Conference misery::feline_v1

     I am a Pavlovian person.  My cat knows she is not allowed to scratch
the furniture.  If I am asleep and the cat wants to go out, she takes a claw
and inserts it into the nearest piece of furniture.  It works every time.  I
sit straight up, the cat smiles and I let her out.

     I have tried the usual methods.  Disciplining her (gentle slap) and 
putting her next to the scratching post had limited success.  It got her
accustomed to the scratching post, but she still went for the furniture.
The smelly stuff to repel cats did nothing whatsoever.

     You might try boiling some catnip in water (make a "tea") and apply
the solution to the scratching post.  Then place the scratching post in
the vacinity of the furniture.  Every time the cat goes for the furniture,
set him next to the post.  With the attractive scent, you may find the
cat going to the scratching post more often.

The Pavlovian approach never worked for me.  I used to keep record albums
stacked along the floor.  Jennyanydots found that she could keep her claws
nice and sharp by jumping on top of the albums and digging her claws into
them.  All she ever learned from several spankings was that she shouldn't
do this when I was around.  She continued to claw the albums, but I couldn't
ever catch her at it.

When I got my VT100 for home, Jennyanydots discovered that the cardboard
box the terminal came in makes a dandy scratching post.  My record collection
is safe now, thanks to Digital.

--PSW

another alternative is the classic 
	
	Cat Adjustment Tool (CAT)

This essential tool (sold under the name of "Plant Sprayer")
when adjusted to a fine stream can be fired with deadly
accuracy for about 20 feet. Even cats that like water (Maines)
don't care for it between the eyes and you will soon find
that merely reaching for it will send the cat scurrying for 
cover.

		Good Hunting,
		    jds

What kind of scratching posts did you use?  According to "The Natural Cat"
(which I mentioned in note #30), the usual carpet-covered posts aren't very
good because they're too soft.  Cats like to scratch on trees, etc.; failing
the availability of those, they resort to furniture (sigh).  This book 
recommends a scratching post that's covered with rough, bark-like material
(I forget exactly what), that cats supposedly prefer to softer surfaces.
I don't know how well it works at luring cats from furniture.  I sent for
a brochure from the company that makes it (the book gave its address); I
can put the info in here, if you want to check it out for yourself (I'd do
it now, but I don't have the brochure handy).
							-- Nina

When I've had to re-cover the "cat tree" (one of those floor-to-ceiling
jobs; Chiun loves it, Abigail never goes near it), I've used small pieces
of carpet, applied with the backing out. Lasts longer and gives the
cats more pull per scratch.

-b

    I'd bet the bark would lure them.  When I take my kitties out for a walk
they head for the dogwood tree and scratch their claws until their brains fall
out.  I've also found that when I bring in firewood, if I set any extra logs on 
the hearth they make a bee line for them. (an amusing sight by the way, 5 cats
all trying to scratch their claws on the same 1 foot long log!)

tlh

We have a piece of firewood nailed upright onto a square base.  It's years
old and is several inches smaller in circumference but the cats still love
it.  It's been around so long I don't tend to think about it, but it
sounds like some fresh wood might be a neat idea...

						John

When we got our first cat, a Siamese whom we no longer have, we got her the
nicest piece of wood in the world to scratch. She never touched it. She made
tentative moves at scratching the arm of the sofa, but she clearly knew she
wasn't allowed. 

Finally we got her a carpet-covered scratching post. When we brought it in the
door it was instant recognition -- she came charging across the room, attacked
the post without compunction, then perched proudly on top. She never laid a
claw on the furniture after that.

So the urge to scratch wood may not be universal in cats; evidently our
Siamese was a product of successful early training.

Val & Jon

I've managed to "break" all three of my cats from furniture scratching.

First I made a big barrel type cat pole (about 2 feet tall - 1 foot
across) and covered it with carpet.  I drilled a hole in it and attached
one of those floor to ceiling poles to hold the scratching "pole" in
place.

Everytime one of the cats went for the furniture I went for the cat.  I
took the cat to the furniture and showed it the scratching mode by holding
it's paw up to the fabric - all the time I said no - no -no, and then
squeezed it paw, hard enough to let it know I meant business but not
enough to hurt it.  Then I carried the cat to the pole and showed them
the scratching mode again and this time said stuff like "good kitty."

For each of my cats it took about 2 weeks to get the message - and none
of them have gone back to the furniture.

I used the paw squeeze to teach the cat not to play to rough with my
daughter when she was very small.  They seem to understand that you're
saying to "pull in the claws." 

cc

After reading the responses ( and finding all of my suggestions for alternatives to furniture and/or re-training methods) it se
ems that every cat is
different (so what else is new?)  I have sprayed my cat, and it keeps her away from the furniture when I'm home, or when she se
es me coming with the spray gun.
I had a carpet covered and a plain wood scratch post, both of which she ignored.(She did like to scratch a support beam on the 
porch of my previous apartment).
Now, since I am firmly against declawing (even for house bound cats),
I clip her front claws regularly.  First I used regular nail clippers, but
they wore out pretty fast, so I got a pair of pet nail clippers from
a pet supply store (the kind for cats and small dogs).  I'm not
as faithful as I should be about clipping them ( I know she's due when
we play and her playful scratches draw blood!), and I started doing it
well after she was fully grown.  She doesn't like it much, but she
lets me do it as long as I don't trim too far--never trim the pink
part of the claw, just the white.

