Kittens Scratching Everything But.....

Wow, what a day I'm having! So far I've purchase 2 different types of scratching posts and still Aragorn and Legolas don't like them they still prefer the couch!

I've bought one that is made of a tough rope and hangs from the door handle and the other one is the cardboard one with the catnip in it that lays on the floor. They have inspected both with great care yet, they still go back to the couch.

However, I've tricked them both on the couch problem and I've sprayed it with Bitter Apple. hehehehe

So, now that I've done all of that and purchased 2 different types of scratching posts what is left for me to do?

April

Kittens generally go to the couch because of how solid it is. So what you have to do is present them with a very tall and very solid scratching post. The ones that hang on the doorknob are okay for older cats, as are the ones on the floor (because they tend to scoot) but your kittens need something stable and tall that they can even scramble up and down on. I would PM our member catsplay.com and ask her to recommend a scratching post from her inventory. From what I have seen, she has several that will fit the bill. You can also see her ad in our forum The Market Place-

Until they are using their scratching posts, try putting double-sided tape on the couch where they scratch. Yes...it looks silly, but it works! This will keep them from damaging the furniture while they learn to redirect their scratching. Also...please do as Hissy suggested and buy a very sturdy scratching post. or, get a log that still has bark on it and bring it in. Make sure you have something underneath it so it won't get sap on your floor (though a good dried out peice of wood shouldn't be a problem). Most cats absolutely love scratching on a heavy piece of bark!

You also can try to move the cat tree to the couch to block the part where they usualy scratch and after a while you can slowly move the tree little by little to the place you wanted .Also try to spray or sprinkle that cat tree with catnip to atract the kittens more . And yes a good sturdy tee is very importen . I have two cat tree they are over 72 inches high from e- bay . But I also have a lot of kitties , so I needet them badly . Well good luck

Thank You All for the advice! It seems that the Bitter Apple has done it's job.

My hubby in going to be building a scratch post from some of the trees on our property, I'm now looking for sissal so we can add that to a part of the scratch post.

April

Just wanted to give you an update about the kittens scratching everything but.....

Legolas has finally figured out the cardboard (catnip) scratch box and the one made out of sissal. He's using these all the time now.

Now, Aragorn hasn't decided yet and he's still using just the carpet. Seeing as he is a little younger I thought I would give him some more time, I think that eventually he will come around.

In the meantime, Peter is still building the cat tree with hiding places and scratch posts. When it's done.....ha ha ha.....I'll post pics!