any options for a cat with claws? not my cat, roommates and he's scratching everything up?

Answer 1

Of course the most simple solution is declawing, but there's always other alternatives. Make sure the cat has a nice scratching post and rub cat nip on it to attract him. Also make sure your roommate is keeping his nails trimmed. Part of the reason they claw is to remove the outer covering of the claw so it can continue to grow. With frequent nail trims it helps minimize clawing. Also like others have said you can purchase Soft Claws from the pet store. There's another product called Sticky Paws. It's an adhesive you put on the furniture so when they touch it with their paws it's kind of sticky and cats aren't very fond of that feeling, so it does help deter them from clawing. I haven't heard of many people that have used this one though. Good luck.

http://www.softclaws.com/

Answer 2

I particularly wanted to answer this question, since I have an indoor cat who bites too hard. One person who answered my question asked if I had declawed the cat. My response is I WOULD NEVER DECLAW A CAT; it is a cruel operation and could result in the cat being unable to properly defend itself.

Now to the clawing. Yes, there are things to do. First, get a scratching post, such as from Wal Mart. Put it in a prominent place where the cat goes. It should be tall enough for the cat to stretch a little. You can also have claws TRIMMED by a vet, friend, or grooming place. Find the cheapest. While a cat should never be declawed, it actually needs to have its nails trimmed. Do this about once a month. When the cat scratches things valuable, you can holler No!, use a water pistol, and make noise with a rolled up newspaper. These are ways to discipline the cat properly. One should never strike a cat. It is just their personalities that they do not understand it, and it causes them to get rebellious, upset, or withdrawn. There are also sprays that one can use to keep cats away from certain areas. However, some of these are fairly toxic, so read the directions and use carefully.

Good Luck with your kitty.

Answer 3

Depending how old the cat is Declawing is an option but ONLY if the cat is to remain INSIDE ONLY. But before your roomy decides to have his pet declawed be aware that they cut off the tip of the finger at the first digit not just remove the claw. So it is very painful especially to older cats and most vets will not do the surgery on a cat older than 2.

Soft Claws are caps that have adhesive and you attach them to the claw. These fall off and aren't great but help.

You can also try spray a squirt of water on the cat when he is exhibiting the bad behavior.

Good luck

Answer 4

Hi there...a cat instintively needs to claw to help shed the nail sheaths so having multiple scratching posts/mats around will be very helpful.

Here's an instructional video by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for Feline Health on how to trim a cat's nails regularly: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/trimming_claws/full_movie.shtml

After trimming the claws a glue-on plastic nail cover called SoftPaws can be applied to soften the trimmed nails even more: http://www.softpaws.com

Answer 5

Try spraying it with a spray bottle. After a while it will or should learn not to scratch. In my case, I had my cat declawed, front only, and he did great. He still tries to scratch the furniture & wall but he doesn't hurt anything since he has no claws. Good luck

Answer 6

I tirm my cats claws with a small nail clipper - I just cut off the tips - just the white part NOT the pink every few weeks and provide several different scratching posts. Each cat has a different preference for a post - sisal rope or carpet so your roomate may need to try several to see what works. The spray bottle trick also works.

Answer 7

Please do not have the cat de-clawed. That is the equivalent of having the tips of your fingers cut off just below your cuticle. :-(

There is a toy called Turbo Scratcher, manufactured by Blitz, USA. Phone Number is 1-877-922-5489. WalMart sells them for under $10.

The toy is made of a circular scratch pad with a spinnable ball encircling it. You spin the ball around, which kitty tries to catch. In the process of trying to catch the ball, kitty discovers the scratch pad. Hard to explain, but it's amazing how well it works.

I had problems with my cat, but now, this is her favourite toy and there are no more problems with scratching furniture, etc., as she has something more entertaining to claw at now. :-) She uses it all the time.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Ask your roommate to take him to a vet or groomer and get his claws trimmed blunt, or he can do it himself: see http://www.catscratching.com for instructions. Softpaws are a great idea too. Trimming the claws and/or applying softpaws will protect things from the cat's claws while she's learning where to scratch.

Your roommate needs to make sure the cat has good scratching posts to use: they need to be tall enough for the cat to stretch all the way out on, and sturdy enough for her to dig her claws in. They need to have a nice rough texture, too - sisal, bark, or carpet backing is better than soft plush carpet. The posts need to be put where the cat likes to scratch - usually near where she naps, eats, and near her litterbox.

To discourage her from scratching on the furniture and other off-limits surfaces, apply double-sided sticky tape or aluminum foil to those surfaces to make them less appealing.

If she likes her posts, it shouldn't take her long to start using those instead of the furniture.

Answer 9

This sounds like a situation that you really don't want to be involved in. You have a really irresponsible roommate if they raised a cat that behaves this way. The most important thing is that you can not take this out on the cat. This is your roommate's fault, not the cat's. Moving out is the best option.

Answer 10

Tell your roommate to get a scratching post and train the cat to use it, not the furniture.
Yell at the cat and spray it with water when it uses the furniture, praise it when it uses the scratching post.
Cats are smart and will learn.

NEVER declaw a cat. It hurts them just like we had cut off our fingers.

If your roommate is not willing to do this, have him/her give it up for adoption to someone who will.