Redirecting a kitten from leather sofa scratching

A 10-week-old kitten eyeing leather is actually great timing — you can redirect before any real habit forms. The most common reason cats ignore scratching posts is they're too short, too unstable, or the wrong material. Cats need a post tall enough for a full stretch and solid enough that it doesn't rock when they dig in. At 10 weeks your Siamese is tiny now, but they grow fast and scratch hard. Quick questions: how big is the sofa relative to where the kitten is already sniffing or pawing at it — vertical edge or horizontal seat cushion? And what material is drawing them in — the leather surface itself, or a particular corner?

Face rubbing plus front paw dragging on a vertical surface is classic — she's scent-marking as much as scratching, which means she wants to own that corner. You need to give her a vertical post positioned right next to that sofa corner, not across the room. What's she doing with her back legs when she paws — is she standing up on her hind legs to reach, or just pawing from the floor?

That full-stretch behaviour is the key detail. Even at 10 weeks, if the post is too short she'll reject it immediately and go back to the sofa. You want something she can grow into — at least 60cm tall — with a wide, heavy base so it doesn't tip when she throws her weight into it. Sisal rope, not carpet: carpet is too soft and similar in texture to the sofa weave, which can blur the line for kittens. My recommendation is the Feandrea Cat Scratching Post, the 71cm sisal version. It's got a genuinely heavy base, proper sisal rope that holds up to determined scratching, and it's tall enough that even an adult Siamese can get a full stretch. Place it right at the sofa corner she likes, and for the first week reward her every time she uses it — even a tiny treat or a fuss.

Yes, double-sided tape works really well at this stage — a product like Sticky Paws on the corner edge makes the surface unpleasant to paw at without hurting her or damaging the leather. Use it for two to three weeks while she builds the habit on the post. Once she's consistently choosing the post, you can remove the tape. Don't use sprays that smell strongly of citrus directly on leather though — some leave marks. The tape is safer for the sofa.

Good call getting ahead of it now. At 10 weeks habits aren't set yet, so a week of consistent redirection — post next to the sofa, tape on the corner, reward every correct scratch — and she'll make the switch. Siamese are smart and food motivated, so the treat reward will land fast with her. You're in the best possible window to sort this.