Still More Cat Questions...

[JanetMegan]

Bear with me here folks...I'm still trying to figure out how to be a decent cat mommy.

#1 problem-scratching. I know cats need to scratch and I have bought both a scratching post and a cardboard scratcher thingy and brought some carpet squares that sort of stick up for her to scratch. Problem is she doesn't care about any of them. She only wants to scratch and tear up my nice rug in the den and the stuffing from under the couch.

#2 problem-plants. I have a TON of houseplants, most are about 8 years old and she keeps wanting to tear them up and eat them. I have tried to spray her with water bottle to detract her but she just goes right back to them.

I feel like all I'm doing is getting after the cat all the time-sniffle.

[beksy]

I don't have a lot of advice except to hang in there--I guess this is the price we pay for unconditional love! To offer some hope, one of the older cats that is living with my parents was a mess as a kitten. She is an orange tabby and apparently they are known for this. We would come home to find her dangling from the curtains, she completly tore down our Christmas tree 3 times and when we got the box that screeched to keep her out, she would just bat it out of the tree and fight it! She and her sister also enjoyed tearing out the fake flowers in Mom's flower arrangements and using our bigger plants for a bathroom (good news--it killed the ugliest plant I've seen that Dad wouldn't get rid of!). HOWEVER, now that Peaches is older she is the sweetest cat we could ever want. She sits and "talks" to us and doesn't get into any trouble at all. She just had to get through that kitten stage but with a lot of patience, attempts at discipline, and love, she grew out of it and is a wonderful member of the family.

When it comes to scratching I don't have much experience but I've heard putting down two-sided tape where you don't want scratching can help. With plants, I can't help you. We tried water bottles and everything else we could think of and nothing helped. In fact, we still can't have plants down because my cat (who can do no wrong!) wants to eat anything green--plants, flowers, vegetables, fake green plants, etc. I know you can grow a special "grass" for cats. That might help. It made Peaches sick so we couldn't really try it out. Good luck and hang in there! :thumbsup:

[Mackflava99]

I hear you- our cat ruined the back of a beautiful chair with her scratching-

1.) Get on of those nail filers for pets- ( not a clipper) it wounds off their claws-
2.) For any furniture that wont gat damaged- spread some vaseline on it- Cats HATE vaseline-
If the fabric would get ruined, put some on the floor or on a peice of cardboard on the floor near where it likes to scratch- it will stay away.
3.) there is an apple spray that works too- you can buy it at most stores.
4.) Plants are worrysome because some can be toxic-
make sure you check to see if they are-
You can buy stuff to spay to deter them at pet shops- and its safe for plants-
But what i also do is add some hot peppers around the soil ( not in it) and the smell keeps them away

[kakn7294]

The anti-scratch sprays may or may not work. Maya continues to scratch at my hamper despite the spray. I'm going to try aluminum foil - cats supposedly hate the feel and it did work with our old cat Gypsy. If that doesn't work, the hamper will be moving into my closet.

I had to put the plants in my home, real and artificial, up where Gypsy couldn't reach them. So far, Maya and Annie have ignored them. You can research on the internet what plants are toxic to cats and definately make sure those are out of reach. You might have to put those in a room that you can shut kitty out of.

[Tick-Tock]

For areas we want to keep kitties out of, we've had success with placing spray-cans that have motion-sensors and emit jets of air when they sense motion (available at Petsmart).

If you can, use double-sided tape on areas you don't want her to scratch. And maybe put an appropriate scratching alternative in front of/next to the stuff she wants to scratch.

Cats like to munch on greens. Grow her some kitty grass (kits available at Petsmart, or you can do-it-yourself with grass seed).

[thrillme]

Double sided tape works GREAT on furniture you don't want them to scratch. I know there's also a product called "soft paws". If you're good you can put these on yourself...if not your vet or local groomer can do it for you. They're just covers for the cat's nails. They come off eventually.

Plants...you can put them where they can't get to them...spray them with bitter apple. It seems like I saw some sort of collar that would emit a sound or citerola spray when the animal got close to a "no-no" zone.

Overall...patience and diligence seems to work the best. Cover the plants when you're not at home to catch her

[RenDuran]

If your scratching post is wobbly at all, your cat may not use it. Our cats would never use those tall post-like ones that are covered in carpet...I discovered that they would use the kitty-condos that are covered in carpet or even the ones that laid on the floor that are made from cardboard. If she likes your rug, maybe she would like something that lays down flat...have you tried putting your carpet squares down on the floor? Or get a sisal mat and lay it down on your rug and maybe she'd try that instead.

[Tiggerdog]

We put Soft Paws on Caesar. They are fake nails that are glued on and stay for about 6 to 8 weeks. They even come in different colors, so when he is bad, we give him pink nails. (just kidding)

Try some catnip on anything you want the kitty to scratch. Another hint is to take a sock you have not washed and place it in the scratching post. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn't.

[doombuggy]

One of my friends uses the claw covers that the last poster mentioned. I have to say that Cedric's front claws were lasered off several weeks after i adopted him. I do have a sissal post that he scratches on anyway. :D

I am not a plant person, so i don't have that issue. I have had problems with him biting or chewing certain things, and I tried that bitter apple spray - he LIKED it. when I moved into this new apt, he discovered the door stoppers and started chewing the rubber ends off. I put some crushed red peppers on them and that did the trick (I still have to buy some new stopper, though....).

Have oodles of patience, as they are definately worth it. :cat:

[thrillme]

I was just at PETCO last night and I saw they had a bottle thingy in the cat remedies asile.

If you got close to it...it would emit a little spray. You set it by your plants and it squirts them when they get close. I don't think it was very expensive.