Advice, please! My beautiful 5 year-old British Shorthair, Esme, is practically perfect in every way (no really, she's a Stepford Cat). There's only one thing (actually, two things) that concern me: she completely ignores the large scratching post I bought for her and insists on using my expensive Moroccan rug to sharpen her claws! It's too large to cover in tin foil, or I would.
I've tried putting her toys around the scratch post, rubbed catnip on it, picked her up and took her straight to the scratch post when I saw her using the rug, held her paws and dragged them down the post to show her what to do - I've even sat there like an idiot and scratched the post myself. She looks at me in mild bemusement but won't use the bl**dy thing herself. Any ideas?! She's 5, and according to her previous owner she used a scratching post in the past.
The other thing is that she meows in the night. I don't let her into the bedroom at night and she doesn't cry at the door. She has a comfortable bed and all her toys, etc, around her at night. She doesn't meow all night, it tends to be about 10 short meows in a row and then silence, then about an hour later the same thing. It's odd but it's every night. Is she scared? Is she dreaming? Is she just a bit unsettled? I haven't had her long. I'm more concerned that she's happy than about being awoken at 3am 4am etc, although my neighbours may not share my priorities! Has anyone come across this type of behaviour? As I said, apart from these things she is the most chilled, affectionate cat I've come across.
