Scratching Problems

Please help!
When my cat Boogie gets mad, he claws the carpet. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif
He has almost ruined the carpet! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/rolleyes.gif

Boogie's Mom
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http://wsphotofews.excite.com/008/Vr/tK/Vy/s945699.jpg

Boogie may be too old to adapt to a scratching post, but we have never had a problem with Pesty scratching things up because she looooves her scratching post!

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Personal servant for Pesto http://www.angelfire.com/80s/pestoswitzer/main.html http://www.angelfire.com/pq/coolcatclub/main.html

[This message has been edited by pam_pesto (edited March 26, 2001).]

Hi pam_pesto,
Thanks for the advice! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/cool.gif I have thought about getting him a scratching post, but I didn't know if he would like it. I'll try it!
Thanks.

Personal Servant For Boogie http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
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try the post. i bought one, but i think it's too small. he still uses it but not that much. Zezu, ruined my rug infront of the bathroom. I stopped it by putting a line of duct tape down. he still clawed at it but atleast his claws hit the tape and don't pull out rug fibers. Now, whether the duct tape ruins the rug or not, remains to be seen. i'll find out when i move. plus it doesn't look very nice.

any other suggestion would be nice. I will never declaw my cat, so that is out. plus, i think he was pulling it up with his teeth too.

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestion. I've seen "cat claw covers" in magazines. They keep your cat from scratching things. Also, I've seen a spray called "bitter apple" that keeps your pet away from things. A couch for example.

-Smare

Smare, I use softpaws nail caps for cats on my cat Marius, since I refuse to declaw. They work great! Check out www.softpaws.com, this will help reduce any destruction of your carpet at least...:-) Good luck!

Here's an article on scratching that was in Cat Fancy recently.
A Scratching Outlet
Giving your cat a place to scratch early on may help prevent household damage.
Scratching has a variety of functions for cats, the most important of which is marking territory. Other possible functions include claw maintenance, stretching muscles and tendons and play, especially in kittens. Because scratching is such an important behavior, it is not realistic to prevent a cat from scratching. Instead, cats need to be encouraged to scratch items meant for them and to leave furniture and other household items alone.

Cats tend to develop preferred scratching locations to which they return repeatedly. Thus, it will be easier if from the first day as many objects with potential "scratch appeal" are made temporarily unappealing while acceptable scratching items are made available and attractive. The arms and backs of furniture can be covered with plastic, and drapes can be scented with deodorizing sprays with strong floral or citrus odors that cats find unpleasant. The kitten can also be confined away from tempting items when left unsupervised for short periods.

Just as cats develop location and surface preferences for elimination based partially on early experience, they also have individual preferences for where and what they like to scratch. You may want to provide several different types of objects initially to see what the kitten prefers. Try at least one vertical object, such as a post, and one horizontal one, such as a cardboard scratching box. Place these objects where the cat is most likely to be motivated to scratch, such as near its bed, near the front or back door or in an area where the kitten plays. Your cat may use more than one scratching object regularly.

Styles are available to fit any budget, from a simple cardboard scratcher to an elaborate 6-foot tree. Some are covered with carpet only, while others have sisal in the scratching areas, which helps extend the life of the post. Specialty manufacturers make designs with natural wood or carpet fashioned into palm trees, airplanes or other forms that make great conversation pieces.

Scenting scratching objects with catnip or attaching a toy on a spring to the top of a post will encourage most cats to begin using them. Some cats will be enticed to scratch by the sound of you scratching the object. Taking the cat to the scratching object and moving its legs up and down is not recommended. The cat will not associate this action with its natural scratching habits.

www.softclaws.com didn't work?

that sounds interesting, what exactly are they and how do they work?

Wolflady,
Thanks for the information. It really has helped! I'm going to try to get Boogie a scratching post as soon as possible. I already have him a mouse, and thats a good idea to hang a catnip filled mouse on it. I've been meaning to get him some cat nip anyway.
Thanks again,
*Smare*

I just visited Softclaws. It is neat! I would NOT get Boogie's claws clipped, so I might get him some. This has really helped. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif
Thanks,
*Smare*

Smare, good luck with the claw caps! I really love em'! They work great for me.
Ben, softpaws are plastic nail caps that you can put on the tips of your cats nail. Once your cat gets used to them, they will last about a month. That's about how long it is before a cat sheds its nail. They will do this in intervals, so you won't be replacing the caps all at the same time, which is good http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif When my cat sheds his nail(and cap) I just replace it with a new one. It works great for us. You do have to get your cat used to its paws being handled for this. A lot of cats aren't comfortable with this as their paws are very sensitive. Try handling your cat and its paws (maybe like you were going to do a regular nail trim). This will get the cat used to having its paws handled and will make the process easier for you to apply the caps http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Oh, he doesn't like nail trimming. He probably had his last nail trimming at the vet last friday. He was fixed and put under anestisia. The time before that, the vet couldn't even do it and walked out of the room with some deep wounds from Zezu. So maybe he wouldn't like those caps either. Worth a try though.

Hi,
(I'm Meow101 and Smare)
I handle Boogie's paws a lot, so hopefully it will work. What color does your cat use? I like the blue.
Thanks! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif
-Meow101 (also known as Smare)

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In a cats eyes, they are the ruler.
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meow101, the blue caps are great!! I use the blue http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif They look good on my white cat! I had the red for awhile too, for the Christmas holidays. I went with the color (probably much to my boy's regret) because I figured it would be easier for me to notice when he lost one so I could replace it http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif Good luck! The caps will last you quite awhile. I think they come with like 40 caps in a pack. Let me know how it goes http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif

Ben, I know what you mean about cats who don't want anything near their paws. Our other cat Scooter is that way. It would sound like bloody murder when we tried to clip his nails...so needless to say...we don't to THAT anymore! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/rolleyes.gif

Thanks,
I'm looking forward to trying the Softpaws. Thanks for suggesting it. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif
-Meow101