Question:
this worked for me: when my cats were kittens they would climb up my leg like i was a tree when i was wearing jeans. (it only hurt a little) so i made a scratching post out of an old pair of jeans. real cheap. i cut the leg off an old pair and stapled it to the edge of the molding around the bedroom closet door. it worked great – they preferred this to my wicker furniture (which they were using) and everybody was happy. good luck!
Response:
Chris, I have had good results using scratching "pads". These can be obtained from an outfit called "cat Claws" in Arkansas. Their phone number is 1-800-783-0977. The pads are catnip impregnated and the cats start to use them as soon as you put them down. -MIKE
Response:
>Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with >him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to >play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or >something. Never play with the cat with your hands.
Good point. We always use the "fishing rod" style of toy, or a laser pointer (she loves to chase it), or some other distance toy. As for scratching posts, we have something in almost every room that the cat can scratch — different kinds of scratching posts (some carpeted — which she loves — some with rope), baskets (she loves to claw her baskets), and those cardboard disks. She uses all of them. We also semi-regularly sprayed the furniture with a no-scratch spray when we first got her (and her sister) a year ago. It helped her to stop clawing the furniture and start clawing the legal stuff. You could try spraying regularly and see if that helps. Now she never claws the furniture. –Lauren That ever was thralle, now ys he fre; That ever was smalle, now grete is she; Now shal God deme bothe thee and me; Unto his blysse yf we do wel. Nowel! –"Nowel, Owt of Your Slepe" (15th cent. English)
Response:
Sorry for all the spelling errors! BTW – Tiger "attacks" my leg once in a while as well. He is just being his Tiger self. Not much you can do about that.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell > him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, > sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his > reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our > command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to > scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without > a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward > all together!! > The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise > him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have > to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his > claws amputated! > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full 
> This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
The following links should pretty much cover it: Explaining Cat Aggression Towards People http://www.catcaresociety.org/aggression.htm How To Choose A Scratching Post http://www.princetonol.com/groups/oyh/articles/scratchpost.html Clipping your kitten’s claws regularly will help, too. Megan
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Maybe one of the tips that people have posted on my website might help. There is also information about trimming claws. <http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/declaw.html> Once he gets bigger, you won’t have to worry about the problem of jumping. He’ll be large enough so that he won’t have to hang on, he’ll be able to jump right up. lisaviolet — lisaviolet’s cathouse http://www.lisaviolet.com >^..^< lisaviolet merchandise http://www.lvdesigns.com I am my mother’s daughter and we take no prisoners My real email address is on my website Email may be posted
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that.
Well, make it one you think he will enjoy, by observing how he scratches. For instance, ours were going wild over the rolled up leftover of carpet we had bought for our (indoor) porch. Once we put it up in the attic, we found that they scratched on the furniture a lot more. They have a post, but it isn’t very tall…they liked to stretch and scratch at the same time, and that rolled up carpet allowed them to do that. So my husband made a post that is 4 feet high, and covered it in the leftover carpet. (It’s actually a big hollow tube, covered inside an out, with a big "mousehole" (cathole in this case)at the bottom, and open at the top, with a shelf around it). They LOVE it, and they don’t bother with our furniture anymore. Erin No numbers in my address.
Response:
Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or something. Never play with the cat with your hands. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the >scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is >OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us >as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our >fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too!
I’ve also noticed that if one of mine scratches the post, the other one comes running over to scratch after her. I’m not sure if it’s because she wants to cover the other cat’s marking, or just a case of monkey-see, monkey-do. Rebecca Remove "not" when replying by email
Response:
Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish full This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, but he claws me a lot less afterwards) Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my skin gives out before his claws. The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s starting to hurt. Thanks for everything, Chris Kennedy
Response:
We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward all together!! The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his claws amputated!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him >to use just that.
There have been some good suggestions in the other replies to your post. I’d add that if he is an active cat (as he seems to be!) you might consider getting him a "cat tree." We got a three-level cat tree, with some carpeted posts and one sisal post, for our cat, who’s about 9 months old now. He loves it, climbs all over it, and scratches his little heart out on it (it also gives him the chance to scratch at different heights, or vertically or horizontally, as the mood strikes him). We then put his old scratching post in the living room, so he’s never far from a good place to scratch. Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too! > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they >hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much >pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s >starting to hurt.
