cat claws

Jay-Jay_4

You could put a spare piece of carpet down somewhere and rub catnip on it to direct her scratching attention there.

I agree that scratching is necessary as this is how cats keep their claws healthy, granted this isn't helping your wallpaper or furniture so do try the repellant and alternative scratching surface first.


Oh, and Traf.... they come in union jack print too! :whistle:

tina68

mentaljessie wrote:

I'm sorry but what you are suggesting is cruel to your cat. Sratching is part and parcel of owning a cat it is a natural instinct. The humane option is cat scratching posts with catnip to attract the moggies or regular nail trimming at the vets.

This is not a cruel method, it's just an option and it still allows the cats to scratch it is used only on the front paws(obviously) and is a tested method by vets. far better than declawing..She will not use the post had her almost 2 years now and she's never used it yet,
Tina x

wigginsmum

We've simply accepted that as long as we have cats we won't have immaculate furniture or walls.

sloughflint

Just saw the title of this thread. Haven't had time to read yet but assumed cat owners are probably reading it so am quickly copying and pasting a post I put somewhere else last night. Am desperate to save birds and any help would be appreciated:
Just spotted this old thread.
1. Can I recommend https://www.vetuk.co.uk for food or medicine. Very cheap and saving me a fortune.
2. Can any catlovers reading this give me advice? I have 5 cats. 3 oldies who are fine and 2 new kittens who are too good at catching birds. What can I do? They have 3 bells each and I can hear them coming a mile but it hasn't helped the birds. Have just bought liberator collars ( bleeps and flash when they jump) but I can't see how they can work but I'll try. Started to keep them indoors at dusk and dawn but have increased this to between 6pm and 7am. What else can I do? Got a mouthful from neighbour on Sunday holding a dead baby blackbird in his hand.

tina68

oops!!!
i live in an apartment right now with my 2 so thats why they stay in doors, also 'cause they are Bengal as well, but a few years back when i had a house we had a rescue cat and she managed to eat an entire family of Robins, i was not pleased as they had been coming for food on a regular basis for years..it didn't how high the bird table was she still managed it, either by scurrying along the fence or tight rope walking across the washing line
Tina x

lister

tina68 wrote:

main problem Saskia scratches the walls and not her post, which has created alot of damage she is almost 2, i have tried everything possible to get her to stop..

Very tricky to recondition a scratchy cat, but it can be done. A few tips (sorry about the length - but nothing is certain where cat behaviour is concerned...):

1) What is the scratching post made of. Cats scratch for two reasons (well three in some cases), to keep claws sharp and in good nick, and to leave scent and visual markings (and because they are mischievious little sods is the third reason). Many scratching posts have soft carpet on them, which is fine for scent marking, but not so good for sharpening. Sisal is by far the best general choice, but some cats will still have other preferences.

2) Some cats are predominantly horizontal scratchers. Often these don't use a scratching post because it has the wrong orientation for them - the rip holes in the carpet instead. Doesn't sound like the problem in your case though.

3) Which walls is she scratching? If they are near doors or windows, or perhaps near a favourite sleeping area, she might be marking her territory. In which case you want to get one or more scratching posts in her favourite places.

4) You may well have used the wrong approach to discourage her from bad scratching. You cannot use negative methods to train a cat. No water sprays, shouting or anything else negative. You are simply challenging the cat and they will respond in kind when you are not looking - they either become stressed or see it as a big game. You must be positive - any time she does something right, she immediately gets a small reward of something she really loves (usually a favourite treat, but sometimes it might be a grooming session or a cuddle - depends on the cat).

5) You may well have used the wrong approach to encourage good scratching. Whatever you do, don't take the cat to the scratching post and drag her feet up and down it. Again, to a cat, this is a very negative thing. The best way is to get down on your hands and knees when she is watching and make scratching motions yourself. As she is still young, she may even regard this as a game, which makes it easier.

6) Does the other cat use the scratching post a lot? If so, it may be that Saskia simply doesn't want to compete with her friends markings. Try having more than one post. Also important if she likes to scratch in several discrete locations.

7) She may be scratching to get attention. If she does it a lot when you are around, especially if she tends to look at you as she does it, she may be after attention of some form - usually food, play or a cuddle.

8) How well does she get on with the other cat? Excessive scratching could be symptomatic of territorial stress. As they are confined inside, having lots of different levels in the home can help reduce stress as cats see territory in three dimensions and we tend to see their 'patch' in two dimensions.

Basically though, you may always have a problem with her, but you may be able to reduce it somewhat. This is an indoor cat and so they don't get the opportunity to mark and keep claws in trim outside that most cats do. Unfortunately, owning cats means you sometimes have to accept a slightly lower standard of decor around the house. I do a lot of home visits prior to rehoming rescue cats, and I always get slightly nervous when I see a pristine house - I wonder if the prospective owners know what they are getting in to...

loopyloulou_3

i also have two cats, i found that if they had to "share" a scratching post then the dominant cat would use it and my other cat (would occasionally use it) but more often than not use the sofa! I brought 2 more posts, so we have 3 different types now, and smothered all three in catnip spray, which i top up every now and then. BRILLIANT! not a scratch on my brand new leather sofas since..... touch wood!

You can get catsnip spray at pets at home, and they also do a repellant to spray on that things you dont want scratched, apparently it doesnt smell to humans! and cats dont like it! i have never needed to use this tho.

lister

sloughflint wrote:

2. Can any catlovers reading this give me advice? I have 5 cats. 3 oldies who are fine and 2 new kittens who are too good at catching birds. What can I do?

Nothing basically.

Various bits of kit have been tried extensively, but none seem to be remotely effective. Bells are the favourite - cats just learn to adjust and are soon able to kill just as effectively with them. Same with the collars I am afraid - by the time the cat makes enough of a move to set the collar off, the bird/mouse is as good as dead.

Keeping them in at prime hunting times is the only option. That means mainly dawn and dusk. But if a cat discovers a nest of easy pickings, they will just take them at any time.

You may well find they hunt less as they get older as well, but it is no guarantee.

If it is any consolation, I have had to put up with countless small birds and mice, and occasional larger offerings such as magpies, jackdaws, wood pigeons, rabbits, hares and on one occasion a passable attempt at getting a fox (I managed to separate them, but don't know how badly injured the fox was - not so bad it couldn't run off). I have a big male (a late neuter, so he got pretty hefty) who lived as a stray in woods for several years. What he doesn't know about hunting isn't worth knowing, and nothing I do is going to stop him.

tina68

Thanx v. much Lister, they are brother and sister, both very loving and affectionate, sleep together, share same bowls, though Zuchero lets her eat first always has, she is not a cat you can cuddle, she will come to you if she wants to be picked up, unlike his lordship who wants to be petted all the time and has to sit his bum in your face Lol and litterally sit right ontop of you..
the scratch mat has rope around it and he also uses the seagrass mat at the door and the linen bin, but Saskia uses the walls by the bathroom door and my bedroom and even the wooden nest of tables, i should learn from this as she might not like the feel of the roughness, maybe i should get a plank of wood????? this could be a light bulb moment for me after almost 2 years..will try and see if it helps
Thanx Tina :T

dinkylou

Tina,

I have an indoor cat as well.

Breeder showed me how to clip the claws, avoiding the quick (it doesnt hurt, its just the same as cutting our nails) and this helps hugely.

Also try adding catnip to the scratching post to encourage them and when you see them scratching anywhere else say no firmly and take them to the post (rub their paws on it so they know)

If they have a favourite naughty scratching spot, spray dilute bitter lime or lemon on it as they dont like this.

HTH