my cats like to sharpen their claws on the couch.I have 2 cats.I want to get a new couch but Im scared they will tear that one up to,so what can I do now to train them to stop?
before you get a new couch you need to train them not to scratch on your current sofa. First invest in a good quality scratching post. I recommend the kind that are wrapped in thick cord rope with a sturdy base and is taller then your cat is while standing on its hind legs. Next rub the post in cat nip. Show your cats the post get them to smell it and scratch your nails on it. Reward them for using it with a nice pat. Next punish inappropriate scratching. Get a squirt bottle filled with water and spray them when they use the couch. You can also cover there favorite scratching spots on the couch with tin foil. they hate tin foil. Next trim their nails with a cat nail trimmer. This way they really cant tear at it as much. Also you might try those plastic caps you glue on their nails that you can buy at the pet store. For me i train my kittens early on post good, furniture bad! Most cats will love their post and use it. Remember though that they will forget and use furniture sometimes, the price of owning a cat. I would say a 80 percent success rate for me with post using is as good as it gets. Good luck! and i agree, declawing is never the answer!
You need plenty of scratching mats, not posts around the house and they come with catnip to attract them. My cats use them constantly. One has a thing for our door frames but is doing it less and less with more scratching mats around. Petco also offers a solution with a stick on substance that does not harm your furniture, etc. but will deter the cat from scratching it up. Ask you pet store for solutions. They have them.
I completely agree with you about declawing, it is cruel. You should get a couple of scratching posts and put them in different places around the house. Then take your cats one at a time to the post and press there paw on it gently, just enough for there claws to come out, so they can feel it. You can also try showing them what to do by scratching your nails on it. One thing I do is rub there favorite toy on the post like your playing with them, so they will bat at it with there claws and most likely will grab the post for balance. Then praise them with treats when you see them using it. You should also clip there nails every two weeks or so. Good Luck. Sloane
Double sided tape, tin foil, mothballs... some things cats don't like to mess with. You can get double sided tape at a hardware store or a craft store much cheaper than the pet store. Also, you can make or buy a scratching post for the cat to use when you get a new sofa. Find out what material the cat likes to scratch on and cover a piece of wood or a pre made post with that material.
Do not declaw your cat, there are some products in the pet stores that will help you: there are a spray with a smell cat don't like, you won't smell it but they will, I think it is called stay away or something like that besides that there are some sticky tapes to put it in sofas and plants, try those. You should buy a scratching post, it is very necessary, and you should trim its nails but you have to be careful doing that avoiding the pink zone, just trim the end of the nail. If nothing of those suggestions work, I have seen some nails cap in the pet stores, I think those would be uncomfortable but it is better than declawing.
