Pet Lovers

Cats annoying habits

Pet Lovers

Posted by: Anne

16th Apr 2011 10:05pm

have 3 cats and 2 of them have annoying habit of using the furniture as a scratching post.. they know they are not allowed to but sneak around the back of the sofa or wait till no one is looking. as a result the lounge suite is looking decidedly tatty. They had a scratching post but would not use it. Has anyone any suggestions on what I should do.


Comments 32

Anonymous
  • 9th May 2014 06:55pm

I have two cats, taken in as strays, they clawed and jumped on everything, I work full time so was not around to use the spray technique, I ended up using double sided sticky tape. They hate their fur sticking to it, they no longer claw the furniture or jump on benches

Leanne6
  • 27th Apr 2014 12:19am

Double sided tape on the furnitre really annoys them, spray water if you catch them, scratching posts with catnip scattered on it (sisal works best), a bit of jam on their paws and then put them on the scratching post, they lick it off and associate it with the post

Rachiiee
  • 20th Apr 2014 08:14pm

It is a nature thing your cats to scratch everything in sight but the best way to stop them scratching everything to pieces is to spray them with water every time they are doing the wrong thing. Even some times reward with treats which will in-curragh them to scratch at their post.

rachiebabe
  • 22nd Mar 2014 02:27pm

I seen on cat tv shows where they make the cat so tired they wont have the need to scratch furniture play with them worn them out and see of that works

CSD
  • 27th Feb 2014 07:03pm

My 3 cats copy each others behaviours, as well as challenge them. Lemon hasn't worked for me or water. The worst thing is all of them stropping on a long, expensive, hall carpet runner.

I'm not always there to stop it and, even if I am, my big boy Slasher Jim will attack me!! The best thing I have read is mothballs. Really like that idea.

Anonymous
  • 8th Feb 2014 10:08pm

My cat loves to use a doormat as her scratching post... maybe something to try?

rosie
  • 11th Oct 2012 12:53pm

yea get some water with lemon and mix it up and warn the cat it will adapt

Yanno
  • 10th Oct 2012 08:34pm

Yes try and have a spray bottle with water in it, and spray them everytime they do it! Cats will always go back to the same spots where they scratch as they have somthing that comes out of there claws :/... But the spray bottle with wTet works a treat :)

Anonymous
  • 7th Oct 2012 04:22pm

Lemon spray

Anonymous
  • 25th Sep 2012 12:39pm

A good technique to say get a spray bottle and fill it with water and spray water at them when scratch the lounge. This technique can be done with any bad habits (dog or cat) such as chewing etc

yeyo52
  • 21st Jul 2012 11:51am

i saw this on tv the other day a vet giving this advice for just that problem, he said to get some cat nip and scrub it over the scratchy post and not only have one post but several and also get a squirt gun with some water and a bit of vinegar and squirt them when they go near the spot you dont want them to go ( that is if you see them) good uck other choice get new furniture every few years.

Anonymous
  • 19th Nov 2011 09:29pm

has any one suggested to use water and squeeze some lemon in it to when they scratch or spray u squirt them cats hate lemon sence and after a while will get the drift, it works i didi that on my cats

Anonymous
  • 7th Nov 2011 07:54am

three cats is alot, so first thing is first,l you must seperate them because they imitate what each other;s actions. you can do this buy placing them in different parts of the house

kitekat
  • 19th Nov 2011 04:34pm

I dont think cats immitate each other. I have three cats ,all with unique personalities. Only one scratches furniture and thats his way of getting attention if we ignore him, when he wants to go outside.

Anonymous
  • 25th Sep 2011 11:44am

Sprinke a bit of pepper on the couch they hate they smell also put some catnip on there cat scratcher

dizzle
  • 10th Sep 2013 04:59pm

Lemonjuice works the best for my cat, pepper made them sneeze and it was worrying

di_par
  • 24th Sep 2011 12:46am

We got our cat when she was 5 months old. Got her a cat tree with scratching poles.

Whenever we caught her scratching the furniture we would pick her up, take her to the scratching pole, grab her front legs and run her paws down the pole (saying "scratch your pole"). This significantly reduced the furniture scratching as she used the scratching pole more and more.

However, there was still occassions when she would prefer the furniture. After reading about double sided sticky tape, I put some on the lounge where she scratched it. Instantly she not only ceased to scratch the lounge, but took a wide berth around the sticky taped areas.

Sticky tape is great. You don't have to be there and see them clawing and spray them. The sticky tape is practically invisible. After a few weeks or months, you may have to replace the tape (depending on how much dust it collects).

Hope this helps you.

CSD
  • 6th Oct 2012 01:06pm
We got our cat when she was 5 months old. Got her a cat tree with scratching poles.

Whenever we caught her scratching the furniture we would pick her up, take her to the scratching pole,...

