Keep Your Cats From Destroying Your Furniture
Scratching is a natural behaviour for our feline friends and furniture is a rather tempting target for their fabric shredding claws. Save your furniture with these tricks. Photo by jeknee.
Cats, long domesticated, still have strong instincts from life in the wild. Despite your best efforts to curb them from doing so, attempting to stop a cat from scratching and climbing is a nearly impossible task. By taking a multi-prong approach to modifying their behaviour you can save your furniture and keep your cat healthy and happy. The following tips are ordered by ease of implementation, start at the top of the list and work down if the earlier solutions haven’t fully solved the problem.
Provide Appropriate Scratching Surfaces
You will have absolutely zero success training your cat not to scratch your table legs or the arm of your couch if you don’t provide something appropriate the cat can scratch instead. An appropriate scratching surface for a cat has several important characteristics. Photo by safetypinheart.
The most important characteristic is weight. If a scratching post or climbing tree feels wobbly or unsteady the cat will almost always abandon using it. Make sure that any scratching post you intend to build or purchase will be stable enough to present a sturdy scratching surface. The scratching surface also needs to be at least tall enough for the cat to fulling stretch itself out while scratching. A short scratching post will be ignored for the nice tall table leg. Ideally if you have the space, a scratching post should be tall and sturdy enough for your cat to indulge its climbing instincts. While most cats prefer to stretch up and scratch, some are just as fond as stretching out horizontally. A flat scratching surface like this DIY cardboard scratching pad is ideal for those cats.
The final point of consideration is the material the scratching surface is made out of. Avoid scratching posts covered in carpet. Not only is the carpet not very durable but cheap carpet scratching posts often have carpet with looped fibers which will snag on your cat’s claws discouraging use at best and causing an injury at worst. Sisal is a natural fibre rope and when wrapped tightly around a post is about as close to a tree trunk as you’ll get without chopping a tree down and dragging it into your house.
Put the scratching post or climbing tree in a sunny location and encourage your cat to explore it with a sprinkling of catnip leaves or a spray of catnip oil—I highly recommend getting some catnip spray, it’s like a mind control drug for your cat. A final note on larger scratching posts, if you’re thinking about building your own it’s best to only DIY if you have access to cheap or free materials like left over lumber. The return on investment for building a large scratching post or cat tree is nearly zero if you have to buy all the materials yourself and spend a weekend building it. I speak from the voice of experience, wrapping hundreds of feet of sisal rope is a tedious and time consuming project.
Make Scratching Improper Surfaces Unpleasant
This does not mean yelling at your cat. Cats are extremely smart animals. If you clap your hands at, yell at or strike your cat when it is scratching inappropriately it will quickly associate the punishment with you and simply avoid scratching when you are around. When you’re at work however, your love seat will be targeted for destruction. You want to discourage scratching on furniture without the cat viewing you as the troll that guards the couch. Photo by sara.atkin.
A small spray bottle can be an effective tool when you’re home and able to observe the cat. Never yell or make it known to the cat that you are the source of the spritz of water hitting it. You want the cat to associate scratching on the couch or furiously digging into the carpet with the apparently random blast of water, not with you being nearby. Not yelling includes not laughing when the cat has an extremely disconcerted look on its face after getting spritzed.
Making the surface itself unappealing is also an excellent tact. Double-sided tape is an excellent deterrent. When a favourite scratching spot is suddenly sticky instead of soothing, the cat will quickly abandon it. Make sure to pay close attention to the kind of tape you purchase, you want removable double-sided tape not permanent double-sided tape. The removable kind has a lighter duty adhesive and intended for affixing party decorations to walls and other temporary usage. Make sure to test a small area before wrapping up the entire side of your favourite chair! If you have trouble finding suitable double-sided tape there is a commercial product called Sticky Paws.
It can also help to spray the area being scratched with Febreeze or another odor removing spray. Cats also tend to dislike citrus scents, a natural orange or lemon air fresher sprayed on the furniture can be quite effective. If the favoured scratching spot smells odd and the new scratching post smells like catnip, it won’t be a tough choice.
Trim the Claws
Depending on the age and temperament of your cat this will either be an easy task or a horrible trial. If you have a kitten or young cat, now is the time to get them used to having their nails trimmed. Trimming the nails can be especially helpful during the training phase of transitioning your cat to appropriate scratching surfaces. Removing even the tiniest bit from a cat’s nail reduces it from a fabric-unraveling needle sharp hook. When training one of my cats away from the couch she’d taken a liking to, keeping her nails trimmed completely removed her ability to snag the fibers of the couch and actually damage it. If you’ve never trimmed a cat’s nails before it’s not as daunting as it sounds. Check out this tutorial at wikiHow for details on how to safely trim your cat’s nails. Photo by kevindooley.
