Cat Scratch Fever Relievers

>> Cover couch bases, end-table legs, and dust shams with aluminum foil, or slap on strips of double-sided tape. Neither make for fetching decor, but crinkly foil noises and tacky adhesive deter scratch-happy cats.

>> Sprinkle lemon or orange zest around no-claw zones, and rub a natural lemon-scented baking oil like Frontier Lemon Flavor Certified Organic onto wood furniture. Cats crinkle their noses at citrus scents.

>> Set a small can of coins atop your couch, so when he snags on the fabric below, the coins will clank as the can tumbles over—a sound most felines despise.

>> Cap Kitty’s front nails with Soft Paws, nontoxic, glue-on vinyl caps that stay put for four to six months. He’ll keep scratching but won’t do damage.