Don't scratch that furniture, you darn cat!

juniper

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Our cat, about 9 years old, has ruined some of our furniture with her claws. Sometimes it's fabric furniture, sometimes leather. Some pieces of furniture she leaves alone. :Shrug:

We just bought a new leather chair and loveseat. Tonight we thought we heard her scratching it - but didn't see any evidence.

My husband bought at the pet store a spray called "No Scratch." http://www.petsmart.ca/cat/repellents/whisker-city-no-scratch-cat-spray-zid36-5161172/cat-36-catid-200020

He also bought some tape called "Scratch Prevention Tape." http://www.petsmart.com/cat/supplies-and-training/repellents/whisker-city-scratch-prevention-tape-23297.html

Not sure I have confidence in either of them.

This is the first new furniture we've had in a long time and I'd like it to stay nice looking.

Any tips on how to keep her from scratching the furniture? She has a scratching post that she doesn't use.
 

MaeZe

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[Looks at the chewed off paint on my cupboard corners from when my two dogs were puppies.]

Nope, I got nothing but empathy. :)
 

cornflake

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Start with double-sided tape and foil - foil places you can wrap it, like around a chair leg or whatever, double-sided tape places you can't (you can also put double-sided tape on furniture and stick foil to it.

What kind of post is it? Some cats like sisal, some like carpet, some like cardboard.... Try a cardboard incline scratcher if you haven't, and place it up against the furniture she scratches, and sprinkle a little catnip on it.

If none of that stops her, you might try softpaws (little plastic glue-on nail caps).
 

bombergirl69

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Just seconding everything Cornflake said! Yes to many scratching posts (mine like sisal AND carpet AND those Alpine incline scratchers with catnip) the double sided tape also works! I haven't used the jell caps for claws but I have heard they work well.

Of course, I'll say that I am totally and completely biased against declawing and have resigned myself to well loved furniture (and record albums, back when I had them out in my living room. They LOVED getting on the albums and scratching the crap out them! ) There is also strategically placed furniture to hide the many stains from all the "events" over the years!!! But I think if you provide a nice assortment of alternatives your couch might survive!!! :)
 

the bunny hugger

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Often it helps to put tap sticky-side up on where they were stand to use the forbidden scratching areas.

But remember to get some super attractive scratch options to move to. Ones that are semi-destructible are best, like corrugated cardboard, upside-down carpet etc. Start with big ugly scratchy options, you can down-size it once the cat had redirected.
 

V.J. Allison

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What Cornflake and bombergirl said.

I'm another one that's rabidly against declawing, it's amputation of a kitty's first bones in their toes.

Anyway, you could easily dull Kitty's claws with those trimmers that file down the claws, if Kitty will allow you to do it. I think there is a company that sells claw trimmers that don't allow you to go past a certain point too so the kitty doesn't have its claws trimmed into the "life".

Our kitty Amber only uses the carpet by the computer and one of the corners in the bathroom. She's more likely to use my son's sneakers or Hubby's leather shoes for scratching posts over the furniture. Yes, she is an oddball kitty.
 

AW Admin

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Those corrugated scratching things that come with catnip are astonishingly effective in terms of luring cats to scratch them, and not scratch elsewhere.
 

EvieDriver

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You need some Soft Claws/Paws in your life! They are slips that go over the cats nails! They're a godsend for indoor felines!! :)
 

Disa

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What kind of post is it? Some cats like sisal, some like carpet, some like cardboard.... Try a cardboard incline scratcher if you haven't, and place it up against the furniture she scratches, and sprinkle a little catnip on it.

I agree with this. A variety of different scratch posts and pads and sprinkle or spray cat nip. One of my cats only likes the natural oil catnip. The other will take anything. They need variety and when they scratch the pad all up, replace it. My cats are usually only destructive when they are mad about something, so keep them happy:)
 

latieplolo

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I agree that it's important to offer alternatives. Cats need to scratch, so give them another option. I think the old advice for children applies to pets as well: every time you say No, give them a Yes alternative.

I use the SoftPaws on my little monster to save my husband's face (Still don't understand why that's his favorite way to play). It's a pain to learn how to do it, but if you use that glue they sell for fake nails the caps stay on for weeks.
 
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shakeysix

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Six years ago I bought a lemon yellow, leather armchair chair. It cost almost an entire paycheck but I had been looking at it for more than a year. I had no qualms about my cat because, silly me, I had no idea cats would scratch leather. Ha! Scout clawed it before it was a week old! I invested in the spray, the double sided tape and foil, even citrus peel and ammonia n a spray bottle. None of these worked so I had to cover my chair with an old Prairie Star quilt that had been in the family for years and a pillow made from antique bow ties--modern chair/heirloom quilt? quite the statement but I did not see any way out. Then, my g-daughters came to stay. They sleep on an air mattress in the living room that we store by day.

And Voila! Scout began tearing up the cardboard box that stored the mattress. She finally tore it to shreds so I got another box, and the another, and another. The mattress finally gave out - casualty of a pillow fight-- but I kept a couple of cardboard boxes next to the chair ever after. Now, six years later, my chair has only five claw marks, easily covered with the pillow. I keep the ugly quilt in the closet now and two or three shredded cardboard boxes around the chair. Not exactly House Beautiful but the boxes work better than the quilt or any of the pet store products. --s6
 
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Layla Nahar

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Yeah. It's kind of you can have (nice) furniture, or you can have cats. Sometimes you'll get lucky and something will get that kitty to scratch something else.

I'm glad to hear all the voices against declawing.

(I used to have a cat resident in my house. Haven't had one for a long time. I forgot about the scratching. And they're really good at choosing something you love...)
 

shakeysix

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I used to have a mail slot that turned into a dead rat drop off. Once had a pet door that was just wide enough to allow a fat cat and a bloody mole into my kitchen. Never had a pet door after that. Lyv, my outdoorsy cat, is always leaving a dismembered something on my porch glider. Don't know why I love those two like I do--s6
 

cornflake

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Shakey have you tried the incline corrugated scratchers? They're just like boxes, I mean they are boxes, just lined up basically, and the interior refills when it's all scratched up. Because it's at the incline it's good for cats who like to reach up at a thing, and you can push it right up against furniture. Not that your thing isn't working, it's just neater, heh.
 

shakeysix

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Oh yeah. Should have mentioned that they hold no appeal for Scout. She walks right past them and goes for the furniture. I think the only thing that attracted her to the mattress box was that I yelled at her and chased her away from it. Right now there is a cardboard box that came from my brother's garage. It says Gryphon Diamond Saw in big, red letters. My living room is soft blues and grays with a gray carpet. The box looks like hell but then so does Scout's gutted catnip mouse on the sofa. Did I mention that she and her brother tipped over a couple potted coleus while I was at my sister's this weekend? --s6
 

cornflake

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Heh, well it's her home too -- it's only fair she gets a say in the decorating!
 

frimble3

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Another thought might be an off-cut of a soft wood, like pine. Not stained, sealed or varnished. Even better, a somewhat weathered board. Apparently the surface has a nice 'give' that the claws can really get a grip on. Cut two more pieces to make an inclined plane, long enough for the cat to really stretch out. Most of our cats would give raw wood an idle clawing, and we had one that pretty much demolished one end of my Dad's raised veggie bed in the garden.