Home remedies please

[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.