We had the same thing happen with our cat. After a while he learned to hold himself back more — I think it’s just that we said "ouch!" and stopped playing with him when he bit too hard. Now he can wrestle and play-bite with us and he doesn’t hurt us at all. The way I figure it is that when he’s playing, he doesn’t want to hurt us — that would end the fun! — but it took him a while to get used to his adult teeth (and the thinness of our skin… we don’t have protective fur like cats!). Cheers, Holly
Response:
Scratching posts do work if you know something about how to choose them and where to place them. The best teacher of the noble art of scratching is the cat’s own mother, but if she isn’t around or isn’t trained to use a scratching post, that leaves it all up to us. The first rule is that scratching posts should be tall enough for the cat to stretch up full length and arch its back as it sinks its claws in. Also, at least one post should be positioned close to your cat’s normal resting area. It’s typical for a cat to want to have a good clawing stretch after a decent sleep. The second rule is that scratching posts should be absolutely secure. Cats think there’s nothing worse than having the post wobble or fall over when they’re in the middle of a good stretch. The third rule is, the post has to be covered with the right kind of stuff. Tightly wrapped, uninteresting carpet is out, and burlap and other easily shreddable things are in. Cats prefer vertically oriented fibers, as this orientation lends itself to shredding. Many owners change a scratching post when it is old and tattered. This is dead wrong, as shredding indicate frequent use and that is exactly what you want. Half the fun cats experience from a scratching post derives from getting their claws stuck in the material and leaving wispy threads as testimony of their erstwhile presence. More than one post is usually preferred, perhaps one for each high-traffic area of the house. Different kinds of scratching posts will provide different challenges, so you get quite creative. A large log (with bark) is apparently lots of fun and especially good for those conditioning functions. To read the rest of this article visit my site: http://maxshouse.com/understanding_the_motivation_of_.htm Don’t worry, most cats take to a scratching post like a cat to a scratching post. Phil. — "How long does a cat stretch? From one end of my life to the other" Feline Healthcare – http://maxshouse.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
this worked for me: when my cats were kittens they would climb up my leg like i was a tree when i was wearing jeans. (it only hurt a little) so i made a scratching post out of an old pair of jeans. real cheap. i cut the leg off an old pair and stapled it to the edge of the molding around the bedroom closet door. it worked great – they preferred this to my wicker furniture (which they were using) and everybody was happy. good luck!
Response:
Chris, I have had good results using scratching "pads". These can be obtained from an outfit called "cat Claws" in Arkansas. Their phone number is 1-800-783-0977. The pads are catnip impregnated and the cats start to use them as soon as you put them down. -MIKE
Response:
>Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with >him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to >play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or >something. Never play with the cat with your hands.
Good point. We always use the "fishing rod" style of toy, or a laser pointer (she loves to chase it), or some other distance toy. As for scratching posts, we have something in almost every room that the cat can scratch — different kinds of scratching posts (some carpeted — which she loves — some with rope), baskets (she loves to claw her baskets), and those cardboard disks. She uses all of them. We also semi-regularly sprayed the furniture with a no-scratch spray when we first got her (and her sister) a year ago. It helped her to stop clawing the furniture and start clawing the legal stuff. You could try spraying regularly and see if that helps. Now she never claws the furniture. –Lauren That ever was thralle, now ys he fre; That ever was smalle, now grete is she; Now shal God deme bothe thee and me; Unto his blysse yf we do wel. Nowel! –"Nowel, Owt of Your Slepe" (15th cent. English)
Response:
Sorry for all the spelling errors! BTW – Tiger "attacks" my leg once in a while as well. He is just being his Tiger self. Not much you can do about that.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell > him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, > sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his > reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our > command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to > scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without > a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward > all together!! > The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise > him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have > to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his > claws amputated! > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
The following links should pretty much cover it: Explaining Cat Aggression Towards People http://www.catcaresociety.org/aggression.htm How To Choose A Scratching Post http://www.princetonol.com/groups/oyh/articles/scratchpost.html Clipping your kitten’s claws regularly will help, too. Megan
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Maybe one of the tips that people have posted on my website might help. There is also information about trimming claws. <http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/declaw.html> Once he gets bigger, you won’t have to worry about the problem of jumping. He’ll be large enough so that he won’t have to hang on, he’ll be able to jump right up. lisaviolet — lisaviolet’s cathouse http://www.lisaviolet.com >^..^< lisaviolet merchandise http://www.lvdesigns.com I am my mother’s daughter and we take no prisoners My real email address is on my website Email may be posted
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that.
