No scratching posts for THIS cat.

My name is Luna, and I have all my claws. My mom got me TWO scratching posts, both about waist high to her. one of them just has carpet and is a little wobbly - my mom tried to build it herself - and the other has rope around the bottom. Now I love to scratch, but I'd prefer to scratch the couch or chairs, or mattresses or anything besides scratching posts. I do like to sit on top of the posts though, and love to chew on the stringy-things my mom hangs from them. She did get me a door-hanging scratcher with cat nip in it, but I just lick it to get teh catnip out. I love catnip almost as much as I love scratching! But my mom is a little distressed, she wants to know how to make scratching posts my preferred scratching place. And I'd like that too, they would be a lot less boring that way! Mom would love any advice you have~

p.s. ok i guess i didn't see the sticky. I'll look there now, but if anyone wants to post to this. feel free.

Hi Luna!
We are 5 kittens living with 6 "oldies"
Our meowmy can't understand why we still find the couch and other furniture potential scratch posts when we are allowed to go outside to scratch away at our favorite trees. So she covers everything (when there are no guests that is) with old bedsheets and she also scolds us everytime we are caught starting to "dig in". She even regularly trims our claws (how dare she!!).
Surprisingly, the grown up cats are not interested in the furniture. They told us that after a while it becomes boring and they do not want meowmy sad and angry. They also told us that we will understand as we grow older. We'll see

Well, I am so blessed because my little guy uses his carpeting cat tree and corregated cardboard box 95% of the time -- it helps that he prefers carpet to furniture anyway.

What I would do is start by trimming Luna's nails -- that way if she goes at the couch -- she is much less likely to do damage. Then, in addition to the carpet post, buy one of those cheap cardboard scratchers (shaped like a ramp). Many kitties love to stretch out and dig into those (I got mine at PetSmart). Then, whenever you see kitty using the "right" thing to scratch -- reward with a treat immediately and praise. I did this pretty consistently and did not take long before he knew what was "his" to scratch.

Lastly, make sure you leave scratching posts or boxes near where your kitty sleeps -- they tend to like to stretch and scratch when they wake up. Good luck!

So i do trim her claws fairly regulary and have started leaving a blanket over the corner of the couch that seems to get more and more destroyed no matter what i do. =P- the couch that is. I tried the sticky-tape stuff and she just chews it off. (see the behavior thread "Chews on Tape" =) )

i bought her two carboard scratching things and neither of them she touched (ended up giving them to the Humane Society.) Also she's started using my mattress to scrach on (don't have a bed frame the the matteress lays on the ground).

Her scratching posts are: 1- by the window in the living room so she can watch the birds and 2 in the hallway next to my room. I'm thinking if I moved the second one actually IN my room, she may use it more because it would be in a more social place?

as far as sleeping, she sleeps on my bed usually or on my wheely chair that moves around. I have noticed that she likes to scratch laying down.

someday I'm going to get one of those really tall trees which might help her stretch out more. (when i'm not a poor college student and after i get an Ionic breeze...and maybe an automatic litterbox. and Luna has no idea how much money I spend on her...spoiled cat. )

One word sweety.....softclaws. Kirra can scratch anywhere she likes, even me, and no damage, and she looks FABULOUS in green/red covers hehehe