scratching furniture

by julie
(myrtle beach, SC)

I have two cats. Junior is the sweetist cat I have ever owned. However, he has gotten into the habit of waking us up in the mornings (when they want us up of course) buy scratching our matress. He is ripping it to shreds. He also loves to climb, so alot of my furniture has scratch marks all over them. What can I do to make him stop. I just bought a new comforter for my bed. He has already punctured a hole. I know you will probably say, close the bedroom door, but he will scratch the carpet til he gats his way. Please help.

RESPONSE:

Scratching is a normal behavior for cats so you will not (and should not) stop him from doing it. What you want to do is to get him to scratch appropriate things and not your furniture. There are a few things you can do.
Make sure he has proper scratching posts available and put one in your bedroom if you can. Sisal is better than carpet because to a cat, carpet is carpet and they don't get the distinction between a carpeted post and a carpeted floor! Corrogated cardboard scratchers work well too. You can use them on the floor or tacked to the wall for vertical scratching. Make sure the posts you use are sturdy and won't fall over and scare him. They should also be tall enough to give him a good stretch. Since he likes to climb, a cat tree with several platform heights will satisfy his urge to climb. (Click here to check out our Amazon store - they have really great prices on cat trees!) Also, rub the cat trees with catnip to peak his interest and use a string toy to play with him and make him run up and down the tree so he learns they are fun to be on.
To deter him from scratching things you don't want, use Sticky Paws or spray with Bitter Apple spray. Cats don't like sticky and the taste of the Bitter Apple will help him to not like scratching places treated with it. You can also use a penny can and shake it to startle him when he scratches on inappropriate things. This will help him to associate unplesant sensations with areas you don't want him scratching.
Don't yell or chase after him when he scratches the wrong places or he will turn this into a game. Praise him when he scratches the right spots so he associates good things with these spots. Be consistant and give it several weeks. Don't give up on him too soon. Cats can be quite stubborn! Hope this helps!

Donna
House Full Cats Mom