I've tried squirting water at my cats, spraying furniture with citrus cleaner and covering the sofa with packing tape. The packing tape worked but was hard to keep in position. Think I'll give double sided stick tape a go.

CSD
  • 6th Jan 2012 01:29pm
We got our cat when she was 5 months old. Got her a cat tree with scratching poles.

Whenever we caught her scratching the furniture we would pick her up, take her to the scratching pole,...

Di, I have three cats. I have tried the water spray, lemon scented spray on the furniture and scratching posts but think your sticky tape sounds the best. It can also pick up cat fur from soft furnishings and clothes.

Anonymous
  • 16th Sep 2011 06:15am

I have a cat. Ever since she was invited into our home to be part of our family, she has had her very own scratching post. One was first placed in the laundry room, followed by another in the lounge room. Ricebubble (the name of the cat) has never scratched our furnisher cause she has her own to mark her sent onto.

Behr
  • 17th Aug 2011 09:11pm

LOL Our house has a cat that is about two years old - and my flatemate and I brought a brother & sister.. anyway.. Moth Balls are good - put some moth balls in a little net bag - or some netting used for those horrible almonds at weddings LOL and pin them around the couch. If you can get over the smell.. they will start going back to the scratching post..

Anonymous
  • 15th Aug 2011 05:47pm

I have 3 cats as well and I have found that as long as there is a scratching post for them to scratch and play with, they do not attack anything else.

Nyse
  • 6th Oct 2012 03:36pm
We got our cat when she was 5 months old. Got her a cat tree with scratching poles.

Whenever we caught her scratching the furniture we would pick her up, take her to the scratching pole,...

I have two cats and even though we have a scratching post, which they both use, they still scratch on our leather couches and dining chairs - so annoying. I just bought a new $2,000 armchair and I have to cover it with stuff to stop them scratching that as well!

Anonymous
  • 4th Aug 2011 01:09pm

try putting carpet around the scratching post. they might like that instead

kanky
  • 6th Jul 2011 10:05am

Another thing to try would be to put a scratching post next to/obstructing where they are scratching in addition to spraying the area they're not supposed to scratch as others have said. Hopefully they'll start using the scratching post instead, and once they do, move it a short distance away from the no scratch zone every few days until it's in a spot you like, and they should continue to use it...

roxz64
  • 23rd Jun 2011 03:43pm

yes spray them with water with a little lemon juice in it some cats like water (mine does) if you use a scratching post buy some cat nip spray they will be attracted to it and soon start using ther post

Anonymous
  • 27th Jan 2014 11:42pm
yes spray them with water with a little lemon juice in it some cats like water (mine does) if you use a scratching post buy some cat nip spray they will be attracted to it and soon start using...

Will try this as our cats always scratching

Analog6
  • 17th Jun 2011 04:20pm

It is a natural need for them to remove their claw sheaths. Do you clip their claws. if you do this weekly/fortnightly they will not feel as much need to scratch. And if you have an area where you can put one, find them a small but solid branch off a tree, preferably with bark, I think you'll find they'll like that to scratch. A corner of the garage or a verandah is a good spot to have it. Needs to be heavy enough to withstand vigorous scratching.

jjdrer
  • 3rd Apr 2014 12:10pm
It is a natural need for them to remove their claw sheaths. Do you clip their claws. if you do this weekly/fortnightly they will not feel as much need to scratch. And if you have an area where...

A relative of mine has two special cat scratch poles. One even has a top on it that he can sit on. He still very occasionally claws the furniture.

We had one that when my Dad was doing the concrete paths in our yard, he would wait until it had been floated ( the top levelled and smoothed - not enough that it was slippery to walk on when i rained) and he would jump on to the concrete leaving his paw marks. He was growled at. He just put his tail up, turned around and walked away. .....We had to catch him to clean the cocrete off his paws or it would have burnt his skin if we didn't get it off quick enough. Wew missed a bit the 1st time and he got a very angry looking red patch. After he had done this on a few occasions on different sections of concrete done over a few months, Dad started to put supports around the outside of the concrete and cover it with sheets of corrugated iron. Not only was the cat injuring himself, but dad had to re-float the concrete. It was virtually a hands on knees job where he always did it.

woodie
  • 10th Jun 2011 07:54pm

When you see them doing it, spray them with water..Also spray Eucalyptus Oil in a bottle with water on the back of the couch. The smell deters them.

Anonymous
  • 27th Jan 2014 11:40pm
When you see them doing it, spray them with water..Also spray Eucalyptus Oil in a bottle with water on the back of the couch. The smell deters them.

Will try it

Anne
  • 12th Jun 2011 06:37pm
When you see them doing it, spray them with water..Also spray Eucalyptus Oil in a bottle with water on the back of the couch. The smell deters them.

Thanks woodie, will try that.

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