Adding a new family member soon!

**cubby31682** · 01-03-2005, 05:16 AM

Do you need or want help convincing the landlord about using soft paws or post training with this new cat ? Or are you just going to sneak her in and not tell him

No help needed, hubby and I bought a house so we could get all the pets we wanted with out having to alter them besides spay/neuter. Thank you for offering to help me.

You are correct and I stand by my statement. She will not be declawed unless it is for pure medical reasons.

Introductions will be going very slow. I work the next day so she will be locked up in the bathroom. Which is kind of small but I only work for a few hours. She will have food, toys, and litter box in there as well.

Thanks for all the help.
Katie

**PayItForward** · 01-03-2005, 05:54 AM

Originally posted by cubby31682
No help needed, hubby and I bought a house so we could get all the pets we wanted with out having to alter them besides spay/neuter. Thank you for offering to help me.

Great news on buying your own home.....no more landlords rule

**cubby31682** · 01-03-2005, 06:05 AM

I might need help training her to use a post though. For the life of me I can't figure out how you guys do it. I planed on using a water bottle when she scratches something she isn't suppose to (like the furniture.) But I don't know how to get her to stop with the furniture and move to the scratching post. I would love a few lessons on that please.

**shais_mom** · 01-03-2005, 07:16 AM

Congratulations!
Can't wait to see pics!

**sirrahbed** · 01-03-2005, 08:21 AM

Ki Katie -
Not sure if it is the same with an older cat...but with Lizzie and Robbie we put a variety of scratching posts around the house ang gradually moved them once we learned where they like to "stretch". Anytime we saw them scratch, we picked them up and put them on a post - heaped lots of place and sometimes treats when they use it on their own. At first I used catnip on the scratching areas. I seldom see anymore scratching elsewhere at all. One spot they like on my loveseat and I am going to buy some sticky tape. Well, Robbie *does* climb my curtains but what can I do? I just laugh and run for the camera. It reminds me that it is time to clip!!

The biggest help as far as our flesh and furniture (new leather recliners!!) has been regular clipping of claws. I bought a little scissor looking clipper made for small claws and started early. I get it out almost every week for the kittens and figured the older ones may as well have clipped back claws, too. I bled ALOT at first but now they seem resigned to it and I do them all at the same sitting - pretty much using Jen's tutorial (pix now taken down) bit you can get your own method.

I would have an assortment of surfaces to scratch and put them where you learn she likes to scratch. It really is not as hard as I worried it would be and I am so glad that I tried it!!

Do the rest of of you think these things will work on an older cat? I never did use a water bottle - not necessary with the babies.

Good luck Katie!! Lizzie wants to see her new Auntie!!

**ramanth** · 01-03-2005, 08:47 AM

Congrats on the new addition!

For me, I put catnip where I want the cats to scratch and double sided tape on the places where I don't. Works for me.

**PayItForward** · 01-03-2005, 09:23 AM

I recommend the cheap cardboard scratches which come with catnip, all my cats like those and buying a study vertical post covered in carpet of sisal rope.

Or if you have the money and space you can go for a large cat tree which allows the cat a choice of vertical and horizontal surfaces in carpet and rope.

The important things to note is that a post has to be sturdy and not move when the cats uses it, for this reason I would not recommend the scratching pads which you attach to door handles.

Though the cheap cardboard scratchers are fine as the cat sits on them and the cats weight anchors the scratcher.

I don't use water sprayer with my cats, I don't feel it works.

We place posts near cat sleeping place, as our cats wake up and stretch and scratch as a wake up routine.
Like Debbie says, if the cat scratches elsewhere we pick them up and take them to the nearest post and gentle run their paws down the post.

If the cat gets the idea and scratches the post by digging in, we praise the cat with load of cuddles. Sometimes I'll scratch the post myself with my finger nails to show the cat what to do.

There are loads of ways of stopping a cat scratching a sofa etc but the most efficient method we have found is to cover the sofa in a soft blanket and place a post close by.

**cubby31682** · 01-03-2005, 08:28 PM

Thanks for the great advice. I will try that.

My foot is really tapping. I don't want to wait to get her any longer. I want her now, NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!

**slick** · 01-03-2005, 08:51 PM

Originally posted by cubby31682
My foot is really tapping. I don't want to wait to get her any longer. I want her now, NOW, NOW, NOW!!!!!!

....and I want to see pictures.....now, now now!!! Congrats Katie.

**cubby31682** · 01-04-2005, 04:11 PM

Well in about an hour and a half, I will have a new kitty. My camera is fully charged and ready to go. Gracie is nice and clean and ready to meet new people and Cubby is full of treats and ready to sleep.

I just got done eating dinner and have a few more things to do before they get here. I will be making a new thread with pictures, so please look for the thread.

**catnapper** · 01-04-2005, 04:23 PM

Oh joy! I am excited for you! Good luck with her! We'll be here to answer all questions you have about introductions and teacheing her about the scratching post.