When you approach your cat’s scratching as a natural behaviour that simply needs to be redirected instead of a destructive behaviour that you have no control over, it becomes much easier to find a happy solution for the cat and relief for your previously abused furniture. Before investing money and time into a solution for your cat, make sure to observe your cat in action. Do they go and scratch right after waking up from a nap? Do they scratch excitedly after you play with them? Knowing how your cat likes to scratch and when they scratch will help you decide what kind of scratching posts and trees they would enjoy and where it would be best to place them.
If you’ve had your own luck curbing your cat’s destructive scratching, let’s hear about it in the comments. Help your fellow readers spare their couches the death of a thousand claws.
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Is there a way to stop cats clawing you? Everytime they go on my lap they claw through the clothing before they sit on it and it digs into the skin, but they don't claw if they walk over bare skin funnily enough.
aarste
My cat never uses the scratch things I buy for him. I also haven't trimmed his nails in a very long time (couple years). He just either goes outside and scratches some wood...or scratches the back door's frame. =D
meow-mixer
This is a great article, but could you do another one on marking. My cats are litter boxed trained, but once in a while, they mark the sofa, which completely ruins it if not taken care of immediately.
Bennett Blodinger
My sister used the spray bottle method. Unfortunately, the cat got used to it. Ultimately, the cat actually didn't mind being wet.
There is nothing quite as disconcerting as being in the shower, having the curtain move, and watching a cat wander into your shower.
AmphetamineCrown
Spray bottle = money. It works perfectly.
Also, don't give your cats leftovers if you don't want them to beg.
twins8791
It is too late for me, but save yourself, if you still can.
pschroeter
I've tried all these, but cats are interesting creatures with strong personalities. If they really want to do something, they will, despite surface or spray bottle. It can deter them for a time--giving you a moment to strategize, but don't underestimate your kitty. She's likely taken your deterrent method into consideration long before she's acted. :P
We used to use the spray bottle on one of the four cats we have when she was using the houseplants to poop in. It worked well. We also don't have any problems with furniture, I'm thinking maybe because our cats are indoor/outdoor? I notice a lot of the trees around our driveway have scratch marks.
Heh. I'd like to see anyone try holding my mothers cat down to try and trim her claws and come away unscratched and unbitten.
She's not called 'Psychokitty' for nothing - heck, it's taken us 12 months for her to allow us to stroke her (medical reason: she's got allergies) but it would more than likely take anaesthetic before anyone can get those impressive claws of hers trimmed. She's not a furniture scratcher as such - she does have a scratching post and sometimes she uses the kitchen wall - but we discovered bitter apple spray for that - and thats cured her (for now) failing that, her ultimate revenge on us humans is for her to switch the washing machine on when she leaps on top of it (it's in a nice cosy dark alcove... appropriate for a black cat with a black mood!) but my mother has since learnt to switch the washing machine off at the wall switch, but I advised her to fill the washer and leave it set and let the cat at least earn *some* of her keep.
And when she's playing (trust me on this, when I go to my mothers, the cat WAITS FOR ME...) she's got a habit of including the doorframe.. don't know why, can't really work that one out - and it HAS to be a particular piece of string she's GOT to play with.
She's got pics on icanhascheezburger because underneath that dark psychotic exterior is a really nice cat trying to get out...
Oh - and she teases the bunny rabbit there too.. no pawing, just sitting there, trying to outstare a rabbit that would (and could) probably kill her at a moments notice.
Cats. Gotta love 'em... except Psychokitty - we'd miss her if she turned into a pussy cat! ;-D
Coffenated
@spanky: omg that sound fantastic! Hmmm they still make toys like that?
YatimaMeiji
I can't wait to try out the spray bottle! wonder if they would work on dogs... my dog hates baths.
Bachus
These are great suggestions, all of which are simple enough to implement, at least in theory, so without further ado, I am going to get the spray bottle full of water, and hit the tool box for some double-sided tape!
I used to have problems with one of my cats sitting on top of my old CRT monitor and clogging up the vents in the top, so I got a bunch of those little plastic army men with the bayonets and glued them all around on the top of the monitor. Fashionable and functional!
(I know most people don't have CRT monitors anymore, but it could work on other things, too.)
spanky
The spray bottle is a very nice idea in theory, but would go horribly wrong once the cat finds out why I'm laughing behind the sofa
Duke Olivius
"Cats are extremely smart animals. If you clap your hands at, yell at, or strike your cat when it is scratching inappropriately, it will quickly associate the punishment with you and simply avoid scratching when you are around" - haha talk about a contradiction, instead they are so smart that you have to teach them by making them believe water magically materializes.
mahumphrey
@Milja Hahto: Indoor cats also live years longer than outdoor cats. They also tend to be healthier and happier.
