Cat scratching help?

Hi there!

My husband and I have an 11 m.o. cat whom we handraised from day 2 of her life (we found her abandoned across the street). At the time we weren't looking to get a cat b/c we disagreed on declawing (he was pro, I'm dead set against).

Generally she is pretty good about limiting her scratching to her scracthing posts/boxes but there are a few chairs that have fallen prey to her claws. Right now I have them covered with blankets and when she jumps on them I spray her with water. (I can tell she knows she's not supposed to be on them).

I really don't want to keep these chairs covered for the next decade+, any ideas on what I can do to deter her from them? She goes nuts if we try to trim her claws so whatever solution I might try can't involved cutting or placing covers on her claws.

Thanks!

P.S. Here's a picture of the little rascal.

May she need a different type of scratcher.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/fc3d13da.jpg
These are Freckles favorites.:)

I'm no help, but I just had to comment on the pictures. :D konagirl, your kitty looks like she's a bit of a rascal nawteekat! I too have a couple of different cat scratchers for my two, the usual tall pole thing and then one that hangs off a doorknob that my RB Goldie used to love; my current two haven't figured that one out yet, but Mitzi is working on it slowly.

As for the nail clipping, at first I took my two to the vet to have it done - $14 per cat and I was spared bloody limbs. Now they have calmed down a bit and let me do it, so I get to save some money. Have the vet show you how. Actually I know of no cat that likes having their claws clipped, but it's just a fact of life that we get to deal with :rolleyes:

and I always love seeing pictures of that beauty, Freckles.

How about using "Soft Claws" the ad in the Cat Fancy mag., says "Soft Claws is an effective alternative to declawing, designed to help prevent damage due to scratching."
It's available in PetCo, PetsMart, Pet Food Express, Pet Supplies Plus and other pet stores. :D

I know you said she doesn't like it when you mess with her claws, but the soft paws definitely work! I used them for a long time, and they were a godsend. I found the easiest way to do it is to wrap kitty in a towel so that just her paw is sticking out and then try talking in a calming voice while you're putting them on. I have to do one paw, and then wait a while before attempting the other one. But, they do work.

Good luck. The more you mess with her paws, the more she will come to accept it as a part of life.

Good luck.
Stacie

I covered the arms and front of my padded chairs with aluminum foil when Dale tried that. I also put a scratching post next to the chairs. She got the idea in a week and I took the aluminum off.

Dale was 15 at the time.

Mary