DIY Hack to Keep Cats From Scratching Furniture Praised: 'Brilliant'

A woman's do-it-yourself project used to keep cats from scratching on the furniture is being branded a great idea by the internet, and people can't stop talking about it.

The video revealing all the details was shared on TikTok on March 31 by TikToker @permablep. The post, which has garnered 8.4 million views and 1.5 million likes so far, is captioned:

"For all my cat owners who are living in tiny a** places because rent is too expensive, this is what I've done to save space, money, and my furniture. They stopped clawing even the cat posts because they like this more. Put catnip on it for a lil spice if you really want to."

According to The Humane Society of the United States, cats scratching with their nails is very normal, and it's an instinctive behavior for them. They have a desire to scratch, and it's an act performed to express their emotions, a way of marking something with their own scent, or even a way to remove dead parts of their nails. Sometimes they do it just to stretch, so it's a widely expressed trait in cats.

The 27-second video featured the TikToker's cat scratching their nails on a three-foot section of wall in a corner covered in beige carpet from Lowe's. The carpeted wall reached up at least four feet, and there was also an outlet near the cat.

The feline scratched away happily with both paws as the TikToker spoke more on the hack she came up with. "I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I'm gonna tell you what I do, and I put carpet on my wall. And you know why I did that? It's because it was only a little over five bucks because it was on sale at Lowe's."

The cat looked back at their owner while scratching as its owner spoke about the viral carpeted wall.

"And that's a tamper-resistant outlet, so nobody's in danger," the TikToker revealed. "And also, you could put it on just a wall with no outlet near it. But my cats love this."

The feline bit the carpeted wall while scratching it a few times during the short clip, clearly enjoying itself. The TikToker got closer to the cat busy at work using the wall as their personal scratcher, stopping to look at their owner and paw the air with their mouth open at the same time.

"They stopped clawing all the f**king walls and other furniture, and I didn't have a whole lot of space 'cause my space is really small," the woman continued. "So they love this f**king thing. So go nuts. Put carpet on your wall. Who's gonna f**king stop you?" The cat started to walk off before the video cut short.

In a comment, the TikToker revealed she put up the carpeted wall with "a few small nails," adding, "It leaves little holes, but I promise they are easy to patch so your landlord will never need to know."

Over 7,600 comments rolled in over the DIY idea, and many people thought it was a genius way to keep cats from scratching on things like expensive furniture. "Omg my cat would go nuts for this," a TikToker admitted. "Looks around to see what wall to carpet."

Others praised the TikToker for her thoughtful idea. "You have a climbing wall for your children (cats), you're the cool mom," a user said.

One viewer thanked the creator of the clip, adding, "I don't even have a cat, and I feel like I need a carpet wall."

Some pointed out how much the cat seemed to like the carpeted wall in the clip. "The cat definitely went nuts on that wall," a viewer pointed out.

People really seemed to approve of the DIY idea, and one viewer called it "so brilliant," adding, "I'm about to move into a tiny studio apartment, my cat would love it."

Other comments of appreciation included things like, "This is a great idea," "Just a quality and informative video, thank you," and "That cat is having so much fun with the d**n wall."

However, one viewer mentioned that it's only an option for people who don't have carpet for their floors. "Otherwise, you're teaching your cats to destroy your floor," they wrote.

Newsweek reached out to TikToker @permablep for comment.

This isn't the only viral video involving cats. A cat falling asleep in a bowl has the internet in stitches. A room full of cat wall shelves has gone viral. In addition, a cat raced home after hearing her kitten crying.