If you cat is anything like Smudge, he likes to scratch, and the more expensive a piece of furniture, the more he likes to scratch. I’d like to say straight off that I believe ‘de-clawing’ to be a barbaric evil practice, and I do NOT recommend this, no matter how scratchy your cat gets. Here is the alternative humane and NICE way to get your cat to stop with the scratching already.
Basically, you need to train your cat to use a scratching post. Cats scratch to keep their claws in good shape, and it is a perfectly natural activity. It can be annoying if they damage the furniture, but the alternative is far far worse - a psycho kitten with major mental issues!
The first tip is to keep the scratching post near where the cat sleeps. Cats are lazy little beggars, and if you make it easy for him to have a quick scratch, he will probably go for it rather than slice up the leather sofa.
The second tip is that if your cat has already chosen a particular bit of the sofa to abuse, put the post near that.
The third tip is how to train him to use the post in the first place. Putting his claws onto the post won’t work. Cats usually hate having their paws touched. A better way is to rub some catnip on it - make the post appealing to him. Wiggling a string over it to get his attention also works, as does sticking cat treats on the top so he has to claw his way up it. He’ll soon get the idea!
Fourth tip - buy a TALL post. 18 inches isn’t enough. You need one at least 30 inches tall, because part of the scratching pleasure for your cat is the stretching. Posts covered in sisal are best - the smell is attractive to cats in a way rope isn’t.
Fifth tip - if your cat REALLY won’t use the post, try a flat scratching pad. You can even make these yourself from plywood and a bit of carpet. Fold the carpet over the wood and fasten it down with tacks or staples. I had to do this for Smudge at one point, because he lost interest in his post, and went for the new lazy boy recliner.
Sixth tip - to make the furniture less attractive, rub plenty of furniture polish into it. You can also shield the sofa and chair sides with the kind of heavy plastic used to cover footstools. You can even use aluminum foil stuck down with tape - cats hate that!
Seventh tip - as a last last LAST resort, if all else fails, spray him gently with a bottle of water whenever he is actually scratching. This may cause more problems than it solves, but as a final resort, it can be quite effective.
So that is how I stopped petmillions.com photo contest. His pet id is 3087 and voting is free! Thanks!
Mr Lipthorpe is active in many charity fields, and shares a house in the north east with petmillions.com photo contest.