@24fc: Declawed cats bite more. Are you going to pull out it's front teeth too?
@Ihaveasmartpuppy: There are two kinds of "declawing" - one is cutting off the nail and bone to the first knuckle (owww!) and the other is cutting the tendon that lets them unsheath them.
It's well known that a cat who has been declawed will resort to biting more in it's "piss off!" body language.
Training is often the best option.
@aarste: Sounds like the cat hasn't figured out that a jean covered leg is still a leg?
Perhaps make a point of jumping / flinching and saying oww! Most cats don't like sudden movements if they're trying to relax and if nothing else, they'll get annoyed at you jumping and wander off. More than likely, though, the cats will learn.
I think the most important thing for us people is to understand that scratching things for cats is not bad habit. They don't "destroy" your furniture in order to make you angry - It's what they do, plain natural behaviour. As for this reason I don't want to "punish" my three cats by spraying water at them (although I admit that I did some time and it worked) or trimming their claws. I also think that you can hardly "educate" cats. The best and easiest way to prevent them of scratching your furniture in my opinion is to give them better opportunities to scratch.
One thing our cats really like is an old rattan chair from IKEA standing in a corner. There is a pillow lying on it and so the chair serves as a place to rest and to scratch. This chair is by far not the most beautiful part of our flat, but it also doesn't have to be: It's theirs.
We also have some scratchin trees, one of them being literally a tree, a thin birch bole. It has partially bound some sisal rope around it, so that they can climb on it fairly easy. See a photo here: [www.flickr.com]
(Sorry, my English is not the best, as I am from Germany)
Frank Ritter
Outdoor cats definitely scratch much less inside, if at all. They have to mark their territory, after all, and scratching is one method. They also leave much less hair behind... my cats are indoor only, and the amount of hair is unbelievable. Unfortunately one of them scratches our sofa in addition to their climbing post that she otherwise definitely loves. Have to try a horizontal scratching pad, I guess...
Milja Hahto
The only good cat is a dead cat:
[radio.weblogs.com]
SloYerRoll
You can find a great product called "ssscat" at pet stores like PetSmart, Petco, and others (and online). It's not cheap ($30 to begin with, $12 for refills) but it is TOTALLY worth it if the spray bottle method doesn't work. ssscat is essentially a can of unscented compressed air (no liquids or anything else involved) with an aim-able, battery-operated motion detector on top. When a cat (or anything else) gets close enough to trigger the motion detector, the device releases a couple of second-long sprays of compressed air, making a LOUD hissing noise.
I have yet to see a cat that doesn't respond as desired to these things--and after a couple of encounters, just the sight of the ssscat will keep them away. Since the unit works even when you're not at home, it's really effective at getting the cat to associate the bad behavior with the scary stimulus, instead of with you. Its only drawback is that it can be TOO effective--when *I* accidentally set a ssscat off, it takes a good minute or two to swallow my heart and recover. But it's been worth it, since it keeps my cat off of the kitchen counters and away from the house plants.
I'm quite against trimming cat's nails.
You never know. Your cat may may run away one day and, in case of danger, he will need his nails to defend himself or to just climb a tree.
Chipper (my Beagle) is laughing at all of this.
Onewalrus
@Bachus: dunno if that will work... dogs dont seem to hate water...
urbanturban666
To keep cats from scratching your furniture, put strips of double-sided tape in strategic places where cats usually scratch--like the corners and the front of the couch. The tape is sticky on both sides, and the cat is repelled by the stickiness. They will quit scratching your furniture! Best of all, it works even when you're not home.
AimeeSiren
@spanky: Whenever I set up soemthing tech related, I like to include a little figure. I put a webcam on top of my big TV, and stuck a little Boba Fett Micro Machine figure next to it. A few weeks ago I noted that Boba was headless right aroudn the time my one started going up there.....
Declaw your cat. Snip off the claws entirely, and the problem is entirely solved.
They say it is cruel, but "they" are silly people who think that cats are people. A nice chair is worth more than the life of a cat.
Declaw.
24fc
@aarste: I think they do that to make sure they are secure on you while they relax on your lap.....
compuguy1088
@AmphetamineCrown: I can barely imagine that.........hope you don't get hairballs in the shower because of that :(
compuguy1088
@Jacob_Grimm: err, *not* at all meant to indirectly say - that should be.
Jacob_Grimm
@Jason Fitzpatrick: Yeah, I should've mentioned unsettling, in the sense that people actually attempt it, not all meant to indirectly say "the author of this article uses his pets as punching bags/etc."
Jacob_Grimm
The squirt gun thing (I used a small water pistol) didn't work for me. I tried it for when my cat jumped on the dining table. He would just turn around give and give me a dirty look and continue to hang out on the table.