Well, make it one you think he will enjoy, by observing how he scratches. For instance, ours were going wild over the rolled up leftover of carpet we had bought for our (indoor) porch. Once we put it up in the attic, we found that they scratched on the furniture a lot more. They have a post, but it isn’t very tall…they liked to stretch and scratch at the same time, and that rolled up carpet allowed them to do that. So my husband made a post that is 4 feet high, and covered it in the leftover carpet. (It’s actually a big hollow tube, covered inside an out, with a big "mousehole" (cathole in this case)at the bottom, and open at the top, with a shelf around it). They LOVE it, and they don’t bother with our furniture anymore. Erin No numbers in my address.
Response:
Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or something. Never play with the cat with your hands. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the >scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is >OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us >as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our >fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too!
I’ve also noticed that if one of mine scratches the post, the other one comes running over to scratch after her. I’m not sure if it’s because she wants to cover the other cat’s marking, or just a case of monkey-see, monkey-do. Rebecca Remove "not" when replying by email
Response:
Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish full This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, but he claws me a lot less afterwards) Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my skin gives out before his claws. The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s starting to hurt. Thanks for everything, Chris Kennedy
Response:
We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward all together!! The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his claws amputated!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him >to use just that.
There have been some good suggestions in the other replies to your post. I’d add that if he is an active cat (as he seems to be!) you might consider getting him a "cat tree." We got a three-level cat tree, with some carpeted posts and one sisal post, for our cat, who’s about 9 months old now. He loves it, climbs all over it, and scratches his little heart out on it (it also gives him the chance to scratch at different heights, or vertically or horizontally, as the mood strikes him). We then put his old scratching post in the living room, so he’s never far from a good place to scratch. Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too! > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they >hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much >pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s >starting to hurt.
We had the same thing happen with our cat. After a while he learned to hold himself back more — I think it’s just that we said "ouch!" and stopped playing with him when he bit too hard. Now he can wrestle and play-bite with us and he doesn’t hurt us at all. The way I figure it is that when he’s playing, he doesn’t want to hurt us — that would end the fun! — but it took him a while to get used to his adult teeth (and the thinness of our skin… we don’t have protective fur like cats!). Cheers, Holly
Response:
Scratching posts do work if you know something about how to choose them and where to place them. The best teacher of the noble art of scratching is the cat’s own mother, but if she isn’t around or isn’t trained to use a scratching post, that leaves it all up to us. The first rule is that scratching posts should be tall enough for the cat to stretch up full length and arch its back as it sinks its claws in. Also, at least one post should be positioned close to your cat’s normal resting area. It’s typical for a cat to want to have a good clawing stretch after a decent sleep. The second rule is that scratching posts should be absolutely secure. Cats think there’s nothing worse than having the post wobble or fall over when they’re in the middle of a good stretch. The third rule is, the post has to be covered with the right kind of stuff. Tightly wrapped, uninteresting carpet is out, and burlap and other easily shreddable things are in. Cats prefer vertically oriented fibers, as this orientation lends itself to shredding. Many owners change a scratching post when it is old and tattered. This is dead wrong, as shredding indicate frequent use and that is exactly what you want. Half the fun cats experience from a scratching post derives from getting their claws stuck in the material and leaving wispy threads as testimony of their erstwhile presence. More than one post is usually preferred, perhaps one for each high-traffic area of the house. Different kinds of scratching posts will provide different challenges, so you get quite creative. A large log (with bark) is apparently lots of fun and especially good for those conditioning functions. To read the rest of this article visit my site: http://maxshouse.com/understanding_the_motivation_of_.htm Don’t worry, most cats take to a scratching post like a cat to a scratching post. Phil. — "How long does a cat stretch? From one end of my life to the other" Feline Healthcare – http://maxshouse.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
this worked for me: when my cats were kittens they would climb up my leg like i was a tree when i was wearing jeans. (it only hurt a little) so i made a scratching post out of an old pair of jeans. real cheap. i cut the leg off an old pair and stapled it to the edge of the molding around the bedroom closet door. it worked great – they preferred this to my wicker furniture (which they were using) and everybody was happy. good luck!
