My cat sharpens her nails on my furniture?

Question

Does anyone know how i can prevent her from doing this, scratching posts dont seem to work and i dont want to have her declawed. Are there any sprays i can use on my furniture?

Answer 1

Try PetSmart, PetCo, etc. They make sprays called Pet Away.

Try reading this Wiki Article

http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-a-Cat-from-Clawing-Furniture

Another thing, if your cat will remain inside for life, look into declawing or declawing alternatives.

Answer 2

try the following websites! and this info
Trim your cat's nails every week to reduce the intensity of your cat¹s scratching.
Use regular toenail clippers. Never use scissors! Be careful to clip just the tips of the hooks, and avoid the vein that reaches about halfway down each claw (called the "quick"). Ask shelter staff or your veterinarian for a demonstration. (Declawing is increasingly considered an inhumane solution and causes a great deal of pain and stress to a cat. Please contact MHS for more information before putting your pet through that ordeal.)


Training your cat not to scratch the furniture is simple.
Covering the surface she likes to scratch with aluminum foil, a cloth sprayed with lemon scented furniture polish, double-sided tape, or another material that cats don¹t like will effectively protect your couch. Also, a squirt bottle used at exactly the right moment (and coming from an unknown source) will "punish" your cat for scratching where she shouldn¹t. If you see her scratching the furniture, quietly take her over to the scratching post and praise her like crazy! Most importantly, however, is to make your cat¹s scratching post a perfect place to scratch and stretch — and to praise her every time she uses it!
from http://www.monadnockhumanesociety.org/faqs-cats.html#q7

Answer 3

My cats didnt like the scratching posts either. so we actually had to purchase the things that you can wrap around the bottom of your furniture, and every time she sharpened on our couch we would spray her with a water bottle, when she used the post she would get a treat.
Thats about the only thing other then declawing we could find that worked
You can go to petsmart or a pet store too and they have a whole aisle of things they suggest... its basically just a hit and miss and trial and error, depending on what works for your specific kitty

Answer 4

You might try a citrusy-smelling spray or bitter apple on your furniture.

Now- I never could get a cat to use a scratching post either. But I did have some old car-floor mats that the cat I had at the time LOVED scratching. You might try that.

Another thing you can do is go to Pet Smart or a comparable pet store and get Soft Paws: Those, according to what I've heard, are soft little tips that you can put on your kitty's claws so she can't scratch.

Even just having her nails trimmed would help.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Try a variety of scratchers. My cats never liked the scratching posts. They prefer the cardboard scratchers. My one cat prefers flat scratchers for most of her scratching, but she also likes slanted and vertical. My other cat is mainly a vertical scratcher.

I only bother with the cardboard scratchers now since they like them and I think the fabric ones confuse them. In a 1000 sq. foot apartment I have 2 vertical scratchers attached to doors (refills are like $2 at Target and last about 2 months), 1 slanted scratcher, and 4 flat sctachers (switching out old with new, normally have 2 going). The scratchers and refills come with cat nip to attract the cats.

I trim my cats claws monthly or more if needed, and don't have any problems with my furniture.

I have tried the "No Scratch" spray on a new chair that the cats were showing intrest in claiming, and it made them go kind of crazy and they attacked and scratched up the chair. I won't be using that again. I like the generic Sticky Paws you can buy in roll form from Target for like $4. With anything sticky though, change often or it will be hard to take off.

Answer 6

There's a product on the market called "No!" It's not harmful to pets, but they will avoid areas that have been sprayed with it. Try Petsmart or any other pet retailer. Talk to the store personnel and see if they offer any other options.

You can also find Stay-Away Pet Deterrent here:

http://www.safepetproducts.com

If you don't like the idea of spraying a chemical, you can also buy clear plastic panels that will attach to your furniture and will keep cats from damaging it. They're flexible but strong enough to withstand kitty claws.

Here's the link where you can find protectors:
http://www.handsnpaws.com/product/RYPCAT67006/Furniture_Protectors_for_Cat_Scratching.html

Answer 7

I don't know about sprays, but I used to have the same problem with my cat... he scratched up everything until one day I bought a new pair of flip flops (like the foam kind) and he scratched at those and only those from that point forward... try getting a sheet of craft foam from a craft store, it may help.

Answer 8

My cat never used scratching posts and preferred the furniture until I got a scratching box for her. It's a flat cardboard box filled with corrugated cardboard that you can rub catnip into. She loves it and completely quit scratching the furniture.

I think you can buy those cat scratching boxes at Target.

Answer 9

Try letting her out sometimes so she can sharpen her nails on a tree.:)) The scatching post must be in a visible place. Try rubing the scratching post with an olive seed. I don`t know why but that seems to attract cats. ;)

Answer 10

There is a spray at the pet store we bought Four Paws keep off, and it seemed to work with my cats not touching my plants. also my kitten stopped scratching our carpet. So try it should help.