He also scratched the couch, so I got him a tall scratching post that looked like it was wrapped in a sisal rug and impregnated with catnip (I would refresh it every now and then). Every time I saw him at the couch I'd say "no!", pick him up and place him on the scratching post.
He later made it into a game where I'd head into the room, he'd run over to the couch and start to scratch it. I'd yell "no!" and he'd run over to the scratching post and scratch furiously. Then he'd tear out of the room like his ass was on fire. What a spazoid.
He also loved to lick the scratching post and often I'd find him sprawled out at the base looking like he was totally stoned. It was hilarious. I guess catnip is kitty ganja. (or at least for some).
Is it wrong that I read the title of this article and immediate just thought "easy, Chinese Buffet"?
Angry Numismatist
@DieselLives:
my vet told me that you can put a little bit of vinegar into the spray bottle water if she gets used to get wet. just a little bit, the vinegar stings on her nose and she will hate it
thegermandude517
@Duke Olivius:
Squirt bottle is my favorite tool to get her away from biting cords. (I call it secretly "The Educator")
Or a quick flick on the nose works wonders too, but Jason is right. I never know what my kitty is up to when I am not at home.
Here is a tip for the biting cords problem. Rub some vinegar on your cords. It stings the cat in the nose and she won't like the taste either. Cords are surprisingly not sticky.
Also, another hint for avoiding the scratching or climbing. I had my cat climb into the christmas tree all the time. I bought a NERF rifle to -and that was the original thought- shoot her out of the tree. Instead I use it to distract her from the tree and chases the NERF darts. Probably my nerdiest thing I own...
AAAAAAAHHHH, nevertheless, my kitty is a spoiled little brat
thegermandude517
@Ihaveasmartpuppy: I'm sorry for your scars. Declawing is a very touchy topic among cat owners. I decided not to for the very same reasons FubarGuy said. In fact, the U.S. is the only country that practices it. It's considered inhumane in other parts of the world. Scratching is a natural, innate trait in cats and with all of the various scratching posts, mats, etc... I don't believe declawing is necessary.
groupie
Well, ok. I guess that time I was clawed by a cat and ended up in the hospital it was more humane. For the cat, that is. That was 20 years ago and I still have the scars, and just for the record, the cat was running from something it was scared of and I just happened to be in the way.
Ihaveasmartpuppy
@Ihaveasmartpuppy: No, they are declawed by ignorant, lazy people who can't take the time & energy to properly train them. It's essentially like removing a person's first knuckle, I don't give a shit if there's anesthesia involved, it's inhumane and any vet that willingly performs declawing is only in it for the money, they can't possibly care about the animal.
FubarGuy
When I brought home our latest kitten, I started with the Soft Paws claw caps, so he couldn't damage anything. Then I combined the 'nip on the cardboard scratcher with tons of praise each time I saw him use it. It only took two fittings - about 6 weeks - of the Soft Paws before he was perfectly content to only use the scratcher, and now every time he sees me come past it he scratches just so I'll make a fuss over him!
QueenArtimus
Not that I know anything about cats (I'm so allergic they make my eyes bleed), but I thought they were de-clawed to prevent this. Don't give me crap about "if they get out they have no way to defend themselves", because the last time I checked, leaving your pet outside to wander freely was illegal, not to mention dangerous (getting hit by a car, eating poisonous stuff, etc).
Ihaveasmartpuppy
Plenty of cat trees are a good start, not just one, but at least one in every room YOU will be in. We get them inexpesively at Costo when they have them in stock for $29 (medium) to $45 (bigger).
We did strip off the carpeting from the central support eventually and wrapped it in natural rope as they were getting carpet pieces all over and one of the cats was trying to eat them. Carpetballs are yuckier than furballs for some reason and I'm sure no good for the cat, being acrylic.
We tried the water spritzer. One note, don't spray their face. The pressure could hurt their eyes or force some bit up their nose and my vet said it's hell getting something out of their noses. I turned out to have water babies, two of them will actually, willingly get into a tub of water. The others love playing in it.
Strategically placed cheap carboard cat scratchers are an option as well. We get them sometimes at Trader Joes, the pet stores or some upright ones from catalogs. The newer shaped ones are kinda neat. We bought a simple box one from Dr. Foster catalog [www.drsfostersmith.com]
The neat part of that scratcher is the opening is only on one side so when it gets worn you can reverse the cardboard. It's just sheets, not a block, so we had to make sure to secure it before pulling it to make it easier to get back in. We've had it 36 months now and they love it.
I trained mine to the sound of snapped fingers, and uttering "bad kitty" when they were very young and doing something obnoxious. We also use 10-20 minute "timeouts" in a special carrier in a closet for bad behaviour. Takes the "steam" out of crazy situations.
