Any Luck with Scratching Posts?

[anneryan]

Hi All,

I have a one-year old kitty who is not declawed. I have been trying to work with her since I got her to use her scratching post, but am not having much luck. The one I have is a really nice one--tall with "sisal fabric", not the sisal rope. I went to two stores today and got two more different kinds of posts to see if maybe one appeals to her.

Has anyone had luck with a certain kind of post that seems to appeal to kitties more????? I got one today that has the sisal rope wound around it and the other one is made by SmartCat and is also tall with some sort of sisal-ish fabric.

I've tried catnip, but she doesn't really like catnip. She won't eat treats either, so I can't think of how to bribe her to use her post.

Any suggestions as far as a post that your cats seem to like and how to entice them to use it would be very helpful!

Thanks a bunch,

Anne and Mia

[Traci]

You absolutely must use the right catnip Personally, I prefer Cosmic Catnip, all of my cats love it.

My cats don't care if their scratching posts are carpet or sisal, they use both although I do notice that the sisal is more torn up than the carpet.

Try a new catnip placed on the post, and be sure to place the post near the area she sleeps the most. Upon waking, most cats like to stretch and scratch, so having the post near her sleeping area helps. Having one or more of her favorite toys on or near the post might help too.

You could also get one or two of the cheapy-scratch pads you can get at petsmart, just to see what her preferences are....just a rectangular cardboard box with a scratch pad,,,they make them flat, at an angle, and I think ones you can put on the wall corners.

[anneryan]

Thanks, Traci. I'll get the Cosmic Catnip. The kind I got today was another brand.

My son thinks I'm crazy with three scratching posts sitting in our family room! Hopefully Mia will gravitate to one of them instead of the stereo speakers that she discovered the other day.....

Anne

[Traci]

I have three scratching posts/cat trees in my house. If I had room, I'd have alot more...The trick is finding them to match your decor

[Tambrey]

hahaha...my scratching post is in the kitchen elsewise the dogs want to play with it more than the cats do!

Do you clip your cats claws? I get all of ours used to it as soon as possible...have your vet show you the proper way and from then you can do it yourself...
It takes patience and persistence....and you may only get 1 or 2 claws clipped at first, but gradually work up to an entire foot at one time, then eventually both...

I call it "Clippy Claws" and the cats know what it means...I ahve one who used to hate it, until she got a claw caught in the screen and hurt her foot...now when I say "It's Clippy Claw Time" she will sit on my lap, stretch out her claws for me and purrrrrr the entire time...

Of course, they like the 1:1 attention they get during this time too!!

[slvrwhispr]

I can do all four of Izzy's paws in one sitting. I always do it when she's calm, usually when she's dozing somewhere out in the open, like on the back of the couch (as opposed to if she's sleeping under the couch, where she clearly wants to be left alone). I'll say her name, then show her the clippers, and let her sniff at 'em and whatnot. Sometimes she'll extend a paw for me, sometimes I have to gently go for it. But I hold her close, and talk to her, and make sure she gets lots of petting and cooing and a treat at the end. Whatever keeps your cat calm, go with that. My MIL's cat HATES having his paws touched, but by cooing at him and giving him lots of affection, I can even get both of his front paws in one go. Just takes a gentle touch and lots of patience.

[anneryan]

Yep, we do "Clippy Claws" too--that's exactly what I call it and she knows what I'm talking about!

But, even though I clip, she still ignores her scratching post(s) and goes for the furniture.

I know I haven't been diligent enough with my training. Sometimes I'll be in one room and I'll hear her scratching the couch in the other room, but I'm too lazy or busy to go in and try to divert her. I'm sure that my lack of consistency hasn't helped with her training......

Hopefully it's not too late to try and work on this at this point.

[Tambrey]

funny that you call it Clippy Claws too...baby talk with our cats, I guess!

you can also try using a water bottle when you hear her scratching....be sure to NOT let her see that you are the one doing it...let her think the furniture is squirting her....

They also make furniture protection strips...you can get them at Petco and PetSmart...they are clear strips that you stick on where they are scratching...

elsewise...I have not found that any of those sprays to keep them off really work...
oh there is one spray thing we get....the top is called Ssscat!! and it attached onto a can of air...they want you to buy theirs but it fits to any can...it has a sensor and when it senses a presence, it give a whistle warning, then squirts a shot of air...our cats learned alot wiht one of those!!

good luck!!

[anneryan]

Thanks to all for your replies. We'll keep working on it! I'm going to get some "Sticky Paws" for the stereo speakers!

Anne

[shinpai]

Sometimes it has to do with location. If you can, try placing the scratch where she seems to prefer scratching. Try some fresh catnip, or any treats she likes. If she has toys she likes to play with, place them on the cat scratch so she can associate it as hers.

These methods have worked for me, though it isn't 100%. The cats still will claw into the furniture when they are feeling particularly rambunctious or rebellious.