Home remedies please

[susanswatlin518]

Hi I have always taken scratching furniture with a grain of salt. Figuratively of course! There are certain places Idon't mind my dears scratching but they have started leaving clawmarks on my velvet furniture-and I need to know what household products i can spray or use to repel this -such as windex, hairspray or perfume among other things so I don't need to buy something they won't be put off by. There is a rose print loveseat they have marked up pretty well and strips don't work that I have tried there. I want to save my burgundy velvet chaise lounge while there is still minimal damage. Any ideas? Thank you susanswatlin518

[sasvermont]

I would put a really nice scratching post right next to the sofa. Whenever they pass by the post, you walk over to the post and scratch on it.....they will do the same, I swear. That is how I trained my cats. I scratched on it.....(I have several) and now they do it on their own. I still catch my guys scratching the chairs but for the most part, the stick to the post.

Hope this helps.

Oh, they sell sticky paper/strips to put up where the cats scratch....they don't like it.....other than that.....There may be sprays, but I would be afraid they would stain the sofa!

Keep us posted! Good luck .... it's a tough habit to change once they have started!

[moosmom]

The problem is cats don't know old from new. I had a chair that was old and my cats scratched the heck out of it. When I got new furniture, they went right for it. I had to retrain them to use the scratching post.

Have you tried getting rug tape, which is a stronger two-sided tape. Put scratching posts where they have been scratching. Everytime you see one of them hitting your beautiful chaise, squirt them with water (not in the face, but the shoulders, back side). You can also take them over to a scratching post and make the motions with their paws.

I don't know of any remedies that will keep a catch from scratching. And declawing is sheer cruelty.

Good luck.

[Freedom]

Three prong approach:

1. Use a spray bottle. Use half and half, water and WHITE vinegar. Spray the furniture where they scratch. They can smell this, you can't. It deters them.

2. Get some nifty tall cat trees / climbers / perches. Rub lovely catnip on them. It attracts the cats.

Be sure to apply the spray and the nip at the same times, several times a week at the beginning.

3. Double sided sticky tape. Unsightly but heck, easy to rip off when company comes.

And yup, as Donna / Moosmom said, cats don't know this furniture yes, that furniture no. Keep them from scratching ALL furniture and restrict scratching to THEIR pieces.

Good Luck; sounds like you have a bad habit to stop, rather than no habit and new behavior to instill.

[mrspunkysmom]

Like Freedom said, cat trees. Cat love to climb and the sisal rope and carpet make it easy to climb and something to sharpen those claws with. Mine have pretty much stopped scratching my furniture and rugs.

Good luck.

[catnapper]

I wrapped some cheap fabric around a piece of board, stapled it on the back and leaned it against the sofa/chair. They got used to using it and I moved it a little bit away from the chair each day til I could lean it against a wall. They went after the long board (it was 48" long and they could stretch really long on it) and ignored the chair afterwards. They LOVED the board. The fabric shredded pretty bad. I would periodically wrap new fabric around it.

[susanswatlin518]

Hi- first i heartily agree that clawing is never an option-and also furniture can be replaced but a cat or dog-whatever the pet is priceless. Having said that- i will seriously try the spray with vinegar and water. The thing with how i arranged my living room is- the chaise is right in front of the sliding glass doors which they of course adore watching the many squirrels and birds going about their duties-lol the edge where the scratches are is very close to my cats' vantage point. So it is very logical that they would scratch as they perch or leave the area. Not rocket science-4 sure! I think the vinegar would work. My babies are real individuals-haha they seem to be immune to scratching posts-lol there was one that was from the floor to the ceiling with three short perches which they really used-and soon they were knocking it down during the night. Maybe i will get one of those too. I tried one of those tv advertised scratching plastic things with catnip-well they looved the catnip and the little feature teaser on it- then they'd scratch right alongside it-haha i also had a fancy burgundy cat tree- noooo interest-lol can you imagine? Anyway- water/vinegar spray is the way i will go from here-thanks to all! Peace susanswatlin518

[susanswatlin518]

I also think that i will look into the rug tape-since it wouldn't really show much since the scratchmarks are minimal there on the chais. I also see that since i never really worried much before about scratching-not being able to afford this nicer furniture-it will be difficultmaybe. I am home a great deal of the time however which may help when i try the spraying. Again i appreciate the advice- you all rock! Susanswatlin518

[momcats13]

Packing tape!! The clear stuff that is on a dispenser. My guys won't go near it, but you really can't see it on the edge of a chair if someone comes by before you can rip it off.

[Laura's Babies]

Anything at that sliding glass doors is a open invitation for the cats. The temptation is to great for them to ignore such a prime spot. I would move that chaise away from those glass doors and put a cat perch there and everyone would be happy! Those doors are really a BIG draw.