Response:
Chris, I have had good results using scratching "pads". These can be obtained from an outfit called "cat Claws" in Arkansas. Their phone number is 1-800-783-0977. The pads are catnip impregnated and the cats start to use them as soon as you put them down. -MIKE
Response:
>Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with >him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to >play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or >something. Never play with the cat with your hands.
Good point. We always use the "fishing rod" style of toy, or a laser pointer (she loves to chase it), or some other distance toy. As for scratching posts, we have something in almost every room that the cat can scratch — different kinds of scratching posts (some carpeted — which she loves — some with rope), baskets (she loves to claw her baskets), and those cardboard disks. She uses all of them. We also semi-regularly sprayed the furniture with a no-scratch spray when we first got her (and her sister) a year ago. It helped her to stop clawing the furniture and start clawing the legal stuff. You could try spraying regularly and see if that helps. Now she never claws the furniture. –Lauren That ever was thralle, now ys he fre; That ever was smalle, now grete is she; Now shal God deme bothe thee and me; Unto his blysse yf we do wel. Nowel! –"Nowel, Owt of Your Slepe" (15th cent. English)
Response:
Sorry for all the spelling errors! BTW – Tiger "attacks" my leg once in a while as well. He is just being his Tiger self. Not much you can do about that.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell > him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, > sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his > reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our > command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to > scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without > a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward > all together!! > The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise > him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have > to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his > claws amputated! > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
The following links should pretty much cover it: Explaining Cat Aggression Towards People http://www.catcaresociety.org/aggression.htm How To Choose A Scratching Post http://www.princetonol.com/groups/oyh/articles/scratchpost.html Clipping your kitten’s claws regularly will help, too. Megan
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Maybe one of the tips that people have posted on my website might help. There is also information about trimming claws. <http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/declaw.html> Once he gets bigger, you won’t have to worry about the problem of jumping. He’ll be large enough so that he won’t have to hang on, he’ll be able to jump right up. lisaviolet — lisaviolet’s cathouse http://www.lisaviolet.com >^..^< lisaviolet merchandise http://www.lvdesigns.com I am my mother’s daughter and we take no prisoners My real email address is on my website Email may be posted
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that.
Well, make it one you think he will enjoy, by observing how he scratches. For instance, ours were going wild over the rolled up leftover of carpet we had bought for our (indoor) porch. Once we put it up in the attic, we found that they scratched on the furniture a lot more. They have a post, but it isn’t very tall…they liked to stretch and scratch at the same time, and that rolled up carpet allowed them to do that. So my husband made a post that is 4 feet high, and covered it in the leftover carpet. (It’s actually a big hollow tube, covered inside an out, with a big "mousehole" (cathole in this case)at the bottom, and open at the top, with a shelf around it). They LOVE it, and they don’t bother with our furniture anymore. Erin No numbers in my address.
Response:
Something very important you need to do here. You should NOT play with him with your hands or feet. You are teaching him that it is okay to play with them. Play with interactive toys like feathers on a stick or something. Never play with the cat with your hands. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the >scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is >OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us >as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our >fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too!
I’ve also noticed that if one of mine scratches the post, the other one comes running over to scratch after her. I’m not sure if it’s because she wants to cover the other cat’s marking, or just a case of monkey-see, monkey-do. Rebecca Remove "not" when replying by email
Response:
Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish full This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, but he claws me a lot less afterwards) Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my skin gives out before his claws. The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s starting to hurt. Thanks for everything, Chris Kennedy
Response:
We have trained our cat, Tiger, to scratch his post on command. We can tell him to "sratch your post" and he will run into the next room to scratch it, sometimes have heartedly, looking over at us all the while waiting for his reward. I have even placed the post high atop a bureau and he will obey our command, leaping onto a chair, then the radiater and finally the bureau to scratch his post for a treat. He has now begun to scratch his post without a treat. However, I don’t think it would be wise to cut out the food reward all together!! The trick is to be consistent, always have a treat for the cat and praise him when he scratchs his post. If you want to train your cat you will have to spend quite a bit of time with him. Whatever you do – do not have his claws amputated!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
Response:
>I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him >to use just that.
