At My Wit's End and Need Advice

May I ask why your bought NICE stuff with kittens who are teenagers? Basically your 1 yr olds are like 12-16 in human years

Have you tried using "boundry" sprays?

Spraying catnip on the cast scrathing posts ? Have you tried different types of scratching surfaces? Ie some like carpet, some like cardboard , some like wood...

If you need to rehome them and Honestly by your post you may not be ready to be a pet parent ... Please consult the local Humane society.. Often they will post a ad on the board or pet finder for you... Ask for a small rehoming fee ( it can be 10$ ) just something so you find a person not a lab .. Have a contract , you can put in they eat a certain food...

Double sided tape is your friend in this situation. Put it all around your matress/box spring (or only where your cats like to scratch if it happens to be one or two spots) and the cats wont want to claw, they hate that sticky feeling. That can also work to keep them off of surfaces. Just put some double sided tape on a piece of cardboard, and put that on the chairs, tables, and countertops. Cling wrap also works for counters, etc, by the same principle.

Also, did you let them climb on the old chairs? If so, that explains why they didnt know the new chairs were off limits.

Do you clip the cats' claws? Have you ever heard of Soft Paws? They're soft nail caps that you can apply yourself, or have a vet or groomer apply. They're a real alternative to declawing or rehoming, and definitely something you should try.

I don't have teenage cats, for good reasons. I've been there. And I second the comment that you can't expect cats that age to calm down. But they will, in time. Please be patient with them. Cover the good furniture, in the mean time, or store it. They believe you have given them a "forever" home, and they are just doing what cats do.

That being said, I have 5 cats, all adopted as adults, after a long time in a shelter, where they never learned that anything was off limits.

I have had great success with Sticky Paws double sided tape. It is sold at the pet store chains. It comes in sheets, but I buy the rolls. It is expensive, but I have only needed 2 rolls over the last 3 years when I brought all these new cats home. I still have half the 2nd roll left.

I am very picky about my furniture, and some of it is quite new. I also don't like them on my kitchen counters. The Sticky Paws has worked for everything, and it doesn't damage the furniture (though they tell you on the package to test it first in a underneath place). I would be afraid to use regular (though cheaper) double sided tape because it might harm my furniture finishes or leave residue on the upholstery.

You don't have to put the tape all over the furniture. I just put it on the places they have a tendency to scratch. They don't like the way the stickiness feels on their paws, so they leave it alone. A couple of months after a new cat comes into my home, I can take the tape off. Problem solved.

I think catnip on scratching posts makes them more attractive. There are spraying and buzzing gadgets that I would try, sold places like Doctors Foster and Smith, if the Sticky Tape didn't work for me and them.

But, I must say, that in spite of being partial to having a beautiful, well-kept home (by my standards anyway), I would never consider getting rid of any of my cats for scratching. It is the natural thing, after all. They are part of the family and I made a commitment to them when I adopted them. Really, furniture is not so very important. But living creatures, God's creatures, are what is important in life. They are gentle trusting beings who rely on us for their welfare and livelihood. I am becoming increasingly afraid that there are more cats than ever in shelters who will never find homes. I say that because I volunteer in a good shelter every week and I see what is happening.

Please reconsider and find a solution. Good luck to you and your cats!

Robin

Oh, and when we bought two new pieces of wood furniture this summer, a sideboard and a TV stand, I purchased these wonderful mats, before the furniture even arrived, to put on the tops. I knew that inadvertently, the finishes would be scratched as cats jumped on and off this furniture. So, I planned these mats as part of the mid-century modern look I'm going for.

See chilewich.com for the mats, in many sizes, textures, and colors. I plan to order others in time to change them out some for variety. I love them. Of course, if they aren't your style, the idea would still work with something else.

The gadgets I mentioned are sold at DrsFosterSmith.com and are called SSSCAT Spray and Tattle Tale. I haven't tried them, but I may as I have one spot in my house that one of my cat bothers, and tape won't work there. Another poster here wrote about the SSSCAT Spray as keeping their cat away from feathers on something. I think they would work for keeping cats off counters and tables. But I've used Sticky Paws for that.

