Bringing home a beautiful new dining room rug tomorrow. How can I keep my husband's cats (I'm a dog person, myself) from either sharpening their claws on it, urinating on it and/or pulling out the fringe? They've done all three before. The urination is infrequent, thank god; but this is an oriental with a white/cream background. One accident is too many. The claw sharpening goes on constantly. Hubby won't keep them properly clipped, and I'm allergic ... I'll sneeze the rest of the day if I do it. One of the pair (these cats are neutered 6 year old brothers) is a particular freak for the fringe.
Is there a product out there that won't harm the rug, cats or kids in the house, but will just keep the kitties the hell away from it?
Thanks!
2006-08-19 19:57:39 · 8 answers · asked by Tara 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
oh, and they're prize pukers too.
is there no hope for my rug? (or, for that matter, no hope for my cats either?)
2006-08-19 20:04:54 · update #1
tjb: good point about buying the rug in the first place. i've inherited it. we're closing out my mom's house tomorrow.
2006-08-19 20:29:59 · update #2
Hi Tara...cats can be trained to not scratch from areas if they are trained correctly. Keep many scratching posts/toys nearby and whenever they are caught scratching on the rug distract them by moving them quietly and quickly to their posts...if they scratch give them a food treat (not their usual meal food). Eventually, they will pair the event that if I scratch here I get something delicious. Unfortunately, scolding, startling them or water squirting is ineffective as it doesn't convey anything other than you are not a fun person because you are doing something they don't like.
As for inappropriate soiling this is a difficult to break if it's be happening on and off for the 6 years. Litterbox training requires retraining in a small room (e.g. bathroom) and offering treat rewards for using the box correctly in hopes that again the cat will recognize that the box is a good place to always eliminate and not anywhere else. This does require a lot of patience and dedication if you can commit to it for a couple months and then see what happens afterwards.
As a final alternative option, place double-sided sticky tape throughout various places on the rug as soon as you lay it down. You would need to leave and replace the tape as needed (for about a month as cats are inquisitive and return to investigate) in order to disuade the cats from ever taking a step onto it. They dislike being stuck to anything and avoid those unpleasant areas as well it is not being associated to a human punishing them rather by their own action.
2006-08-19 22:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by ♪ Seattle ♫ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Ok, I can't help wondering......if you knew all of these things about the cats in the first place. Why did you go buy this expensive rug? Cutting a cats claws are exactly what you do not need to do. What do you think they sharpen them for? The more you cut them, the more they are going to claw at things to get them sharp again. Unless you can close the dining room off completely from the cats. Your screwed! You should have been thinking ahead! They make a product called feline away. You spray areas that you don't want cats to go. Personally I have not found it useful. Yes, they ARE sharpening their claws, but just like with dogs, their paws are the most sensitive part of their bodies. It feels good to them to scratch on things. Just like it feels good to a dog to dig. You will be waisting your time with a baby or pet gate. That is just stupid. It might work for dogs, but it won't keep a cat out. A scratching post MIGHT help, but that is something they should have been taught as kittens. If they wern't then they think it is OK to scratch where they want too.
2006-08-19 20:20:23 · answer #2 · answered by tjb 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
supply him some more beneficial days. The UTI might want to not have cleared up yet, or if he's already off the antibiotics he might want to need to be checked back. it would want to be something more beneficial then a UTI. My cat had a kidney an infection even as he became many years old, and that i left out it and his peeing on the carpet wondering it turned right into a dominance element (I had only brough a sparkling kitty into the abode.) solid success!
2016-11-05 05:17:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Block them from the dining room-a child safety gate in the doorway or doorways is what I use . I have pets but don't allow to destroy . its natural for cats to scratch their claws on objects-actually not sharpening but there is vein that would grow too long and there are things available that cats use for that purpose in pet stores-even WalMart has them-scratching posts.When you first bring in the house put Catnip on the post or if you see them begin to scratch-pick up and take to the scratching post and they will learn that's what you want them to use. You can also get products, and cat food that will lessen the throw-up of hairballs and it really helps to brush-go to a pet store for there are also things -cheap that they brush against which they like to do that takes of loose fur. Since they have been allowed to mess with rugs for 6yrs too late to train and your best bet is to block access to the rug. Look up Cats-educate yourself-there is a way to live with pets and not have your things destroyed. There are also shampoos and so on that get rid of the dander-what you are allergic to-take to grooming place approx 1xmonth and have shampooed or use the spray on stuff for dander.
2006-08-19 20:16:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You need to have a cat scratcher near the rug so that they will use it instead of the rug.
2006-08-19 20:05:17 · answer #5 · answered by Art The Wise 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Plank over barell = cat apult !
2006-08-19 20:05:27 · answer #6 · answered by S.A.M. Gunner 7212 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bring the dogs in.
2006-08-19 20:02:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
keep a close eye on it. lock it up when you guys are away. spot shot works on piss hope that helped
2006-08-19 20:04:17 · answer #8 · answered by SouthernGirl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