Scratching post

maxy24

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We were having trouble with the cats scratching the furniture and although they had a scratching post in the other room I decided to put one in the room with the furniture. It has worked great for Neko, I knew he loves these type of posts anyway (the ones with the surrogated cardboard) but Willie has shown no interest in it. I have sprinkled cat nip (which he likes and sniffs and then goes crazy, but it will not make him scratch it) on it and showed him and moved his paws for him but nothing will make him scratch. When Neko scratches it he decides he needs to scratch and does so on the couch arm, I pick him up and put him on the post and try to make him scratch but it does not work. What should I do to get him to scratch it?
 

mooficat

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I used a bit of ribbon or knotted string - trail it across the scratch pad, as a game, hopefully your cat should chase it and when he jumps his nails hopefully go into the cardboard, it might take a couple of goes but he'll soon get the idea
 

alleygirl

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You could try getting him a different type of scratching post. Maybe he would prefer one that has carpet or the rope covering? If its a stand-up type post, maybe he would prefer a flat one? All cats like different things, so maybe he is just picky about what he scratches on.

There are things in other threads that people have suggested to help "repel" cats from furtniture and other areas you don't want them messing with but I can't remember the name off hand. If you look around, you should find some helpful info.
 

kalikat

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Try putting thick plastic on your furniture & hopefully he'll not get a grip & give up. Tying toys on scratching post a good idea.
 

missymotus

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Originally Posted by PaulaS

You could try getting him a different type of scratching post. Maybe he would prefer one that has carpet or the rope covering?
I was going to suggest that. My cats all have different scratching tastes so I have posts in sissal, carpet, wood and cardboard.
 

momofmany

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If he is going after an arm, that tells me he likes vertical scratchers. Try a tall post, that is one that is at least as tall as the arm of the chair if not taller.

Redirection eventually works, but you have do be very dilligent about it.
 

persi & alley

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Originally Posted by mooficat

I used a bit of ribbon or knotted string - trail it across the scratch pad, as a game, hopefully your cat should chase it and when he jumps his nails hopefully go into the cardboard, it might take a couple of goes but he'll soon get the idea
Hey, this sounds like a good idea!
 
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maxy24

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thanks guys! I'll work a little longer to see if I can get him to scratch the one we have but it not we'll get a vertical one, I know he does not like rope and he does not seems interested in the cardboard so I'll try carpet, he scratches his cat tree but that's in my room and it's to big for the living room so I'll just try a vertical carpet scratcher.
 

persi & alley

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Originally Posted by Maxy24

We were having trouble with the cats scratching the furniture and although they had a scratching post in the other room I decided to put one in the room with the furniture. It has worked great for Neko, I knew he loves these type of posts anyway
(the ones with the surrogated cardboard)
but Willie has shown no interest in it. I have sprinkled cat nip (which he likes and sniffs and then goes crazy, but it will not make him scratch it) on it and showed him and moved his paws for him but nothing will make him scratch. When Neko scratches it he decides he needs to scratch and does so on the couch arm, I pick him up and put him on the post and try to make him scratch but it does not work. What should I do to get him to scratch it?
I am confused. Could you mean corrugated cardboard? I have a standard scratching post that has carpet and rope for them to sharpen their claws on. They both use it but Persi much prefers the corrugated cardboard ones that come in different sizes of boxes and just lay on the floor where you put them. I see that you mention moving his paws for him. That is what I did with Persi. I took both his forelegs in my hands and went through all of the scratching motions that I wanted him to do. I just kept doing this every hour or so and he started using them. I did the same thing with the scratching post which I keep right outside the litter box. Again, I took his paws in my hands and showed him what to do. Now he always gets a good scratch in when he leaves the litter box. Although Alley came from the streets, somebody had already taught her how to use both but she prefers the post and also uses it when leaving the litter box. This really works good because most of the litter that gets stuck on their feet gets removed right after leaving the litter box. Here is a picture of what I am talking about. That's his litter box to the right. He has just left the litter box in this picture.
 
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