How to stop cat from scratching?

[yiplong]

I adopted my adult cat (3y) two weeks ago. At that time he had has nails trimmed at Petco. I have notice that he scratch my bag sometimes, so I took that away. This morning I found he has instead scratched the couch, so I bought a scratch post for him. Since he showed no interest in the scratch post, I got some catnip and sprayed it on the scratch post, but he merely ate the catnip from the scratch post but didn't scratch it. How do I get my cat to use the scratch post and not the couch?

 

[marianjela]

Can you put the scratching post in front of the couch where he is interested??? Distraction is the best tip I can offer so I think you are doing a good job so far. My other suggestion is to get him one of those scratching boxes. My cats LOVE scratching at the cardboard. Also offer him toys when you see him scratch.

Another suggestion is to cover the area he is scratching at with double sided tape.... it might not look the prettiest, but cats dont like having something stick to their feet.

And you can continue to trim his nails. Some cats will fight you tooth and nail when you do it and you might need to wrap him in a towel and enlist help, but the more you do it the more they get used to it, and some cat do well with it - especially if someone is nearby with treats. I just use regular ol' nail clippers on our cats.

Good luck, with a little patience hopefully he'll stop the bad habit soon.

 

[missymotus]

Try placing the post near where he sleeps. Mine love to scratch as soon as they wake up so I've got trees in each room for them.

Also, he may not like the texture of the post you bought him, mine all currently agree on sissal but in the past I had cats that would only use wood, carpet, cardboard or sissal so I had all different types to suit all the cats.

 

[yiplong]

I trimmed his nails right after I found that he scratched my couch. My wife had him pinned down with a towel, and I clipped his nails. He was screaming and scratch bad.

and hid in the bathroom for about 30 minutes afterwards.
If that's not too traumatizing for him, I plan to trim his nails every other week.

 

[xocats]

This is an excellent video that demonstrates how to trim a cats claws without trauma to the cat.
It includes a section titled "Help...my cat won't hold still for the trim" that is very informative.
All cat caregivers should be familiar with this process that makes it easier on the humans and the cats.

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell....trimming_claws

 

[strange_wings]

Get him more stuff that he can scratch on. The best suggestion I have is to go with one of the flat cardboard scratchers that lay on the floor. They're cheap and a lot of cats love them. It's just a matter of finding what he likes best.

What type of scratching post did you get for him? It may be too short for him or maybe the base isn't stable enough and it moves when he tries to scratch, or maybe it's just not his a texture he likes - is it covered in carpet?

Once he has his own places for scratching that are better then your couch, and you've discourage him from using your couch, he'll prefer those to anything else.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Take him to the scratching post and do the motions. But also entice him to grab on by teasing with a string/feather on the post. You should have a treehouse minimum of 4 feet high for best results. Anything smaller and the cat will probably not use it.

You can cover the couch with some plastic or sticky tape on the edges where he is scratching.

Also you need to trim nails on a regular basis (once a week) or get the nail caps to put on the claws.

 

[sammiesmom]

Originally Posted by xocats

This is an excellent video that demonstrates how to trim a cats claws without trauma to the cat.
It includes a section titled "Help...my cat won't hold still for the trim" that is very informative.
All cat caregivers should be familiar with this process that makes it easier on the humans and the cats.

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell....trimming_claws

Excellent video.

Get your kitty used to having his paws touched. Rub his paws as part of loving on him. When you start trimming, yes, wrap him in a towel and just do 1-2 nails at a time, then reward him. That's the way I started Sammie and now I can put her in my lap and do both front paws at a single sitting. When finished, she knows to immediately run to the kitchen pantry where the treats are kept.

 

[yiplong]

I bought the cardboard type from Petco, and sprayed some catnip on it. My cat ate the catnip but ignore the scratcher.

I am thinking about getting this one or making something similar with spare wood and carpet:

http://www.petco.com/product/102938/...-in-Birch.aspx

what do you think?

 

[goldenkitty45]

Its only 3 feet high and its just a single pole - don't waste your money. Invest in a good treehouse with multiple levels - minimum of 4 feet high. Most cats will stretch more then 3 feet when grown. That one might work for a kitten less then 6 months old, but in the long run its not gonna solve your problems.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Get him more stuff that he can scratch on. The best suggestion I have is to go with one of the flat cardboard scratchers that lay on the floor. They're cheap and a lot of cats love them. It's just a matter of finding what he likes best.

that's Chip's favorite kind! he's declawed, but he still likes that one best

i have these, too - the clawed cats seem to like them!
Amarkat dark blue
Armarkat light blue
i also have a gray one, but they mostly just sleep on it!
i also clip regularly [Firefox is the only one who still fights it] & they have soft claws - Cable has hot pink, Java has purple & Firefox has green.

 

[yiplong]

Originally Posted by laureen227

that's Chip's favorite kind! he's declawed, but he still likes that one best

i have these, too - the clawed cats seem to like them!
Amarkat dark blue
Armarkat light blue
i also have a gray one, but they mostly just sleep on it!
i also clip regularly [Firefox is the only one who still fights it] & they have soft claws - Cable has hot pink, Java has purple & Firefox has green.