Another note: Mine may seem tame to some and I attribute it to getting them spayed and neutered at a very early age of three months. They recover very quickly at that age and remain quite kittenish in their affection and general behaviour.
[www.aspca.org]
Sorry, went on and on, but I do love companion animals. :-)
smcs
@Bennett Blodinger:
An article on marking is hereby seconded! We have 3 neutered cats, and one still consistently marks. The vet hasn't been very helpful.
hstan3
@ Bachus: I tought my puppy to stop scratching walls with a spray bottle, so FYI it does work or it at least worked for me.
Good luck!
We've wrapped our cat tree's legs with sisal rope, because the cats shredded the original carpet right off them. It took a while before they decided they liked clawing the sisal.
Spray bottles work wonders with most cats. In fact, if the cat does realize where the water's coming from, just picking up the bottle can be a deterrent.
For more stubborn cases there is the Scat Mat. They are overpriced, imho, but when you've got a cat who just doesn't get the message they are nothing short of miraculous. Besides, when you're on the other side of a closed door that a cat could not be persuaded to quit scratching on all night, and you hear what amounts to a kitty explosion when paw meets mat, you can laugh yourself silly and that helps you quit grousing about how much the mat cost. :)
@spanky: I lost my first laser printer to cat hair. One of our cats loved to sit on it, and it never dawned on me what the result of that could be, till the repairman took it apart, shook his haid and said "You've got cats, right?"
also...i have purchased at least 2 or three scratching posts (sturdy), a couple of kitty condos, put up the rope thingy on the side of the door by the cat pan (all of which are pricey as heck)...they dont even smell it...and i mean not AT ALL.
and cutting my boys nails...not a chance. i was able to do it once...we wrapped him up like a cocoon and he was mortified...looked funny as hell though.
ive just come to deal with living with an old couch that has each corner ripped to shreds and let them scratch away. im in trouble when i upgrade though.
if you havent done the squirting water method...DO IT. instead of getting a squirt bottle...i got a cool sturdy little water gun that i keep handy...they dont even have a clue Im the sharp shooter ; )
If they are not neutered, they need to be neutered. You cannot stop an intact male from spraying. If they were neutered as kittens, and they are still marking, then it means they are stressed out. There's a spray you can get, it enhances natural cat pheromones; you could try that. You should also talk to your vet - and make sure you've got a good vet; there are some horrid ones out there - if they're neutered and still spraying. It might be a health problem.
ZafinaDogg
@Duke Olivius:
lol...the spray bottle technique has worked wonders for me. however, like you said...everytime i spray...i literally die laughing bc of the look and the reaction i get from him getting squirted....soooo funny.
its at the point now...if i even grab the spray thingy just to move it...they run for cover.
The spray bottle works well. I use it when my cats fight, and when my male cat yowls at 5am. In fact, it worked so well that usually I can achieve the same result by making a quick, sharp, SHH sound. However, your cats won't like you forever if you're only using negative reinforcement. My two cats are on a diet of bland dry food. After clipping their nails, accidentally stepping on one of their tails, or being away for a while, I mention the word TREATS, and their eyes light up. They know what it means... I then proceed to the kitchen where I open a can of tuna, their favorite, and let them have some wet food. As for the scratching... I recently bought an area rug, and if I see them trying to scratch on it, I physically pick them up (always by the scruff, as though I'm the mother), and move them to either a wicker chair that's entirely for their use, or the coir floor mat that's in front of their litter box. They'll either continue scratching at the new location or stop entirely, but either way... they understand not to scratch the nicer area rug.
FawnSilanus
You might want to try a product called Feliway. It's really helped with our chronic sprayer. It should be at most pet stores.
leela314
*For reference I have a two-year-old Maine Coon.
groupie
My cat used to scratch the arm of my couch, but one day I left an old, beat up french memo board in the middle of my living room. I was going to toss it, but didn't feel like bringing it outside. My cat now uses it as a bed a scratching post, which is such a relief from her constantly scratching the arm of the couch. We have this board: [www.bedbathandbeyond.com]
But they are also tutorials on how to make them:
[www.shari.com]
[designonpost.wordpress.com]
groupie
@indiepants: That kind of conditioning is more work (although honestly not a ton more work than being vigilant with a squirt bottle), I've got a cat tree arriving later this week I'll have to try it out with the new kittens we just adopted and see how quickly it works ;-)
@Jacob_Grimm: I'd never strike an animal and I'd meter out strong vengeance on anyone who struck one of mine. I included it because many people do in fact smack their cats and dogs in an attempt to deter them from bad behaviors. It's ineffective and ignorant, but frequently done none the less.
