Enticing cat to use scratcher

valanhb · Nov 3, 2006

This seems like such a simple question, doesn't it?

And I know the usual answers - try different materials and sprinkle with catnip and rub her paws on it to give her the right idea. Well, Ginger doesn't agree with those tips!

We now have three different kinds of scratching pads, and a post. We have the cardboard ones that Trent and Ophelia LOVE, sisal in both horizontal and vertical (that's the post), and a carpet pad. The cat tree and condo are also covered in carpet (Trent and Ophelia use these as scratchers too). While Trent and Ophelia are loving the variety, Ginger still prefers the carpet on the floor in the hall and the stairs - both low and medium pile carpet. She scratched on the carpet pad thingie when we first brought it home, but since then prefers to just lay on it and guard it. No scratching that I've seen since then.

Sprinkling with 'nip absolutely does not work with Ginger because she is such a little nip-head that she loses interest in everything else when catnip is involved. She rubs her head and body on it, but no scratching.

I've tried giving her the idea of scratching on it by scratching on it myself. She looks at me like I have three heads.

I've tried grabbing her paws to rub them on it, and then she thinks I'm torturing her. She sees Trent (her play buddy) scratching on them, and Ophelia too. No dice.

Any other tips and tricks?

pami · Nov 3, 2006

Thats a difficult question. Have you tried to put a horizontal scratch pad in the locations she is using your carpet? That probably doesnt help since she is using the stairs and probably in different locations, too. I wonder if you got some scrap carpet pieces and put them in the various locations she is scartching, just until she gets adjusted.

Just throwing some ideas out there. Hopefully someone will have the solution!

sar · Nov 3, 2006

Ginger obviously doesn't agree with the hints and tips!

I have never had this problem, but I have some ideas that you might fancy trying!

Does Ginger respond to a laser pen light? If so, you might want to run the light around the floor to get her attention and then run it up and down the tree - hopefully with Ginger in chase! This might get her used to digging her claws into the fabric on there and make her realise that it's quite nice and scratchy!

Treats on the scratch posts and platforms?

Picking her up and essentially attaching her to part of the tree?

This generally gets them climbing up it and hopefully realising the above scratchy enjoyment!

I'll keep my thinking cap on for you though!

trinettec · Nov 3, 2006

Find a piece of raw wood and do the scratching it yourself or putting her paws on it. I built my own kitty playground out of 4x4 posts and plywood and left the posts uncovered by carpet and the cats love to scratch and stretch on these.

persi & alley · Nov 3, 2006

Originally Posted by valanhb

This seems like such a simple question, doesn't it?

And I know the usual answers - try different materials and sprinkle with catnip and rub her paws on it to give her the right idea. Well, Ginger doesn't agree with those tips!

We now have three different kinds of scratching pads, and a post. We have the cardboard ones that Trent and Ophelia LOVE, sisal in both horizontal and vertical (that's the post), and a carpet pad. The cat tree and condo are also covered in carpet (Trent and Ophelia use these as scratchers too). While Trent and Ophelia are loving the variety, Ginger still prefers the carpet on the floor in the hall and the stairs - both low and medium pile carpet. She scratched on the carpet pad thingie when we first brought it home, but since then prefers to just lay on it and guard it. No scratching that I've seen since then.

Sprinkling with 'nip absolutely does not work with Ginger because she is such a little nip-head that she loses interest in everything else when catnip is involved. She rubs her head and body on it, but no scratching.

I've tried giving her the idea of scratching on it by scratching on it myself. She looks at me like I have three heads.

I've tried grabbing her paws to rub them on it, and then she thinks I'm torturing her. She sees Trent (her play buddy) scratching on them, and Ophelia too. No dice.

Any other tips and tricks?

I include a photo here to show you what worked for me. Note that first the scratching post is directly in front of his litter box and he has just finished using the litter box. He goes straight from the box to the post always. First he wipes his feet clean of litter on the carpeted bottom and then begins scratching the scraggly rope to sharpen his claws. You say you showed your cat how do to this. What I did was to take ahold of his paws when he was done using the box, gently help him out of the box and then using his paws with my hands, go through all the actions that I wanted him to perform and then rewarded him with a treat. This worked great for me but I did start teaching him this when he was just seven weeks old and it took several weeks but it did sink in as you can see. In the picture, he has just jumped out of his litter box. Oh, added attraction is that he loves to climb this thing which is about four feet high with a small platform at the top.

jcat · Nov 3, 2006

This won't work on the stairs, but it might in the upstairs hallway. Get some cheap throw rugs and turn them upside down over Ginger's favorite spots on the carpet. You might even be able to get some edged sisal ones (I had two for years, and just threw them away last year). Or try some cork - you can get a roll of cork insulation (used under parquet/laminate) at a home supplies store, and just cut pieces off as needed.
As for the stairs - how about those horrible clear plastic "carpet protectors" that you can tack over the carpeting until she loses interest in those spots?
Ginger may want her "own" special place to scratch, where Trent and Ophelia haven't left their mark. I noticed that when Teufel and Kaylee were here. Teufel used all the places Jamie scratches, but Kaylee refused to (she preferred bed frames, so I had to use some "Sticky Paws", and offer her a piece of cork and a "virgin" throw rug). One of my sister's cats (the "middle" one) also doesn't want to share his special spots. If the other two start scratching where he does, he finds someplace new.

Enticing cat to use scratcher

valanhb

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pami

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sar

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trinettec

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persi & alley

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jcat

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