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A grey tabby cat with ears pulled back sits in a heap of white couch stuffing and torn fabric on a wooden floor. 15 / 21

A Grey Tabby Sat Calmly in the Middle of a Couch Stuffing Blizzard

AI imagetabby catcouch stuffingcaught in the act

It looks like a snowstorm hit the living room, but the real culprit is sitting right in the middle of it. A grey tabby with wide yellow-green eyes perches on a heap of white fluff and shredded fabric, ears slightly back, whiskers drooping. Stuffing drifts across the wood floor in soft clumps, and the couch in the corner has been opened up like a pillow fight gone wrong.

A single navy sock lies at the edge of the mess, and sunlight pours across the boards from a window. We'll call him Shep. He is looking up with the careful face of a cat who knows he has a lot of explaining to do, and has decided the best strategy is to be adorable.

Scratching is a normal, healthy cat behavior. It stretches muscles, removes old claw sheaths, and leaves scent marks. When a couch becomes the target, the cat usually isn't being spiteful, he's simply found a surface he likes. To protect your furniture, offer sturdy scratching posts in a few places, ideally tall enough for a full stretch and placed near where he likes to scratch. Try different materials, like sisal rope, cardboard, or carpet, and make the couch less appealing with a cover or double-sided tape. Reward him when he uses the post. Stuffing can be harmful if swallowed, so pick up any scraps and check with your vet if you think he ate some. Regular nail trims also help.

Shep sits in his fluffy snowdrift, a small tabby with a big story and absolutely no plan to tell it.

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