Cats scratching furniture

[Jeri Lynn]

HI,
We just got a new leather living room set and my cats have put a few scratches in it. I bought scratching pads yesterday and put them around the living room with some catnip on it.

I am not sure how else to deter them from ruining my new furniture.

Does anyone have any advise?

Thanks!

[Scar]

Do you have a dog? I trained mine to chase away my cat whenever she hears that clawing noise. The only other thing I can think of is aluminum foil... cats hate that.

[Nini]

You can get some sheets of two sided sticky tape at the pet store. Only works if they are scratching pretty much the same spots over and over of course.

Denise :mickey:

[kakn7294]

I second the aluminum foil - I had to wrap some around the base of a decorative tree I keep in my dining room. You can buy spray to deter them but I'd be careful about using it on leather - and the one we have doesn't deter my cats at all. Pet stores also sell an alarm that sounds if the pets approach the off-limits area but I'm not sure how well they work. Good luck!

[Tick-Tock]

We used two-sided tape and aluminum foil with success. Also, there are aerosol cans with motion sensors that puff air when the sensor is set off. That worked to train the cats to stay away from certain areas.

[MMFreak]

Declaw them?

[Nini]

Declaw them?

It's not necessary, there are other options.

Denise :mickey:

[Dizneyana]

I forget what they are called, but they sell little sleeves that you put on the cats claws. Don't know how well they work and how the cats don't get them off. I know my little escape artist would be out of them before I finished getting them on... :thedolls:

Good luck with your furniture.

[MMFreak]

Sorry, I thought she was looking for various options and I didn't realize that your opinion was the only acceptable approach. I will be sure to check with you before I post my opinion next time.

BTW sticky tape in my opinon is not necessary and when I first read your post somehow I was able to control myself and my huge distaste of having sticky tape all over the furniture so that you were afforded your opinion without malice.


It's not necessary, there are other options.

Denise :mickey:

[NewDVCowner]

I forget what they are called, but they sell little sleeves that you put on the cats claws. Don't know how well they work and how the cats don't get them off. I know my little escape artist would be out of them before I finished getting them on... :thedolls:

Good luck with your furniture.

They're called Soft Paws (possibly Soft Claws) and are sold at pet stores. They come in different colors and sizes, including clear. You glue them on basically with Krazy Glue. They do come off occationally, but once the glue dries the cat isn't going to be able to get them off. (You'll need to keep your cat from pulling them off for about ten minutes after you put them on.) Just keep in mind that if you use them that your cat won't be able to trim their own claws, so you'll need to take pet nail cutters to the nails to keep them from growing into the pad of your cats feet. They do work very well. Also, it's a two person job to get these things onto your cat. Cats HATE getting them put on and go for the eyes. :thedolls:

They actually have them for dogs, too, if you can believe it. No idea why people would think their dogs need to have their claws covered, but I guess it takes all kinds. ;)

[MegaDisney]

They're called Soft Paws (possibly Soft Claws)

They actually have them for dogs, too, if you can believe it. No idea why people would think their dogs need to have their claws covered, but I guess it takes all kinds. ;)

This would be my recommendation. Also regular trimming of their claws helps too.

As for their use on Dogs, my clients with hardwood floors use them to keep the floors from being scratched or they themselves getting scratched by a jumping dog.


Declaw them?

Please, Please, Please do not declaw. It is a brutal and cruel procedure IMHO. I work in the veterinary field and after witnessing a declaw surgery I could never do it to my Cats. In fact most of the Vets at my clinic refuse to do them (along with tail docking and ear trimming).

It is basically like having all your fingers cut off right at the first joint above your fingernail. They don't just remove the claws. It is amputation of part of the toe. :(:(:(

[magicalmom]

There's a spray, in a pink can, that cats absolutely HATE. Works well with ours, and doesn't seem to damage upholstery, rugs, etc. (Sorry - we've run out, so I can't tell you the name . . .)

[Jeri Lynn]

Thank you every one for your suggestions. I am watching my little critters constantly and two of them tend to want to scratch more than the other two. So far just shooing them away has worked...when I am not around I hang a blanket over each corner of the chair, love seat and couch...now that the warm weather is here they are out laying around the yard more. I am giong to look for that spray in the pink can...my DH brought some home but it didn't look like the right stuff.

[Granny Jill A]

Sorry, I thought she was looking for various options and I didn't realize that your opinion was the only acceptable approach. I will be sure to check with you before I post my opinion next time.

BTW sticky tape in my opinon is not necessary and when I first read your post somehow I was able to control myself and my huge distaste of having sticky tape all over the furniture so that you were afforded your opinion without malice.

Wow! Calm yourself, Mr. Freak. It wasn't that big a deal. We're all friends here :D

[MMFreak]

Wow! Calm yourself, Mr. Freak. It wasn't that big a deal. We're all friends here :D

Hmmm Granny Jill,

How presumptious of you.

Are you assuming I am a man and that I am not calm?

Tsk tsk tsk on you too.

[Granny Jill A]

Hmmm Granny Jill,

How presumptious of you.

Are you assuming I am a man and that I am not calm?

Tsk tsk tsk on you too.

Dear MMFreak: My error in addressing you as Mr., but my point was that Nini was not saying that you have no right to an opinion.

Your response was a little over the top.

[Tinkermom]

My vet recommended a spray called "Feliway". It contains a synthetic pheromone that supposedly relaxes the cat. You have to spray the areas that the cat scratches everyday for 2 weeks and then as needed. We followed this and it worked for our kitty! I put my 8 year old DD in charge of spraying everyday. For some reason she really liked doing this and always remembered. She also calls the spray "Cataway" - cracks me up every time she says this! :D

Our kitty still occasionally tries to scratch but that is when we spray again for a day or two and she stops. Keeping her claws clipped also really helps.

Good luck!:thumbsup:

[Granny Jill A]

I keep thinking of a comedy routine by Paula Poundstone. She used a water gun to zap her cats when they misbehaved. The cats didn't know where the water was coming from, so they ran to HER for protection. :D

I tried that with my cats and they always spotted me taking aim, no matter how sneaky I was.

Outsmarted by felines, again! :confused: