My cat is still continuing to scratch at things other than her own, and one of them is my speakers. She won't stop. What should I do? I tried everything.
2007-08-23 05:39:26 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
step 1: get her a nice scratching post! you can make one or buy one! keep it nice and big!
step 2: every time she scrtaches something of yours, spray her with some water! not to much! but enough so she'll learn!\
step 3: NEVER SPRAY HER WHEN SHE SCRATCHES THE SCRATCHING POST! ONLY WHEN SHE SCRATCHES YOUR STUFF! after a while, she'll learn to scratch the post!
2007-08-23 05:47:15 · answer #1 · answered by cameron c 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Part of a cat's desire to scratch, is because it's a way of visually and scent marking territory from the glands situated on the sides of the toe pads. For this reason it's helpful to have several scratch items in different locations around the home. I don't know what scratch items she uses, or if she has a preference (some are not keen on sisal posts) but you could try covering the speakers when you are not home and placing a suitable alternative scratch item at that spot. Once she begins using the scratch item instead of your speakers, you can then gradually begin moving the scratch item away from the speakers to a more convenient area of the room. Cats hate the smell of menthol or eucalyptus oil, so rubbing a few drops of that over areas you don't want her to scratch will help deter her.
Keeping her claws trimmed will also reduce their potential for damage.
The web article below offers helpful advice on how to re-direct scratching to acceptable items.
http://www.catscratching.com/
Good luck.
2007-08-23 14:43:39 · answer #2 · answered by Michele the Louis Wain cat 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can clip her claws. They have claw clippers at the pet store specially made for cats. You just push on her paw pad to get the claw to extend and clip the tips. Be careful not to clip the pink part of the claw cause there are blood vessels running through there. It's hard to discipline a cat cause you have to literally catch them in the act but when you see her near your speakers to scratch go and grab her and give her a stern no. There are spray deterrents in the pet store for porous surfaces. I don't know if this would work on your speakers but it's worth a try. Maybe if you can't spray the speakers you can spray around them. This stuff really works. It kept my cats out from under the Christmas tree and from clawing my new couch. After awhile you don't have to spray it anymore because they learn to stop the behavior. Good luck with your kitty. Please do not declaw. It's a very painful and inhumane procedure.
2007-08-23 12:48:36 · answer #3 · answered by Turtle 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can try a couple of things.
1) Fill a spray bottle with water. Spray her if she scratches things that you don't want her to attack. She's going to stop, especially if she hates water. My little Riley has finally left the blinds alone after being sprayed with the water bottle. Now he attacks the water bottle, which is fine. Better than the poor blinds.
2) This is going to sound weird, but put a banana on a plate near whatever you don't want her getting close to. Cats HATE the smell of bananas (I think it's the methane)
If neither of those work, ask your vet for ideas of materials that cats would stay away from. Good luck.
2007-08-23 12:49:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm with Cameron in her response. But get a sisal scratching post -- a good one. Keep it near the speakers, and rub the daylights out of it with catnip. Give her the water pistol when she moves in on your speakers. And when you are not home, cover the speakers with vinyl or put them face down in a box, so she can't get to them.
Do not declaw her. She will just become a biter.
2007-08-23 12:51:11 · answer #5 · answered by Mercy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried Soft Paws, covers for her claws?
I found that trimming claws regularly combined with a rope-style scratching post worked for me but I'd try Soft Paws next if that hadn't done it.
Declawing is inhumane and painful.
2007-08-23 12:43:52 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Double sided sticky tape, it's what can save your speakers and furniture corners. It's made with cats in mind.
2007-08-23 19:16:26 · answer #7 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://geocities.com/declawing.index.htm
Try everything else and if they don't work they read it and you are the only one that can make that decision.
2007-08-23 14:01:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two words...Declaw her.....
2007-08-23 12:43:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