Hi, all. I've gotten some great advice on this forum about Charlie, so I'm coming back to the well again. Charlie is my cat. I've had him about 9 months, and we've been through a lot together. (Search for "Charlie.") The love has only deepened. He has to be with me all the time, and he follows me into every room. And he cries if I go out. But here's the problem. He is pulling up the carpet with his scratching. It's brand new carpeting in an apartment I just moved into. I just bought a brand new bed, and he is tearing that to shreds as well. I also just bought a new flat screen. It's a small one, so it's not mounted; it just sits on the table. A few minutes ago, I caught him on top of the table with one paw reaching for the top of the screen, as if he wanted to tip it over. If he succeeds, it will break, for sure. Charlie has to touch everything, everything, which is okay because I'm patient with him, but I can't let him break things, especially expensive things. He still regurgitates his food, most recently on the brand new bed. Really, this is getting a little overwhelming. Any advice?
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Please help. Charlie is destroying my apartment
- Thread starter jim2006
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- Dec 20, 2006
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Get a waterproof cover for the bed. It'll benefit you in the future, plus help keep dust mites out of your mattress.
It's the box spring, not covered by the sheet, that he's scratching, correct? Cover it. You can either use another fitted sheet on it (remove the mattress to put it on) or get a dust skirt - they're made for covering the box spring.
Put a piece of furniture over the spot on the floor that he digs at the most. It's scent marked (via his paws) so he'll keep going back to it.
Provide as many scratching posts and cat furniture you can. A tall tree, tall scratching posts (so he can fully stretch), and even various cardboard ones. Make sure there's some furniture for him in his favorite room.
Put the tv in a cabinet with doors (close when you're not using the tv) or wall mount it. Many cats are fascinated with with the movement on the screen and will either try to get it or look for it. They can't really help it if they knock the tv over, they don't know that will happen - the cat brain doesn't have that much ability for thinking ahead to cause and effect.
Play with him more. Set up a table or cat tree by an active window. That way he can watch something that he can't break.
The regurgitation is going to be caused by one of two things: a problem with the food itself not settling on his stomach, or more commonly - it's scarf and barf. Slow him down and don't give him as much at a time and it should help. A raised bowl with a golf ball in it slows down most cats.
It's the box spring, not covered by the sheet, that he's scratching, correct? Cover it. You can either use another fitted sheet on it (remove the mattress to put it on) or get a dust skirt - they're made for covering the box spring.
Put a piece of furniture over the spot on the floor that he digs at the most. It's scent marked (via his paws) so he'll keep going back to it.
Provide as many scratching posts and cat furniture you can. A tall tree, tall scratching posts (so he can fully stretch), and even various cardboard ones. Make sure there's some furniture for him in his favorite room.
Put the tv in a cabinet with doors (close when you're not using the tv) or wall mount it. Many cats are fascinated with with the movement on the screen and will either try to get it or look for it. They can't really help it if they knock the tv over, they don't know that will happen - the cat brain doesn't have that much ability for thinking ahead to cause and effect.
Play with him more. Set up a table or cat tree by an active window. That way he can watch something that he can't break.
The regurgitation is going to be caused by one of two things: a problem with the food itself not settling on his stomach, or more commonly - it's scarf and barf. Slow him down and don't give him as much at a time and it should help. A raised bowl with a golf ball in it slows down most cats.
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- #3
Thank you, this helps.
