Ripping up my carpet (While wearing soft paws)

[cazlee]

Sometimes you have to make the decision of which is more importation to you - your stance about declawing or your furniture/carpet. We sided with our stance against declawing.

They're all (3) usually really good about scratching where they're supposed to, but we can't control what happens when we're not here. We don't use any form of discipline with them really because it's generally just not effective in deterring unwanted behavior. If I see them scratching where they aren't supposed to, I clap and call their name (non-aggressively) to get their attention, then redirect and reward if they start scratching the posts/pads after being corrected. We reward them when we see them doing what they're supposed to do also. The key is consistency in redirecting unwanted and reward wanted behaviors in my opinion.

They have damaged a spot in the carpet and there's a particular arm of a chair they've pulled some threads on, but hey - it's part of having a pet. I gave up the right to have 100% control over everything in my home LOL. Sometimes things get damaged/broken. It sucks but it's hard for me to get upset at instinct.

 

[cococat]

I would buy that cat tree off ebay.

 

[cococat]

Originally Posted by cazlee

I gave up the right to have 100% control over everything in my home LOL. Sometimes things get damaged/broken.

This so true! With my indoor dogs, this was never a problem but along came the cat and I also had to give up the right to no kitty paw counters, tables, etc. and walking without being tripped at night, and putting things on the counters and them staying there undisturbed.

 

[bastetservant]

As far as things getting damaged and broken by cats, it doesn't have to be that way. It takes some effort to teach them what they can and cannot do, and where they can and cannot go, but it can be done. Cats are very trainable, maybe even more so than dogs. Kittens are very rough on furnishings. But my adult cats don't ruin anything. I wouldn't accept that part of having cats is that furnishings are going to be ruined and other things are going to be broken. That isn't my experience.

As far as when they are home alone, it seems they mostly sleep. Things are not disturbed or broken or marred when the humans come home. You have to make the things you don't want them to do unattractive to them. And keep the expensive, breakable things away from their reach. I don't have things on the counters that interest them. And I've used "Sticky Paws" on the counters, too, to redirect their curiosity. You have to give them things to do, places to go they like to go, and things they like to scratch.

And I often read that no kind of "discipline" works on cats. I don't agree with that either, as it is not my experience. They want to please their humans. They don't want to be in trouble. I am never harsh with them. I've explained what I do above. It's more a matter of firmness and consistency - just like with children. I use positive reinforcement, mostly, but sometimes negative reinforcement is the only way. I use praise, and petting, but also time-outs, ignoring, deterrents such as "Sticky Paws", and sometimes yelling (not so loudly), and the shaking of the spray bottle. My biggest (almost the only at this point) behavior problem is their own quarrels. They can be quite catty sometimes (lol). But, mostly, we all get along very well.


Robin

 

[ducman69]

One thing to be careful of with soft-paws is once they start falling off.

Buttercup's are mostly fallen off with the exception of three. These are now hanging down quite a bit from the root since the claw has grown.

Well, the problem is that it now creates a harpoon like claw, and just like a harpoon it can get stuck in cloth. Luckily I was there, as she got one claw stuck in my chair and I was able to calm her and carefully extract it which no way she could have done herself and might have spazzed out if alone.

Originally Posted by bastetservant

As far as things getting damaged and broken by cats, it doesn't have to be that way. It takes some effort to teach them what they can and cannot do, and where they can and cannot go, but it can be done.

For sure, but lets not pretend that all cats have the same temperaments and are all adopted at the same ages with the same background. Its like with human kids whenever the kid is rowdy its always blamed on incompetent, absent, or lazy parenting, but then you look at the other three kids raised just the same in the same household that are angels.... so lets say uuuuuusually.

Originally Posted by bastetservant

And I often read that no kind of "discipline" works on cats. I don't agree with that either, as it is not my experience. They want to please their humans. They don't want to be in trouble.

I agree, positive reinforcement and negative behavior avoidance can work together well. I don't see how any amount of positive reinforcement could keep them from playing with the feather on one of my Samurai helmets, but the SSSCAT that scares the bejesus out of em sure did. After a couple times getting startled by that, which is definitely a negative reaction, they want nothing to do with the evil spitting helmet of doom, heh!

I dunno that they actually want to PLEASE me like dogs do, but they definitely understand "do this = instant positive response" and "do that = instant negative response to avoid".

I think people just have problems when they expect their cats to connect the dots on complex action-reaction comprehension, especially if time has elapsed.

 

[bastetservant]

I agree that cats don't all have the same temperaments, any more than people do. But, for my job, I am a special education teacher, and along with students with a lot of other issues, I work with children with behavior problems. I say that the vast majority of the time, a child's behavior problems are due to less than great (or even sensible) parenting. I do realize that most people do the best they can and want the best for their children. Some just can't seem to get it together sometimes.

The cats I have now all came from a shelter where they lived, in cages, or loose, for 10 months to 3.5 years. They all had personality or behavior problems that made them difficult to adopt. However, with time, patience, behavior modification techniques, and most of all love, they have become good pets.

Well, I can't say that for the new cat, yet. I've only had her for 2.5 weeks. She still has a long way to go. Excessive shyness is her problem. She'd rarely come out from hiding, or let anyone hold her at the shelter. That's why she was in the shelter for 2.5 years and the fears were that she'd never get adopted. She was even put in foster care for a while to socialize her, but it didn't help. She had come to the shelter as a stray age 6 months with 2 kittens. I considered her for 10 months and finally decided she had to come home with me. My other cats are ready for her to emerge from the guest room, and she is jumping in my lap and cuddling now when I spend time with her in there. But, she doesn't want to meet my cats yet, even though she lived the last couple years roaming free in the shelter cat room with about 30 other cats (including some of mine part of that time). But, these things take time. All the behavior changes in cats take a lot of time, sometimes lots and lots of time. I have one I've had for 3 years, and it took a good 2 years to settle him down. I have another that I've had for nearly a year. We still can't pick her up, but she lets me pet her everyday, and sometimes comes to me to be petted. That is way more than she ever allowed in the 3+ years she was in the shelter where she wouldn't let most people even near her (came in as a 5 month old kitten stray). I have desensitized her enough in this year so she will be touched without freaking out. There is still a ways to go, but it will come.

As far as the feather on the Samurai helmet, I wouldn't expect a cat to avoid that (though you found a solution, for that problem). It would be too much temptation. I do keep breakable things under wraps in my house. All glass, with a few exceptions, is kept in cabinets, for example. I avoid situations where things can get damaged. But, I can't avoid upholstered furniture, carpets, and kitchen counters. And I am able to control my cats behavior regarding these things. I don't remember when any of my cats damaged anything - not in years. I did have one in the past who seemed more monkey than cat. He would open drawers, for example, when no one was home, and take out all the socks, or whatever. He did scratch the finish on the wooden drawers and chests doing this. Nowadays, if I had one who did that, I think "Sticky Paws" when end the matter.

If I have an issue with one of my cats and I become peeved with them, they most definitely try to make up with me after a little while. That's what I mean about trying to please. They do know which side of their bread is buttered, so to speak. I'm Momcat to them and they want me to keep on caring for them and everything else. They are smart enough to know that if Momcat's not happy, no one is happy.

I want to add that I know there are some really difficult cats in the world. One of the things I do at the shelter where my cats came from and where I volunteer 2-5 hours a week, is work at changing the behavior of some of the cats so that they are adoptable. A few cannot be tamed, and they are never considered adoptable and are kept in cages in separate rooms until they are ready (health good and neutered) to join feral colonies and farms. But most of them can be made more sociable and home compatible.

Robin