a perfectly good solution, there are other ways you can prevent your cat from going under the recliner.
How to stop my cat from going under recliners
- Training your cat
The first thing you need to do if you just got a cat is train her to stop going under the recliner. This might be the best option to avoid any accidents. There are many ways you can train your cat; either by a clicker trainer or by shouting the command NO whenever she is close to the recliner. In this way, she will know that you are not happy with what she is doing and hopefully stop getting under the recliner.
You can also train your get by using positive reinforcement, when she listens to you and leaves her space, give her treats, in this way she will purposefully not go to that space knowing she will get a reward.
- Blocking the open space
Until the time your cat is trained, you have to take certain measures, one of this includes blocking the open space. This solution might cause your recliner to not close properly but there is nothing you can do about it. You can stuff it with cloth or use a piece of wood to block the opening. This is effective as your cat won’t ever realize it is an open space to explore.
- Making it undesirable
Cats are very picky and once they find their spot, its very difficult to make them deter from that spot. One thing you can do is make that open space below the recliner extremely undesirable by putting things there that a generally disliked by cats.
One thing you can do is fill the space underneath with plastic sheets or bags. Cats don’t like the texture of plastic and won’t enjoy being there.
- Moving to another place
We do not mean you and your cat; we meant the recliners. If the recliners are a must and you can’t get rid of them, the best thing you can do is place them in a room where your cat has no access or keep that room locked. This might not be a permanent ideal solution but it’s the best one you have until your cat is trained.
- New safe spaces
Since you can’t change your cat’s nature, you can provide her with new places to explore and hide into, regarding these spaces are safe for your cat. For this you can buy cat trees or cat houses with scratching posts, so your cat doesn’t get tired of it easily and is safe as well. You can also make these places desirable by putting catnip there or wrapping it up in a rough texture, so your cat enjoys her scratching there and doesn’t endanger herself.
Be careful
No matter how many techniques you try out, sometimes it is impossible to prevent your cat from doing anything. You can’t look over your cat all the time and this can cause you to slip up. Thus, it is necessary that you always look under the recliner before you sit on it. Although, it is easy o sip up here as well. The best solution includes removing the recliner completely if that is possible.
Conclusion
When it comes to cats and furniture, you can’t take any sides and we are not even judging you. We all love our pets, but it is not a feasible option to remove anything in your home even if it is remotely dangerous to your cat. If its easy for you to remove the recliner then that’s the best option but if not, you should try blocking the space below the recliner by a wooden plank or by things that are not liked by cats. You can also make alternative spaces for your cats to explore and play safely. In any situation, train your cat so she doesn’t endanger herself.