Chico won't use the scratching post

Chico is being difficult. I cannot get him to use a scratching post. I have two different post for him to choose from: sisal & carpet. There are 4 scratching post upstairs, & I have moved all of them to "his" scratching spots as Lily will scratch the post no matter where it is. I sprayed the posts with catnip as Chico loves them even more. He walks up to the post, then walks all the way around it & scratches on the couch. I sprayed a deterrant spray on the couch & put nail caps on him this afternoon & he still scratches the couch. He likes to scratch the carpet, too. We have two sisal rugs upstairs, but the louse won't even use those!

Since Chico is a foster cat, it is imperative that he uses a scratching post. No one is going to want a cat that scratches their furniture & not too many people around here are willing to buy nail caps(or even know what they are for that matter). The saddest part is, in theory, he is still young enough to declaw, so if he does go to a home & he won't use the scratching post, then I am sure they will simply declaw him. As you see, I really could use help with this(there is a home sort of interested in him, all of their cats are declawed, & I believe they have been approved).

What else could I do? Is there a good deterrant spray anyone can suggest? I've got nail caps on him so he isn't destroying anything, but I still need to teach him to use the scratching posts. I've got the PAWS Chicago website up & have been looking at it. I googled how to get a cat to scratch their scratching post. Everyone here is always so helpful, so I thought I'd seek your advice.

Thanks!

Have you tried "laceing" the post with catnip.... that is how I initially trained my 2 cats. Just sprinkle some loose catnip on it and they will begin scratching at it in order to get the catnip free from the carpet fibers.

Some cats have a preference for vertical scratching vs. horizontal scratching. When you say he scratches the couch does he scratch the side vertically or use the top horizontally? The reason I ask if he likes the carpets and he scratches horizontally on the couch then he may dislike a vertical post. Then you may have to give him items that are to his preference like the corrugated cardboard that lays flat on the ground or sisal carpet pads.

The ones upstairs might not be in a spot he is interested in either. THe posts/rugs need to be in places where everyone is at or near the currently offending places. I would also put sticky tape where he likes the scratch now (carpet tape is cheap at walmart, unlike the stuff sold by pet stores).

Have you tried the cardboard scratchers? http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=cardboard&N=2

My two LOVE the flat cardboard scratchers. Ophelia especially has never been much interested in vertical scratching. They especially love the "double-wide" version of the flat scratcher. And they are CHEAP too, so even if Chico doesn't take to it, you'll only be out about $5 to try it. Unless your other kitties take a real shine to them, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I have one cat that will only use the turbo scratcher. She want's to lay down and claw. My other cat will use both but he uses the post a lot more.

Solarity Bengals(I think you're a Natalie, too), Chico will scratch at the corner of the couch, up & down. I don't have a cardboard scratching post anymore & I forgot to get one last night. I thought about maybe going to chop up a dead tree from the grove to see if he'll use that. Tacky, but if it works... Chico will scratch flat on the carpet & then stretch out to scratch the couch & chairs. I have been moving the scratching posts around to see if there is a better spot he likes, but he still doesn't use them(I have caught him using them once). I think I'm going to go outside now to see what I can find. Maybe I can get an untreated 2 x 4 to lay on the floor for him to use. I talked mom into letting me hang one of the sisal rugs from the wall. She hates them anyways. I've got a lot of rescources, but of course, I forgot about some cats preferring cardboard scratchers.

The people interested in Chico will know if they want him by Thursday night. I am not going to take him over to the HS for nothing, so I told them if they decided they wanted him, I would brin ghim over on Saturday. That way, I have a few more days to work with him.