I might declaw he is it gets bad enough, but for now I will try non-surgical procedures first. How much did it cost to get declawing done and how much trouble was it?

 

[goldenkitty45]

NO NO NO - not declaw - read some of the posts in here regarding declawing. Its inhumane and cruel. Its like cutting off your fingers at the first joint!

Declawed cats can resort to fear biting, hiding, or worse - refuse to use the litter box and pee/poop on your clothes or bed or anyplace other then the litter pan. You will have FAR more problems declawing the cat.

WhiteCatLover has a story about a declawed cat named Bea who had claws grow back and had to have surgery again. She's been having all kinds of problems with this cat; including the cat not using the litter box. This cat has been thru hell and may have to be put down if the problems are not resolved due to someone's cruelty of declawing her in the first place!

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by yiplong

I might declaw he is it gets bad enough, but for now I will try non-surgical procedures first. How much did it cost to get declawing done and how much trouble was it?

oh, i didn't declaw him, a former owner did.
you want to avoid that if at all possible - many declawed cats have major issues... see this thread: Bea

 

[white cat lover]

Oh my god, please do NOT declaw!!!

I've got a foster cat who may well still be KILLED because her former owner's declawed her.
She's got cat & dog issues (definately been attacked by other animals before, has scars to prove it).
Her declaw was done wrong so she had to be RE-DECLAWED at 15 lds & 5 years.
She no longer grooms herself & is overweight.
She doesn't always hit in the box when going potty, in fact, her butt hangs out every LB I've tried. She simply goes on the floor while standing in the box.
As a result of her re-declaw (which was necessary, she wouldn't even walk she was in so much pain), she now BITES like mad. And nasty bites, I've got on infected one from her on my thigh.
She's developed massive arthritis, and has a severe limp from the surgery.
Her paws are chopped up so bad they're 3x the size of what they normally would have been & they'll always be like that.
She walks poorly because of the re-declaw.
The stress of the surgery caused her to develop a UTI/crystals.

Try finding someone who wants a cat that is aggressive towards dogs/cats/kids, that doesn't use the litterbox properly, who needs to be on Rx diet for life, who may have recurring UTIs requiring anti-biotics, who needs her bum washed daily & regular "sanitary clips", who needs daily brushing & wipe downs, & who also needs arthritis meds every day.

Are you willing to risk all those issues simply because your kitty scratched the furniture?

Bea's picture thread:
http://thecatsite.com/forums/showthr...&highlight=Bea

Laureen (above) posted a link to her other thread.

I may be jumping you or going to extremes.....but the fact is what happened to Bea happens all too often. If it wasn't for someone on TCS who had made a donation for her surgery, she would have been euthanized. You can tell me you're willing to deal with issues like hers, but honestly I doubt long-term many will deal with all the stuff she's got going on. And she has all these issues because someone chose their couch over her. Please, don't do the same.

 

[rosiemac]

RULE 3 OF THE TCS RULES

3. This website considers declawing a drastic way to curb cat behavior. A painful ordeal for your kitty we would suggest that declawing never be considered for any behavioral issue. Health issues are entirely different. It is up to you as a responsible pet owner to explore all the different options available instead of declawing. Your cat is dependant on you to make wise choices for her, and not put her into any more stress or discomfort. Please be a responsible pet owner and research this subject thoroughly. Understand that if you are pro-declaw in your posts, you will encounter opposition. Please learn more about alternatives for declawing here in our forums as well as on our website itself. Declaw - More than Just a Manicure. Hopefully those of you with claw-related problems will find solutions by spending time in our Behavior Forum.

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=155451

PLEASE NOTE THAT TCS IS AN ANTI DECLAW FORUM AND A SUBJECT WHICH YOU WON'T GET ANY SUPPORT ON. PLEASE TAKE SOME TIME OUT AND READ WHAT ADVICE THE MEMBERS GIVE YOU BOTH IN THEIR POSTS AND ANY LINKS PROVIDED.

 

[sangria14]

Please dont do that - its like cutting off the equivalent of our fingertips. You can get those plastic covers that go over their nails if you dont want to trim his nails - your vet can put them on for you.

 

[chowchow]

I agree, please do not declaw, it's too inhumane. Adhering those plastic nails is a much better alternative. We used a toy attached to a fishing pole to lure our cat to the scratching post and to the cardboard scratch box and it didn't take long for him to get it. Every single one of our cats LOVE LOVE LOVE those cardboard scratch boxes, with or without catnip.

 

[kitten_smitten]

There has got to be a better way than surgery - all surgeries have risk - besides claws are a kitty cats defense - they are small animals any way. The the tape thing - make loops of tape so it sticks to the pads of your cat's feet when she claws at couch - it is unplease but much less risk and expense.

 

[cjohnson647]

I'm having a hard time stopping my kitten from scratching my chairs I bought a scratching post and he still scratches the chairs what should I do?