Moving to a condo with hardwood floors...

[TNR1]

I am moving into a new unit (renting) and the woman has hardwood floors. Both my cats still have their nails and I'm worried about them scratching up the flooring...does anyone know what I can do? I do trim their front nails once a week.

Katie

[gargoyle]

Have you considered trying the Soft Claws? Or Soft Paws, can't quite recall the name.

We have hardward floors on the main floor of our house. 5 years now and I don't know of a spot that they have marked up with their claws. Furniture, yes, but not flooring.

YMMV

[TNR1]

Hey Marion...I don't think my cats would take to soft paws real well....the are only mildly ok with nail trimmings (because I bribe them with treats).

Katie

[gargoyle]

In that case, are there any particular spots that you think they are likely to scratch up? Like near the door(s) or a window? Maybe put small area rugs there...

[elizwithcat]

Originally Posted by TNR1

Hey Marion...I don't think my cats would take to soft paws real well....the are only mildly ok with nail trimmings (because I bribe them with treats).

Katie

Then they should be fine. You glue the soft paws on, so the cat can not remove it. And if they allow you to cut their nails, then after you cut the nails, all you do is to glue the soft paws on, and it's done.

[valanhb]

I was thinking runners and rugs in high traffic and Indy 500 areas. They have little rubber pieces that go under the rugs/runners to keep them in place even on hardwood without damaging the surface underneath.

[Grapegal45]

We have hardwood floors all through the house. The dog claws have been tough through the years but I don't think the cats have done too much. The above ideas, runners, rugs are a good idea. I guess it would matter how rough your kitties are, if they are more quiet and relaxed I wouldn't think damage would be done.

Depends on what type of hardwood floors they are.

If they're those really nice snap-together wood floors that came out within the past ten years, you couldn't scratch them with a knife. I wouldn't worry about the cats leaving marks.

If they're the old hardwood floors that are covered in shellack... We have those all through the first floor of our house, and our last cat left marks everywhere. You should see the gouges she left on the wooden trash can and the coffee table. The new cats are better. Hans just pads around. Merlin never jumps on anything with his claws out. (He's actually skidded off the coffee table a few times.) L.S.... well, more scratches have been added.

You'll have to look at labels to find a cat friendly product, but a good hardwood floor wax should help prevent and hide any scratches they make. We've never done it because we're too lazy.

[Rosiemac]

Katie are the hardwood floors like mine in this picture?. Mine are the original floorboards which are varnished and their all the way through the bottom of the house, and neither Rosie or Sophie have been tempted to claw at them, they slide all over them when their playing chase after each other and make such a noise batting their balls around but apart from that their ok!

[gargoyle]

Originally Posted by valanhb

... high traffic and Indy 500 areas. ...

That's a perfect description!

[jcat]

Katie, all our cats have had intact claws, and none of them has ever clawed the "hard" floors (rugs have been a different matter). We used to live in a house with shellacked oak floors, and our current house has parquet in the living room and upstairs hallway. I really doubt you'll have a problem, but if you do, I'd suggest getting some small, cheap wool or wool-blend rugs for them to claw. Or synthetic ones you can turn upside down, so that the cats can work on the backing. Until it went out of business, a home furnishings store here used to "order" an extra set of carpet samples for me from their suppliers, and sell them to me for a few bucks. My sister still does that - I think it's a local "Menard's" she gets the samples from.

[jennyranson]

I have parquet wood floors all over hte house, and the cats never mark them. I only have a problem with the rugs, and I put sisal door mats down in strategic areas to encourage them to scratch those instead of the wool rugs. It mostly works.