Robin

As I said, how my house looks matters to me, too, a lot. I spent several thousand dollars on some new furniture this summer. In addition I have some very pricey antiques. That is not the issue.

I wrote a long and thoughtful post, actually two of them, about how I protect my furniture. I took the time to do this to help your cats and help you keep them. There are solutions if you want to find them.

You say you love them, but it seems you love your furniture more, since you say you are ready to give them away over this. They are living, feeling beings who feel attachment, affection, pain, loneliness, grief and gratitude, among other things. Your furniture is just dead objects. They are things. Pets are not just ornaments. They are as alive as you and me.

You sound very angry. I hope you don't take it out on the poor kitties. They are just being normal cats, yet you are "at your wits end and need advice." You have come to a forum about cats. You can expect people here to take the side of the cats. I'm for cats. I don't think any inanimate things compare in importance.

And I think my priorities are in order.

How much time would you spend with the cats if you expel them to the basement? What did you get them for, anyway? What will their quality of life be? You don't have to have one or the other - nice, not scratched furniture - or the cats. Do you enjoy them?

Now I'm angry.

Still, the basement is better than a shelter. Maybe you can find them a good home with people who will be more accepting of their nature. I'm just hoping for the best for them. I see a lot of thrown away cats every week - thrown away for no good reason.

Good luck to you, and, most of all them.

Robin

That is certainly a good option, as long as the basement doesn't get too cold during winter.

Extremely well done post and exactly my thoughts...

These are animals which to most on here are Child like beings .... The basement is a okay option IMHO only if you spend at least half your time at home down there....

I also have a nice house. There are ways to protect your things and protect the animals at the same time.
The animals mold in your life 100% even though they are animals, they are your animals and they try their best to blend into their life and environment with you, there has to be give on each side. Sorry about your furniture but yes, try softpaws for sure. Unfortunately sometimes you do have to cater to the animals you chose to bring into your life to make the transition successful for life, this is in various ways depending on the personality of each. I have dogs and my lone cat causes more damage and way much more headache than my dogs. But she is my cat. She is not perfect but neither am I. Things will get better as your cats grow. I am glad you came here looking for advice rather than just giving them up.

SSS cat spray is used in this house and has been fairly successful. I highly recommend it.

Give them another year or so & they should start to mellow out.

Cats are, by nature, "nosy" creatures, very inquisitive. It's natural for them to climb & get into things exploring.

I highly suggest you invest in Soft Paws. Get a wand toy (or two or three) - mine love Da Bird - and play interactively with them. Especially as evening comes, they'll be more active so it's a great time to play with them. And sometimes if they're a bit more tired they don't get into things as much while exploring.

I've not tried it myself but I've heard other say that if you get some of those clear carpet runners, cut them to fit on top of things you don't want the cats on and then lay them there nubby side up that the cats hate that feeling on their paws and will stay off of those surfaces. In the long run you probably don't want those all over your home but in the short term it may help to train them about what surfaces they stay off add. Add the Soft Paws and double sided and you may find that it all makes a really big difference.

The comments about the cats ages are right on target. They really will slow down of their own accord while they continue to age. In the meantime, you're at a really fun place to be able to enjoy some crazy play with them. That doesn't last forever. Trying these solutions to protect your furniture and enjoying this temporary stage of life could bring you real enjoyment with your cats again. It sounds like you love them and just need some new strategies to try.

I'm in the same sort of situation here with mine but I think I've found something that worked for my 3. 2 of my cats are in the teenage years as well and we just recently found a 3 month old kitten.

We just moved and had to pick up a new sofa. It is nothing fancy but I'd like to keep it in good shape. We decided to buy them a nice cat tree and we even have it placed next to the couch. The two older cats could now care less about the couch since we got the tree. Even the kitten is starting to learn that the tree is where he can climb, scratch and play. I know they can be a bit expensive and some people consider them unsightly, but when I see my three little monsters playing on it, I know it was money well spent. It gives them so much joy and it saved my couch in my case.

I picked mine up from armarkat.com. You get more for your money here then you would at a pet shop and shipping is free.