There have been some good suggestions in the other replies to your post. I’d add that if he is an active cat (as he seems to be!) you might consider getting him a "cat tree." We got a three-level cat tree, with some carpeted posts and one sisal post, for our cat, who’s about 9 months old now. He loves it, climbs all over it, and scratches his little heart out on it (it also gives him the chance to scratch at different heights, or vertically or horizontally, as the mood strikes him). We then put his old scratching post in the living room, so he’s never far from a good place to scratch. Whenever he scratches where he shouldn’t, tell him "no" and put him on the scratching post, and praise him. This helps teach him that scratching is OK, he just has to scratch on HIS place. Our cat also tends to think of us as big cats, so if we crouch down and scratch at his post with our fingernails, he’ll run up and start scratching too! > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they >hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much >pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s >starting to hurt.
We had the same thing happen with our cat. After a while he learned to hold himself back more — I think it’s just that we said "ouch!" and stopped playing with him when he bit too hard. Now he can wrestle and play-bite with us and he doesn’t hurt us at all. The way I figure it is that when he’s playing, he doesn’t want to hurt us — that would end the fun! — but it took him a while to get used to his adult teeth (and the thinness of our skin… we don’t have protective fur like cats!). Cheers, Holly
Response:
Scratching posts do work if you know something about how to choose them and where to place them. The best teacher of the noble art of scratching is the cat’s own mother, but if she isn’t around or isn’t trained to use a scratching post, that leaves it all up to us. The first rule is that scratching posts should be tall enough for the cat to stretch up full length and arch its back as it sinks its claws in. Also, at least one post should be positioned close to your cat’s normal resting area. It’s typical for a cat to want to have a good clawing stretch after a decent sleep. The second rule is that scratching posts should be absolutely secure. Cats think there’s nothing worse than having the post wobble or fall over when they’re in the middle of a good stretch. The third rule is, the post has to be covered with the right kind of stuff. Tightly wrapped, uninteresting carpet is out, and burlap and other easily shreddable things are in. Cats prefer vertically oriented fibers, as this orientation lends itself to shredding. Many owners change a scratching post when it is old and tattered. This is dead wrong, as shredding indicate frequent use and that is exactly what you want. Half the fun cats experience from a scratching post derives from getting their claws stuck in the material and leaving wispy threads as testimony of their erstwhile presence. More than one post is usually preferred, perhaps one for each high-traffic area of the house. Different kinds of scratching posts will provide different challenges, so you get quite creative. A large log (with bark) is apparently lots of fun and especially good for those conditioning functions. To read the rest of this article visit my site: http://maxshouse.com/understanding_the_motivation_of_.htm Don’t worry, most cats take to a scratching post like a cat to a scratching post. Phil. — "How long does a cat stretch? From one end of my life to the other" Feline Healthcare – http://maxshouse.com
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Thanks for reading this. I have a new cat. His name is Buster and > he is now 8 months old. I got him two months ago and we’re learning to > get along with eath other. We worked out where he needs to go to the > bathroom and I learned to keep the litter box clean and his food dish > full > This is what I need advice on – He is tearing up my furniture and > me. I am going to get a scratching post but I don’t know how to get him > to use just that. I clip his claws every two weeks (he dosn’t like it, > but he claws me a lot less afterwards) > Also, how do I get him to stop clawing me? He’s good about using > his claws and teeth while playing, but if he jumps on me and doesn’t > land right, he uses his claws to keep from falling. Unfortunately, my > skin gives out before his claws. > The last thing right now is his teeth are geting jagged and they > hurt more when we’re playing even though he doesn’t use that much > pressure. Any suggestions? I want to keep playing with him, but it’s > starting to hurt. > Thanks for everything, > Chris Kennedy
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