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- Jun 8, 2018
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Until a few months ago, Smo was confined entirely to my bedroom. My landlord knocked out part of my wall after failing a housing inspection so Smo has been able to access the living room/kitchen areas also.
The people I live with never wanted cats but have been fairly understanding about having Smo in the common areas, even though the landlord has since installed a new bedroom door. Problem is, Smo has taken to scratching at the couch when she wants attention or access to an adjoining foyer area (which we keep closed in the daytime because other neighbors keep opening the foyer door, which leads outside).
What I did initially was cover the parts of the couch she scratched the most with tape, and blocked off the sides with unfolded boxes. This seemed to help for a while, but she is now scratching at the cushions/seating areas. I know this isn't just a matter of "cats scratch" because she has several scratchers placed around the couch that she enjoys using constantly. She's a smart cat and has figured out that if she scratches, someone will get upset and either open the foyer for her or play with her. I did try to ignore her initially but she can do serious damage to the couch in a matter of seconds, so I have to chase her away. "No!" etc are not deterrents to her at all.
I am home often and play with Smo several times a day, but I can't drop what I'm doing in seconds just so I can engage in impromptu play sessions with her at random times. Also, things are getting tense around here because it isn't even my couch, and she's effectively ruined it. She used to behave herself and only scratch when I was around, but now she'll do it in front of anyone when she's restless or grumpy. At the rate she's going she's going to be confined to the bedroom 24/7 again.
I've already looked into couch covers, but even the cheapest one I was able to find was over $300 for this particular couch, which I can't afford. Covering the couch is not really an option because she'll just burrow under throw blankets to scratch underneath. The only time I've seen her stop scratching is when she had her nails clipped short at the vet, but she is extremely aggressive when handled so doing that at home isn't an option. Neither are claw caps, because she's the kind of cat that bites and scratches if you even touch her paws. The only other options I can think of are rubbing scent deterrents on the couch where people sit, or covering the whole thing in tape - no one I live with is going to be okay with that and I don't blame them.
I'm getting so frustrated with her and I don't know what to do.
The people I live with never wanted cats but have been fairly understanding about having Smo in the common areas, even though the landlord has since installed a new bedroom door. Problem is, Smo has taken to scratching at the couch when she wants attention or access to an adjoining foyer area (which we keep closed in the daytime because other neighbors keep opening the foyer door, which leads outside).
What I did initially was cover the parts of the couch she scratched the most with tape, and blocked off the sides with unfolded boxes. This seemed to help for a while, but she is now scratching at the cushions/seating areas. I know this isn't just a matter of "cats scratch" because she has several scratchers placed around the couch that she enjoys using constantly. She's a smart cat and has figured out that if she scratches, someone will get upset and either open the foyer for her or play with her. I did try to ignore her initially but she can do serious damage to the couch in a matter of seconds, so I have to chase her away. "No!" etc are not deterrents to her at all.
I am home often and play with Smo several times a day, but I can't drop what I'm doing in seconds just so I can engage in impromptu play sessions with her at random times. Also, things are getting tense around here because it isn't even my couch, and she's effectively ruined it. She used to behave herself and only scratch when I was around, but now she'll do it in front of anyone when she's restless or grumpy. At the rate she's going she's going to be confined to the bedroom 24/7 again.
I've already looked into couch covers, but even the cheapest one I was able to find was over $300 for this particular couch, which I can't afford. Covering the couch is not really an option because she'll just burrow under throw blankets to scratch underneath. The only time I've seen her stop scratching is when she had her nails clipped short at the vet, but she is extremely aggressive when handled so doing that at home isn't an option. Neither are claw caps, because she's the kind of cat that bites and scratches if you even touch her paws. The only other options I can think of are rubbing scent deterrents on the couch where people sit, or covering the whole thing in tape - no one I live with is going to be okay with that and I don't blame them.
I'm getting so frustrated with her and I don't know what to do.