If you still want to try the scratch post route (and other people
sound like they've had success diverting their cats from furniture
to one), try plain wood first, but if you want to try fabric, get
some of that Haitian cotton, the kind with big loops in the weave.
Every couch I've seen covered with that stuff, where there was a cat
in the house, was clawed ragged.  They love to get their claws in
the loops, it seems.  Good luck,
Richard

    Shadow learned her lessons well, I used the squeeze-the-paw-while-spanking
    and-talking-bad-then-show-her-the-scratching post technique, and
    it taught her to only ravage the furniture at night when we are
    upstairs asleep! During the day she'll rip up the railroad tie post
    with a gleam in her eye that seems to say, "Just wait until tonight!"
    
    I'm at my wits end, about to stoop to screwing plastic shields to
    the corners of the furniture!
    
    
    .mike.

    Actually, your "plastic shields" comment is not as extreme as you
    may think.  Our cat specialist vet once recommended putting plastic
    bags over the places where the cat was scratching.  Cats are animals
    of habit.  Other thoughts:  Maybe your cat doesn't like its scratching
    post.  I have built two ramp style scratching posts since almost
    none of the cats I've known would have anything to do with the
    vertical kind.  They love the ramps.  They can sit on it and
    scratch.  They also love to play on it (the-finger-that-looks-like-
    a-mouse type game).  The ramps are carpet covered, preferably short
    pile.  Also, I don't see why it's a different matter when your
    cat scratches at night.  When I find damage I go find kitty, put 
    kitty on the damaged place, move its paws back and forth like
    scratching, and then whallop the daylights out of it.  If I can
    find kitty again I reinforce the good-kitty behaviour by playing
    and petting on the scratching ramp.  Our vet also suggested having
    the scratching ramp near the furniture in question so the cat has
    an obvious choice.  Finally, there is the difficult option of having
    the front claws removed.  Fortunately, I've never had to make that
    decision.  My cats all figured out what was good for them.  My
    In-laws had their cats claws removed and the cat was happy and healthy
    for some 20 years.  It was an indoor/outdoor cat and never had any
    problems defending itself.  It would still "scratch" the furniture.
    Good luck.

    I USE THE SAME "TOOL" BUT I CALL IT A "SPRITZER", MY 3 CATS JUST
    HAVE TO SEE ME LOOKING FOR IT AND THEY TAKE OFF.  I'VE BEEN USING
    IT FOR 2 1/2 YEARS NOW AND I WOULD BE LOST WITHOUT IT.

    This topic reminds me of a cartoon I once saw.  This guy's cat was
    destroying every piece of furniture in the house, so he got the
    great idea of covering it all up with sheet metal.  The cat goes
    over to the sofa, sees the sheet metal, considers, and then cuts
    loose with his claws.  The guy runs over yelling "I'll take it off,
    I'll take it off!"
    
    -Jim-

    re: .11
    I don't know if shadow is indoor only...
    For indoor only cats clipping the claws regularly (in a full grown
    cat probably every other week or once a month) may help lower
    the damage.
    May work better during kittenhood though.
    Mine got clipped the day after they came home, and about once
    a week for the first few months, and now they are at every other
    week - and sometimes three weeks.
    Seems they learned how to jump on things without using claws -
    they didn't know when they would get suddenly real dull!
    Claws still come out when frightened, and to scratch scratching
    posts (occasional misdemeanors on couch - but no apparent damage
    yet - couch is real close to one tree) also when chasing each other
    thru the house - to make sure the corners work - rather wide corners
    on linoleum!
    
    Catch your cat when they are sleepy and in a good mood to try claw
    clipping.  Jack Wickwire (.wIx.) has a note in here somewhere about
    tools and methods.
    \sally
    

    I know this note has been inactive for almost two years; however,
    I have discovered that both of my kitties go absolutely nuts over
    their cardboard scratching boxes which I purchased at Breeder's
    Pride in Sudbury, MA.
    
    These are corrogated (sp?) boxes that can either sit horizontally
    on the floor or be hung on the doorknob (my kitties like theirs
    on the floor).  The boxes come with a bag of strong scented catnip which
    I rub into the holes in the box.  The box is also reversible for
    longer wear.  Chauncey and Nikki have already ripped apart two;
    lucky for me each box costs a mere $5.19!!  I got one in Caldor
    for about $4.49 minus the catnip, but just about any brand of loose
    catnip will do.
    
    Try them!!!  Your kitties will love you for it!
    
    /Roberta
    who's_cats_haven't_touched_the_furniture_in_months!!!
    

    
    	re:  .3
    
    	Now I know why Sasha likes water!!  The vet says
    	she's part Maine Coon.....I guess she isn't strange
    	after all!!
    
    	:)      JJ
    

    Just a thought on declawing:
    
    Think long and hard about it.  My mother has two previously declawed Siamese
    that she got from a shelter.  One is very small, and she almost
    died when in surgery.  Both of the cats now chew everything in sight,
    which the vet said they do instead of clawing (it seems that the
    instinct is "transferred").
    

re: -1

I've lived around many declawed cats (I adopt unwanted strays alot) and
I've never seen any of them chew things up to replace clawing....I think
someone's opinion about declawing was making some connections there that
cannot be proven for most cats.  In fact, my cats and my roommate's cats
all claw the furniture quite merrily....they just don't shred it because
they don't have front toenails.  The same fact is true for my friends'
cats.  This doesn't mean I think everyone should declaw their cats - it
is a personal decision and should be made depending on the cat the the
need for protection of furniture and drapes, etc.  I've known several cats
that had claws and they simply did not do much damage to any furniture.
I am glad I got my last kitten's claws removed as she is extremely feisty
with the other cats AND she claws everything in sight - not a stick of
furniture would be left with Hannah around....

    
        This is not to justify declawing.  I think that it should be
    a last resort like when it comes down to to have cats or no cats.
     
        But I have two that are declawed and my mom has two.  None of
    these 4 chew at all.  They rub their lips against everything but
    thats it.  Every cat has a different personality and from what I've
    seen chewing really isn't a side effect of declawing.