Trimming the end of their nails (claws) only encourages them to work harder to sharpen them. I have had great success with a simply a slight squeeze of their paw to let them know this is not acceptable behavior. Now before you think I am some horrible person that enjoys hurting cats, I mean slight. Any little pressure to the cats paws will not be welcome by the cat. They just hate it but they will continue to allow you to be part of their bid for the domestic dominance of you household. ;-)
ZakiaHamjig
@spanky: I used to have a cat that would sleep on top of CRT monitors too. I never had the heart to deny her, so I just folded a thin blanket to keep the fur from getting inside and figured the back and side vents would do a decent job dispersing the heat. In the ten or so years the cat sat on the monitor, neither cat nor monitor burst into flames.
The most effective thing we've tried is using positive reinforcement (and this is after years of nothing else working).
Got a nice new cat scratcher thingie. Set it up at home and they mostly ignored it at first but would occasionally come by to smell the new thing. At first, any time they got near it we'd click (dog training clicker) and treat them. As they got used to hanging around it we slowed down the click 'n' treat. They didn't scratch it for a while, but finally one of them did. Click 'n' treat. Next day he did again. Then later the other guy did.
Now that scratching post has become their main place to scratch and incidents on carpet, couch, etc are virtually nil. We don't click every time they do it but usually once a day or so.
indiepants
@JuryDuty: Indeed.
The fact that "striking" the animal is mentioned in this article is a little unsettling, and in reality, doesn't seem like it'd be an effective solution. Interestingly enough, the "How to Make Your Cat Happy" article on wikiHow advises never to strike a cat.
Jacob_Grimm
Mine are particularly reactive to blown dry air. Don't know if they are more sensitive to the air flow than to the noise alone, though.
FreemanZeiram
Thank you!!
My cat just destroys my couches,
This should help :)
Lifehacker
@AimeeSiren:
It works...but beware if you have a cloth couch. I did this with the current couch I have (which I have decided to just let them scratch at). It worked...however...anywhere the tape had started to come off due to age...the couch was a totally different color at those spots color due to regular everyday aging/use.
I have one of those rugged couches from IKEA that has lasted quite a bit (5 years so far) with my two cats...but when I pulled the tape off of the edges...my couch was now two tone. Under the tape looked as if I had a a brand new couch.
I suppose this doesnt matter if you want the tape on there for life though.
Cats don't like it when you hiss at them. I forcibly blow air through a small opening in my mouth over my tongue. I think it makes them think they are about to fight or that their mother is pissed at them.
The water bottle is good too. Sometimes I see our cats looking like they are about to do something they're not allowed to do, and all I have to do is pick up the spray bottle and set it down in front of me as a warning.
pschroeter
@SnusBeorn: Sure I get the point that cats aren't people (though I think you should spread that knowledge amongst cat owners), but if you look at the quoted portion it doesn't make logical sense. If cats were smart, they would associate the punishment with their actions instead of the punishment with the people. Simply calling them smart for not doing the same thing they've been told not to while being scared of magical flying water is not smart by any definition.
mahumphrey
@shifuimam: Still ignorant & selfish. Guess what EVERYBODY knows? Cats have claws! They always have, don't want to deal with that? Don't get a fucking Cat!
FubarGuy
@spanky: My cats used to love my Wii. They'd climb up to the HDTV (which is on a raised platform along with other electronic gadgetry) and just hang out there. Sometimes they'd knock the Wii down, which would annoy me a bit because I'm a freak about people taking or harming my property... we tried using a mat that would zap them a bit (not enough to hurt), but they figured out how to jump over it and still get behind the TV. Then, by fate someone moved the TV over so they couldn't jump behind it. :/ Though they still like watching TV (one of my cats enjoys Finding Nemo.)
@Duke Olivius: Spray bottle has two advantages, it works to discourage generally, but once the cat has associated spray bottle to water, it won't go near it. So if you need a door ajar or else without the cat running through it, placing the bottle in the doorway will usually keep it away.
Bobly
Does anyone have any suggestions for getting a cat to stop chewing on wires? My cat also likes to chew on things like the antenna on my wireless router. Just curious what steps anyone else may have taken.
ladougg
@UnderLoK: Nice attempt to negate everyone else by referring to their points as "stupid", while offering up a counterpoint that is equally so by your reasoning.
Jacob_Grimm
I had a cat that actually enjoyed getting squirted in the face with ice cold water.
KatsMeow
@korybing: Yeah, my cat doesn't care about water either. Blowing a puff of air into her face is a good substitute but you can't do it without it being obvious where the air is coming from.
anniekate76
@UnderLoK: Or if the cat is anything like my cat, he'll actually LIKE getting swatted, pushed around, and tossed. The cat keeps coming back for more and seems happiest when we are handling him roughly (not painfully, just more like playing with a rambunctious dog than a cat).
