Calling all cat owners

[Kain]

How do I prevent my cat from clawing all the furniture? I don't want to de-claw and I clip her nails every 2 weeks but she still manages to claw away on some stuff. Any tips?

BTW, anyone know of any good pet barriers? Something to put between the entrance walls of rooms that don't have doors.

[mas]

Trim their claws (carefully - NOT into the quick!)

Scratching is a natural and necessary behavior.

Give them a more attractive place to scratch! If they are using your furniture or something else, it simply means that your alternative is not as attractive ...and that's your responsibility to provide.

Sisal rug material securely velcroed around the corner of an open doorway wall from the ground extending up to about 3.5 feet high (>the height of a stretched cat on their hind legs) works great.

[Zen Traveler]

Trim their claws (carefully - NOT into the quick!)

Scratching is a natural and necessary behavior.

Give them a more attractive place to scratch!

[Y][Y]

That reminds me I have a pair of RB-75s that have a custom design from Sullivan, our cat who is no longer with us (more than likely gotten eaten by a coyote during the 2006 Klipsch pilgrimage :-() that I am going to put up for sell....

[Billy joe]

Soft claw nail caps. You can get them at pet smart they come in four sizes small, med,large and kitten, We use the large size on our cat. You have to trim the claw first and then glue the cap to the cats nail, it will solve the scratching problem, and they stay on for a long time.

[Groomlakearea51]

We love cats, have a pile of them. But.... We just "assign" them to the front porch and back porch, respectively. Saves the furniture, the Klipsch, etc. We bring them in about once a week for the obligatory "cuddling", but then out they go to rule their respective "perches". Cold cruel world, but they are happier because they get to run around and chase things cats chase.

[Mr. RF62]

We have 2 blue point siamese cats and they are both declawed and still think they are scratching/sharpening their claws, maybe it just feels good on their pads but they still wear what they are doing it on out. So putting something more coarse on a door frame like mentioned earlier will help, all I experienced.

[BLSamuel]

I grew up on a farm. Cats kept outside / in the garage don't bother the furniture. Cats need to hunt, why deprive them of that opportunity? They're working animals where I come from. Occasionally let them in but they live outside in the garage.

[seti]

When my girlfriend moved in her cat immediately went for the furniture. We went out and bought saft paws and a couple scratching posts. After a while the cat quite going after the furniture. We kept using soft paws for a year and now we don't use them as the cat doesn't scratch furniture anymore. I also purchased a water gun

[dtel]

Water gun, that's what I use to do, keep a little water gun on the end table and squirt the cat on occasion, when it was doing something like scratching furniture. The cat had no idea where it was coming from, it was kind of fun !

Now the cat is old and doesnt really do it anymore, also spends most of it's time outside.

When the Hurricane came we left the cat home, outside with plenty of food for the 3 or 4 days. ( no flooding here ) Now when ever the weather gets bad the cat freaks out and heads inside, don't blame her. (couldn't take the cat where we going )

[Daddy Dee]

dtel's advice of a water gun is good. A spray bottle also works well. This works when you catch kitty in the act. They won't understand punishment after the fact.

Scratching post is good.

[fini]

Our cat LOVES these cardboard scratchers. She's an indoor/outdoor cat, and does not bother the furniture...Or the speakers!

[PrestonTom]

The advice MAS gave is absolutely correct. Cats will scratch and the trick is to make the scratching post (or whatever) more attractive than the speakers. I have a a sisal door mat that she loves. Incidentally, the sprays that are sold are not very effective.

Good Luck,

-Tom

[Daddy Dee]

Check out this kitty.

http://influks.com/post2277.html

[Daddy Dee]

ok try this

http://influks.com/post2277.html

[LarryC]

I also have the horizontal cardboard scratchers, but "Alpine Scratchers" sometimes get good attention, too ---

No guarantees with any of these, unfortunately, and scratching is as much social as instinctive, especially when they get excited. My cats scratch one of my alpines but rarely the other two. They leave most of the furniture alone (I really get angry and chase them around the house shouting, if they do), but have secretly shredded my upstairs bed skirt/dust ruffle in spite of a sisal pole right next to it. The basic rule seems to be whatever works, works ... if it does.

They have never scratched ANY of my grillcloth, thank heavens!

[whatever55]

I was graced with a stray kitten in '92 and when I brought her in I had a talk with her. I told her she could keep her claws only if she did not scratch any furniture ecspecially my speakers. I showed her a pair of pliers and told if she did I would declaw her myself.

I also bought some scratch pads with catnip and introduced her to them and she was in heaven and did not touch any furniture.

I did not use any rug covered poles, to me they would look too much like furniture.

http://www.catclaws.com/

[Rsoxfan]

Water gun and spray the furniture with a strong citrus scent....

Sounds stupid but it worked for me.....

[Gilbert]

These work really well, and are proven to be the most effective.

[bigdaddy]

I had a cat named $hitty Kitty given to me by an ex girlfriend. The turd never touched my furniture for 3 years until I came home one day to find my Leather Recliner destroyed.

There must have been about 500 little triangular shaped tears all down one side and the back. I was so mad I'd have twisted her little head off. I got over it and she never clawed another thing. She must have been around 13 when I put her down.

[fini]

I use a very pungent mix of bear, elephant and octopus urine, sprayed liberally throughout the house.