Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: kp76 on December 10, 2008, 13:36:19 PM
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Hi,
I hope someone can give me some pointers here. How do i stop my newly rehomed cat from scratching lumps out of my carpets?
I bought her a scratching post last night but all she's done is look at it, the other one (i rehomed 2 cats) that doesn't scratch hasn't left it alone.
Are there any tricks to help her get used to using it? Not my poor carpets.
It has a covered base that can also be used for horizontal scratching.
Kirsty :thanks:
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if you spray the post with cat nip that can attract them
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Some cats prefer horizontal to vertical scratching ..... you could maybe try buying some the flatter ones and put them on the areas being scratched to encourage them?
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My cats love hessian doormats for scratching. (Found out inadvertantly but encouraged it because they're cheaper to replace than stairs carpets!) Try picking up a couple of cheap doormats and spraying with catnip spray. :)
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They do a nice horizontal one at Asda. Dragan (RIP) was a horitzontal scratcher and he used to sleep with his little paws round this scratcher ;D
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Rolo wont use the posts at all. He has a stretch up the walls & kitchen cupboards, the stairs
And our legs.
And when Pod has done a poo, he runs mental,jjumps on the sette, trys to bury his head then runs on his back along the botton and back of the leather settee
(is there anythin that will stop this, its funny to see, but i really should'nt laugh)
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Storm obviously knows what the scratching post is for i sat & watched her use it yesterday.
How do i encourage her that thats the scratching post is the correct place for the behaviour & NOT my carpets?????
She knows she's doing wrong when she starts scratching the carpets cos as soon as i move to stop her she runs & hides from me.
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apart from the catnip on the post - do you have a feliway plug in? she could be marking territory because she is still a bit unsettled in which case that might help
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I may resort to a plugin if she doesn't stop, i'll give her a wee bit longer to settle in first tho & see if it is a marking thing. After all i've only had them since Sunday.
Personally i think she's just a cat that can't help exposing her claws, she does it when she's on my knee when she's not getting enough cuddles or head rubs.
Shes a very cuddly cat, if she had her way poor Alfie wouldn't get a look in, as soon as i sit down she's on the sofa next to me or on my lap.
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You should see my leather sofa eeek. :naughty:
Yeah spray the cat post with a catnip spray and also spray the areas you dont want her/ him to be scratching with a natural pet repellant, this worked for me. :)
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You should see thae carpet on the stairs grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Gill have you seen KP's stair carpet :-: :rofl:
This is going to turn into a have you seen my...... thread lol
My cats still go for my wallpaper, even tho they have scratch posts. Macey has also started on the carpets now :tired:
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Ah well i don't have any wallpaper in my house for them to dig their claws into.Thank goodness ;D
She's getting sneaky now, she waits until i'm occupied doing something else then starts wrecking the carpet. :sneaky:
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one of mine does the stair carpet but its definately a stress thing with her, if anything happens with any of the other cats she is straight to the carpet!
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Well so far so good today there has been no scratching of my carpet but she has been using her scratching post instead. Maybe it was a stress thing after all. I'm not sure i would trust her alone in the living room yet though.
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Hope the scratching has stopped!
Mine go for the top of the steps as well but it's mostly Penguin our biggest who doesn't use the scratching posts (no matter what I do).
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Noni scratches the carpet on the stairs, in the hallway, on the landing, in middle of lounge, by all doors whether open or closed, the rugs in rooms with wooden floors... oh yeh and the scartching post too. Her claws will never need clipping ;)
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I'm beginning to wonder if thats the problem & she does need them clipped. I'm wondering if they are bothering her.
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cats dont like foil put some in the area she is scatching see if that works ! or i have been told citrus someone told me to rub orange sented soap where they wanted to cat to leave alone ! worth a try before expensive plus ins. Can you not keep her in a room with no stairs !
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It's not the stairs she's scratching, its the living room carpet. The foil wouldn't work, my other cat loves it.
She's not been bad the last couple of days so i'm hoping it's a territory thing as i haven't had them a fortnight yet.
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I'm wondering if they are bothering her.
I wouldn't have thought so. Scratching is absolutely natural. Noni has been with us since May and, whilst she sharpens her claws on anything she wants, she is about the most laid back pud that's ever shared our home. I'm sure she would behave better of we ever made an effort to stop her. A fortnight is a sort time for your pud to learn the ropes. Gald it seems some progress is being made.