@thegermandude517: Oh that's a good tip. My cat has never been averse to water (he likes to jump in the shower and the bathtub while we're using it), so a water bottle had 100% no effect on him. Vinegar might help.
@Insomnic: God, same here. My cat isn't a rescue cat, but he's a horrible masochist that seems to enjoy being manhandled and mistreated for some reason. I bought a spray bottle to keep him off high tables and shelves, and when I spray him with it he just sits there taking it. I'll spray him right in the face and he'll just look at the water like "What, that all you got?"
The little turd is one of the 1/3 of cats that is immune to catnip, too. So finding something to modify his behavior has been fruitless so far. If he wasn't so cute we would have strangled him by now.
(talking like this about my cat has confused people into thinking I abuse my cat, which is not the case. I love the little jerk a lot, he just really loves to be a colossal turd to us while looking adorable so I usually describe him lovingly with cuss words.)
I've done the can of air thing before and that seems to work great, but my cats are now scared to death of that thing so I scrapped it.. I want them to learn, not to run away every time I come near them..
@theblackdog: Yes, and when an unsuspecting cat steps on one, it's darn near impossible not to laugh. :)
My son refers to it as a "flurry of cat."
Er, I mean....
Two words: Blender Defender
Two words: A href="http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/" target="_blank">Blender Defender
@FawnSilanus: It's always nice to hear someone employing animal tactics on animals. Well played.
I bought big bath towels the same color as my couch and draped them over the exposed back and sides of my couch.
The cats can't get enough resistance to scratch on. (The towels give.)
It doesn't look unsightly.
I don't have to trim their claws
I don't have to worry.
They use their scratch post now.
One of our cats jumps on my plasma screen, I'd like to try the spray trick but i'd need to be very accurate :S, any alternatives for getting it off there without getting up?
I had a mini nerf gun a he chases the darts from that but once i've run out of darts he'll be back up there. Grrrr!
Scott Alexander-Bown
@groupie: Maine Coons are the best (we have a 6 year old Maine Coon named Moo for the chirping noise she makes).
This sort of flies in the face of an earlier submission that encouraged your cats to shit inside a designer cabinet. Kitty is very confused...
We started using [] with our cat at a very young age. They are latex nail caps that you glue on over the cats claws.
Possibly because we started young, or it may just be the disposition of our cat, but she allows us to attach these too her claws. We have to be somewhat fast because she will only tolerate 2-3 minutes of holding her paw.
After having these on for so long it seems like she has completely forgotten to even sharpen her claws. Often times we have to cut the nail caps off because the nails grow too long, sometimes as long as a month.
I've used canned air to scare off my cat when he's up to no good. I don't spray it at him, just spray it in the air. He doesn't like the sound, apparently. Nowadays, simply picking up the can and showing it to him scares him off.
Ahhh, Mr. Kitters, you rascal.
My cat has become immune to the spraying. I trim his claws, but I've resigned my side of the argument.
Keanon Liggatt
I've had good luck with [www.softpaws.com] They are little rubber tips that you slide over your cats claws. A little dab of the included glue goes on the tip before it's put on and it will stay in place for about a month or two.
Just make sure you watch your cat for about 5 minutes after putting on the tips. Otherwise they can pull the tips off before the glue has had a chance to set.
jkramlich
@Duke Olivius: Unfortunately, one of my cats was a street cat we rescued and has no problem with water... when you spray him he just licks it and says "thank you for the drink" before going back to whatever he was doing before, often with more fervor.
@infmom: I am probably a horrible person, but I clicked the link to the Scat Mat, and I laughed when I realized what it did.
Remember, cats are nice in pictures but you aren't really supposed to bring them inside. They are barn animals for catching mice.
Our vet will trim our cats claws for us when we bring him in for his check-ups. We have a scratching post/hiding thing that he completely ignores (but loved as a kitten). He's torn our box spring to shreds. :(
My mothers cat doesn't scratch--no, he prefers to knock things over. Vases full of water and flowers, lamps, food, baskets with potpourri, etc. He'll look right at you, and then take his paw and push.
Has anyone had any luck with that 'ssscat' spray? [www.drsfostersmith.com] I was thinking it might be worth it for my mom since she works and isn't able to be there for every moment the cat shouldn't be doing something or near something he shouldn't be.
@amandakerik:
No, they don't. Been debunked over and over again. They will still swipe at stuff because the cat doesn't know they don't have claws. The increased biting seen in early studies was a result of OUR change in behavior. People were rougher with the animal because they knew they would not get scratched.
charnov
@shifuimam:
Yeah, after $20K of damage to furniture and getting close to divorce (and spending $400/mt on counseling), HER cats finally got declawed (mine was a total declaw from 10 weeks old). Nice painless laser surgery with anesthetic.
