Protect furniture before kitten arrives

A new Siamese kitten arriving next week — brilliant timing to get this sorted before they come home. Starting right from day one is genuinely the best approach, because kittens form habits fast and if the scratching post is already part of the furniture (so to speak), they're far more likely to use it than your sofa. Scratching is completely normal — they're not being naughty, they're conditioning their claws and leaving scent markers — so the goal is never to stop it, just to redirect it onto something you're happy with. To point you toward the right post, can you tell me: does your furniture have vertical surfaces they're likely to go for, like the sides of a sofa or armchairs? And what material is it — fabric, leather, something else?

Perfect — getting ahead of it is exactly right. For a kitten going after vertical fabric surfaces, you want a tall, sturdy post they can really stretch up against. Siamese are active and lean, and they like a proper full-body stretch when they scratch. The mistake most people make is buying a post that's too short or wobbly — the kitten loses interest fast because it doesn't feel satisfying. What material are you thinking for the post, or are you open to suggestions?

For a fabric sofa, sisal rope is your best bet — it has a texture that's genuinely more satisfying to scratch than most upholstery, so it naturally draws them away from the sofa rather than competing with it. My recommendation is the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post. It's 32 inches tall, which is genuinely tall enough for an adult cat to fully extend — most cheap posts aren't — and the base is solid enough that it won't tip when a kitten throws their weight into it. That stability matters a lot; a wobbly post teaches them the post is unsatisfying and sends them back to the sofa. It's sisal, unfragranced, and has held up well over years of use. One practical tip: place it right next to the sofa to begin with, not across the room. You want it to be the easier option, not a journey.

You can, but honestly if the post is positioned well from day one, most kittens won't need deterrents — they simply go to the post because it's right there and feels great. If you want a belt-and-braces approach for the first few weeks, Feliscratch by Feliway is worth knowing about — it's a pheromone liquid you apply to the post itself to actively attract the kitten to it. That's more useful than spraying the sofa, which can stress a new kitten out. But I'd start with just the post in the right spot and see how she gets on. Siamese are bright cats; she'll figure it out quickly.

Good choice — you're set up well. One last thing: once she's consistently using the post, you can gradually nudge it to wherever you'd prefer it to live permanently, about a foot a day. Move it too fast and she'll go back to the sofa. Good luck with her arrival — Siamese are wonderful, you're in for a lot of personality.