My wife won't have our cats declawed. How do we keep them from destroying our furniture?

Answer 1

Hi Kenny...consider having trimming the cats nails weekly and then using a glue-on nail cover which softens the ends of the nails.

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

SoftPaws nail covers: http://www.softpaws.com

Answer 2

NO. DO NOT DECLAW THEM! Declawwing cats is so in humane, I thought about doing it until i did some research on the subject. It's like a human getting there fingers cut off at the knuckle, it also kills the nerves so they cannot feel anything. I had the same problem they chewwed up everything. I called the local pet store and got a spray called Bitter Apple, it says it's for dogs but it can be used for most animals. You spray it on whatever there chewing and the odor and taste to them is disgusting, they will leave it alone to avoid getting it on them. Good Luck, oh and it's only about $2 per bottle versus expensive cat surgery!

Answer 3

hmm let me think. A scrathcing pole. I totally respect why your wife wont get them declawed. It says its like chopping off a humans finger in the sence of how handy our fingers are. But my cat is de clawed. This is because i lost an eye and cant afford to lose another if i am accidentally scatched. My dad also once was at my auts looking for the cat, nelt down and looked uder the bed and, wam! Then cat struck at him and he need stches in his eye and now has blurry vision.

Another if your wife is just cheap and doesnt want it done because of the money, well then take it into your own hands. Thats your house. not the cats house. He doesnt pay the bills. At scratching pole is your best bet at this point. Make him aware of what its for by frequntly placing him near it or take his paw and strokeing it on the pole so he gets the idea

Answer 4

Take some clear packing tape and put it over the areas your cats seem to scratch the most. As soon as they go to sharpen their claws on your couch and it is a smooth surface, they'll stop. To keep them from finding a different spot, this time, say, on your favorite recliner, buy a scratching post for your cats; they are inexpensive and can be bought either to hang off a doorknob or chair or to stand upright. Take the tape off when the cats move on to the cat post. Sure, your furniture will be a little shiny for a bit, but nothing too scary looking.

Answer 5

Both my cats HAVE their full compliment of claws. I have leather furniture. To date, neither cat has attempted to claw them. How could this happen?

1. Every time one of my cats jump on a piece of furniture I don't want him to be on like the leather sofa, armchair, table, etc), I immediately say, "Nooooo!" and go pick him up from off the thing. By doing this consistently, the cats learn what things not to mess with.

2. I Never leave them in the living room, dining room or kitchen by themselves for any long period of time (like hours). I am always around. If I have to go out, I put the cats in my room which is a cat-freindly place (I purposefully ade it so).

3. I provided scratching posts and plenty of cat toys for them to play with so they do not mess with the furniture when indoors.

4. I try to keep their lives interesting so they do not become frustrated and destructive: they go "walkies" outside with me on halter and leash; I bought them a huge outdoor enclosure recently too.

But then, I have a work at home job... so, I guess I and my cats are rather fortunate that way. But with persistence, you can train your cats to keep off certain furniture in your home.

Answer 6

You can keep the nails short with regular nail clippers, just ask your vet to show you where it is safe to cut them down to. Also try aversion behaviour therapy -- get a squirt gun filled with water and spray the cat if he tries clawing the furniture. They do need an outlet for the scratching, so try a scratching post or cardboard box (sometimes rubbing catnip on the 'acceptable' item will convince the cat that that's the right place to scratch). The Softpaws that other people were talking about can work, but they can also get caught on things and pull off. They are glued on to the nails, so some cats are so irritated by them they chew themselves to bits trying to get them off. How laid back are your cats?

Answer 7

Your wife is doing the right thing. Perhaps she wants to find a well-known proffesional. Last year, my friend had her ex-boyfriend's uncle declaw her dog, and he cut a vein too short, and the dog bled to death.... It's horrible! If your gonna declaw your cat, I suggest you clip his nails instead make sure you find someone who actually is a REAL veteranian and not an imposter. God Bless!!!

P.S. How would you feel if someone cut off the tips of your fingers so you would stop scratching stuff?? Have you ever had the urge to scratch a piece of annoying paint that's peeling off, or scratch a sticker off? Some people find thta what you think are pet-peeves is destructive behavior. Plus, declawing is cruel! Just clip his nails a bit, or buy him a post or something. Do the right choice, and do not do things without your wife's consent!

Answer 8

First I would suggest getting them on a regular nail cutting schedule (if they aren't already). I cut ours every week when they get their bath.

Get them a good scratching post that is tall enough for them to completely stretch out or else they won't use it. For our 2 cats we took wool type indoor/ outdoor welcome mats with a rubber backing (they were black, got them from wal mart for like 3 bucks) and hung them around the door frame (we used screws to attach them to the wood) so the whole frame is covered floor to ceiling with these mats. Not only do the cats only scratch on this, they'll run up and down it all day (it's quite funny to watch). So their favorite cat toy cost me about $7 plus they're getting an insane amount of exercise using the darn thing all day.

But if your cats are already scratching on the furniture, there is a spray that is supposed to deter them. I haven't personally used it, so I can't speak to it's effectiveness. Some people use water guns too, but my cats love the water, so they just think it's playtime.

If you have the time to train them, as soon as they start scratching on the furniture, tell them 'NO' (Loud enough to startle them, so they stop scratching) and take them over to the post or whatever they are allowed to scratch on. Keep up with it and they'll get it eventually.

Slipcovers made from a smooth fabric (something that their nails won't catch on) would probably help too.

And it may sound insanely strange, but you can try covering the parts of the furniture that they scratch on in Aluminum Foil. Most cats don't like the way it feels when it gets on/under their nails and in their paws. I had great success with this for my kitten (before we came up with the idea for the rugs on the wall).

My aunt uses the acrylic nail covers for her cat, and she has great success. Plus, Delilah looks great with hot pink nails :-)

Hope one (or more) of these ideas works out for you because in the end, it's better for all involved if you can keep your wife and your cats can keep their claws.

Good Luck!

Answer 9

there are many solutions to this
first of all you could train your cat by spraying them with a water bottle whenever you catch them doing it ... also they make something that you can put on your furniture that makes the clawing uncomfortable to cats.... and also another option is lil plastic "boots" that go on cats claws. try doctorfostersandsmith.com they are these plastic tips that go on the claws to keep them from tearing stuff up without the inhumanity of declawing the animal.

Answer 10

I'm with the citrus people on this. Cats hate citrus. Also rubbing vinegar on there will help. They only scratch to sharpen their claws. You can get them a cheap cardboard thing that goes on the floor and has catnip in it to attract them. They love things like that. Also the water spritzing when you catch them in the act.
This should save your marriage, furniture, and those poor cats knuckles.