Little Bitty Kitty V.S One frustated human:

catlover67

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Little Bitty Kitty wins!! I have been trying in vain to train Autumn to stop scratching my recliner to no avail. Lily (my other cat who has no claws and therefore can't damage anything) is such a bad example and I am not home enough to constantly correct innappropriate scratching that I have caved in. I have tried repellents, squirt guns, shouting, re-directing to a NICE cat post with catnip, etc. And nothing deters Autumn's desire to have a go at my chair. It was ONCE an expensive lazy boy recliner but it has seen better days. I only paid $20 for it so I guess Autumn can have it.
 

sang72

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I dunno, I have heard that the thin double sided tape works really well, cats don't care for the stickiness, however mine are too smart for that, they just wait till the tape is gone, then they go at it again. I just try to keep my kitties claws trimmed and buy all my furniture from Ikea or secondhand (go ebay)

Sorry, I guess I'm not much help

Sang
 

amberthe bobcat

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Some people also try aluminum foil, they say that helps. I have to say, I am very happy with how good my cats are. The use the posts all the time. They really love the kind that has the heavey rope rapped around. They can really dig their claws in. Try putting the post by the chair where the cat likes to scratch, if you haven't already. See if that helps.
 

willowsmom

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Aluminum Foil is poisonious to cats. I got my little guy to stop clawing my box springs of my bed by taping a ballon to the bed and the ballon bobbing around he just couldn't resist "attacking" it. and with nice sharp claws it popped scaring him and he has tried to scratch it again!
 
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catlover67

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Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have thought of the balloon thing, but I would have to blow up lots of balloons as she scratches EVERYWHERE on this chair. The tape wouldn't work because as soon as it was gone she would scratch, not to mention I would have to mummy wrap the entire chair!! Soft Claws won't work because she HATES to have her claws messed with. I can barely clip them without getting bitten!! The main thing is I don't want to scare her away from the chair altogether. It is where she and Lily like to cuddle up and sleep sometimes. If the balloons terrify her, she won't go near the chair at all.

She has seen Lily "scratch" at that chair all the time and figures she is entitled too!! No, I guess she can have the chair. My grandmother gave their cats ONE old chair in the house to use and the cats left the rest of the furniture alone. Hopefully Autumn will too
 

baileysidney11

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I have the same problem and can find no solution. I tried tin foil but he just scratches in a non-tin foiled area. I can't wrap the couch in tin foil. Maybe I could but I won't !! I'm getting the sticky tape next to see how that works. My friend has designated a chair for her cats which works out fine. I have several scratching posts around the house which don't get used. Occasionally they will use the cat furniture but not often enough.
 

krazy kat2

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That is what I finally had to do, let them have 1 chair. A friend gave me a recliner that his cat slept in, but did not scratch. and mine went nuts over it. That was the first thing they ever scratched up, and now that I no longer have the recliner, they started on my couch. I have also tried eeverything I could think of. Foil worked pretty well, but it was difficult to fasten to where I needed it. They would not scratch it, but soon figured out how to head butt it down to get to the fabric. I have finally given up. I have a slipcover that I throw over it when I have company. When I eventually get a new couch, I will put the old one somewhere else in the house, so hopefully they will scratch on it instead of the new stuff.
 

meezersrule

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I have heard bubble wrap works well, too. I don't think I would try the balloon idea, if the cat bites it he could inadvertently inhale a piece of the balloon and choke to death.
 

woodsygirl

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I used clear packing tape when I was training Mynx to use a scratching post.

One very important thing is that you have to have a GOOD scratching post.. one that won't tip over.

Everytime I'd hear Mynx scratching something he shouldn't be, I'd run over and put clear packing tape in that spot... LOL eventually my whole couch was covered with tape except the cushions... but he soon learned that the post was the place to scratch
 
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