Help urgently before I have one dead cat!!?

Question

My little baby girls is just starting to use my boyfriends leather couch as a scratching post!! We have a scratching toy cactus she wont even use but preferrs the feel of leather on her claws.How do i get her to stop??? We have had it for a few months now and she never went near it until now? We tell her off everytime she does it but always returns when we are not looking!! I'm worried she may dissappear to the animal shelter if she does it once more infront of my boyfriend.Please help!!!

Answer 1

You can go to Wal-Mart or Target or stores such as that and look in the cat toy section. They sell this box which is made of cardboard and you sprinkle catnip in it. The cat will scratch at the cardboard in an attempt to get at the nip. This will satisfy some of her need to scratch and hopefully will keep her from scratching your boyfriend's couch.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Bitter Apple??? The cat is SCRATCHING, not CHEWING on the couch, right? So forget that.
Soft Paws could work, but I'm not sure how well they'll stay on.
Declawing is inhumane, as it isn't just like cutting your nails, but more like amputating the last link on every one of your fingers.
Behaviour modification with the water bottle is a good idea. It takes time however and you have to make sure that you can lock the cat out of that room when you're not there to watch and squirt her.
You can also try a noisemaker to scare her every time she approaches the couch. Something like an empty soda can full of screws or marbles that you shake really hard when the cat goes near the couch(cover the hole with duct tape), but again, you have to be there and keep the cat away while you're gone.
Good luck to you and your kitty. Hope things work out for all of you.

Answer 3

Scratching is an instinctive behavior for ALL cats--you're NOT going to stop her. She scratches with the same disregard the you and I give to breathing air. We don't think about it, we just simply do it. We have had as many as 4 cats at one time, and if you don't take a few precautions your home will become one big cat toy.

So, as someone above has already said, you have only two real options: First, get kitty declawed. This is what we've done with our household pride of cats...all of them. However, BE SURE you understand this: Once declawed, your cat cannot be an "outdoors" kitty anymore. Cats are territorial and fight constantly to establish and defend their territories. Your cat will no longer be able to do this, and the consequences could be lethal--a cat's worst enemy isn't the neighbor's dog, it's another cat. Once declawed, your cat needs to stay indoors--that means you buy cat toys, and set up a litter box (fun!) and all of that. THIS is really your best option.

Second: You can find a new home for the cat. Like I said, the cat cannot be "trained" to stop scratching. That ain't gonna happen, so forget that completely. Cat's do make excellent pets--in fact, it's best to have two cats so (after they get over each others presence) they can begin to have each other's company--when you're not home.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 4

There are several suggestions. Try an all natural spray called "Bitter Apple" of "Phooey" that you can buy for around $10 at pet stores. Both are non toxic, non staining and have a HORRIBLE taste. When cats scratch, then lick the paws because they notice something on it. Then gag and freak because the stuff tastes horrible. Sounds mean but it generally works.
Also, there are clear strips of double sided tape that does not harm the furniture. Place them on the sofa in areas where the cat is scratching. Cats HATE stuff on their paws, especially sticky things. You can get that at your local pet store as well for around the $10 mark.
Just go to your local pet store and talk to them. Ask for help, suggestions and advice. If they try selling you those dumb little nail caps that glue onto the cats claws, don't listen to that! I have never heard of those helping at all.
Oh, the inexpensive cardboard type cat scratchers that sit on the floor really do help. Cats seem to LOVE those things!
Good luck!

Answer 5

I would get her front paws declawed. The idea with the catnip and the box was a good possible remedy. Is your cat spayed? This could be a major problem. After this happens it will calm her down. Also did you try using a spray bottle of water everytime she does this. Or try throwing a soft toy in her vicinity to distract her and hopefully get her to go after that instead of the couch. Also try hanging a catnip toy from your scratching post to see if that works.

Answer 6

Keep the cat.

Get rid of the boyfriend.

Just Kidding, really. But seriously...have you thought of going to a Thrift store, getting some hideous leather something that you could take apart and make a leather scratching post?

Also, can you restrict her access to the room when you can't be there to supervise? When you're in the room, try a squirt bottle of water whenever she approaches the forbidden couch.

Answer 7

People suggested the squirt gun, you can also make a shaker can to startle her, just put some pennies in a soda can, and shake it when she goes to scratch the couch.
try some other types of scratching posts. My kitty loves the cardboard ones. they also have those carpet ones and some made of rope.
maybe you could cover the couch with some sort of blanket so she cant get to the leather...
good luck! >^..^<

Answer 8

i doubt youll manage to stop the cat without upsetting it
tell your bf off not the cat
how could he threaten to put the cat in a shelter
thats pathetic
if you truly love your cat then dont let him hurt her
bad bf
good cat
simple as
lol
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i kinow everyone is saying get her declawed but i wouldnt if i were you
it will really upset your cat and cause her alot of pain
also
after it she may find certain tasks difficult like scratching herself
and gripping on to things
is she catshes things she wont be able to do that either any more
please think about what ive said
i have many pets and i know alot about animals
im not sayin others dont but please just listen
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Answer 9

Good luck...I had the same problem and my bf ended up returning the cat. You may try reading on the subject as I do believe there is a way but it may take alot of time and patience...I guess it depends on how bad you want to keep the cat.

Answer 10

You can try a squirt gun, or something called bitter apple spray (it can be found at petsmart) Also try to cover the part of the couch that she is scratching to prevent futrther damage.