Happiest day of my life.
charnov
@Jason Fitzpatrick: Just a heads up--my mother's cat won't go higher than a certain spot on the cat tree. Apparently some cats are afraid of heights, lol.
@AmphetamineCrown: I have a photo of my son in the tub and my cat (when he was a kitten) sitting on the edge of the tub, patting the water with his paw. I wouldn't have put it past him to get into the water if the kiddo hadn't been there.
@Bachus: My dog loathes baths, but, any other source of water and she's there. She's actually broken two of our sprinkler heads after finding out they 'shoot' water.
Matter of fact, the kiddo was outside with her yesterday and they both came in sopping wet--he had a super soaker and would aim it near the dog who would in turn chase the stream trying to catch the water.
@AmphetamineCrown: Same deal for mine, too. He got used to the spray bottle (he's still afraid of it, just not water). He also lays in sinks. When I turn the water on, he just lays there, letting the sink fill up around him.
@Duke Olivius: Ok - that made me spit my coffee.
My cat would retaliate with one spritz of the spray bottle. He's not a friendly feline, by any means.
I recently bought a microfiber couch and loveseat and my cat has absolutely no interest in scratching it. I guess the fabric is unappealing to him. He's used many couches as scratching posts in the past, but not this one. He walks straight to his scratching post next to the couch (one of these: [www.petsmart.com]) and scratches that rather than the couch.
Cinnamon. Cats HATE Cinnamon. Rub some into whatever they are scratching and they'll RUN from it the first time they sink their claws into it.
Jeff Carnahan
@Jason Fitzpatrick: Kicking the crap out of an animal is one thing, giving it a swat is another.
People that are actually stupid enough to even suggest that swatting an animal is ineffective must have forgotten how these animals behave in the wild. THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE, THEY ARE NOT YOUR KIDS, THEY ARE ANIMALS.
Making physical contact doesn't mean you are torturing them, it doesn't mean you are hitting them as hard as I would hit you, and it doesn't do them any harm as a swat is just like squirting them with water except they know it's you doing it. You should read up on the type of behaviors animals use to keep one another in check.
@sciamannikoo: Cats defend themselves by biting and kicking with their back legs, which are much more powerful than their front. Same for climbing trees. My family's cat was declawed and still beat the crap out of other cats, frequently caught and ate rodents and baby bunnies, and had no problem climbing the trees in our backyard.
shifuimam
@amandakerik: Um. No they don't. Two of my cats never bite. The third is a biter, but she was before she was declawed. Please don't make blanket generalizations about all declawed cats based on certain cats. My cats don't even realize they don't have claws, considering that they try to "scratch" pretty frequently.
shifuimam
@Ihaveasmartpuppy: Interestingly, not everyone who declaws their kitties is a heartless, lazy bum. I decided I wasn't going to declaw my first cat. Then she started tearing up everything in sight and didn't respond to water, Soft Paws, yelling, scratch mats and posts, and every other trick in the book. After months of stress for both of us, I finally had her declawed by an excellent veterinarian. She was more than a year old, so it took her longer than a young kitten to recover - but she was none worse for the wear.
I had my second kitten declawed at fourteen weeks. She was bouncing around the next day like nothing had happened.
People who are anti-declawing generally are not all that educated on the actual facts, because the anti-declaw community is incredibly vocal compared to the rest of us. It isn't remotely akin to removing part of a human finger. Cats only use their claws for climbing and scratching and do not walk on that part of the toe. They don't need their claws for picking up objects the way that humans do.
Frankly, my cats and I are happier when front claws are removed. I'm not constantly getting injured by them, I don't have to worry about them damaging anything and everything while I'm at work all day, but most importantly, I have more time to love them since I'm not constantly disciplining them.
shifuimam
@mahumphrey: They're smart--as CATS, not as people. Animals learn very quickly about other animals that present a danger to them. As cats naturally don't understand or know how to operate water spritzers, they don't know what to make of them. Very young children are much the same; they delight in throwing food onto the floor, for example, because the gravity and what it does is new and amazing to them.
@24fc: Huh? I'm no animal-rights radical but that seems extraordinarily callous to me. Point blank: If you can conceive of a material possession that you'd value more than the life of a pet, then you really, REALLY should not have a pet. Domestic animals are not fashion accessories or human life-enhancers that are useless if they don't conform to your will. They are sentient beings, albeit in their own ways, and the joy of sharing your life with a pet should come from building a relationship with that pet according to its own abilities, rather than attempting to force the pet to behave in a manner contrary to its capabilities. Cats are trainable--but many are significantly less trainable than dogs, and have significantly less of a desire to please their owner because they are not pack animals. This isn't an inconvenience and it isn't a flaw; it is simply a fact. The ignorant and those who are unwilling to accept this fact should never, ever bring a cat into their homes.