Conference misery::feline

    In terms of chairs and sofas, I put throws over them.  Then you can
    remove the throws (and cat hair at the same time) when company comes.
    You can get cotton afghans and the like for about $30 for a fairly
    large one ("sofa size".)  Or you might already have a stadium blanket
    around.
    

    Welcome to the wonderful world of pet ownership!!  :^).  I, too, have
    these problems, though my home isn't decorated very expensively, just
    tastefully :^).
    
    I also put throws over anything I can't keep the cats off of but they
    insist on going on, such as the living room sofas.  Choosing towels in
    the same color as the couch and loveseat doesn't make it look too bad. 
    They do have a fetish for the glass dining room table and peach suede
    seat covers but the fur comes up nicely with one of those sticky lint
    remover rolls.  A very good product for removing stains from carpet is
    "No Stain Carpet Stain & Odor Remover" by St. Aubrey.  This works
    wonderful for both front and back end problems.  I even feel it is far
    superior to Natures Miracle.
    
    It is tough to have a beautiful home with multiple pets but not
    impossible.  I think you have the correct approach in not raising your
    voice; cats are not like dogs in this respect, especially when most
    everything they do is after the fact by the time you even notice it!!
    
    Good luck,
    
    -Roberta
    

    I was looking through a catalog the other day (can't remember which
    one - I get so many!!) and they were selling some kind of "motion
    detector" that you put on your couch/table/whatever_you_don't_want_
    your_pet_to_get_onto.  When it detects the motion of your pet nearby,
    it sets off some kind of alarm that stops in a few seconds, then
    resets itself.
    
    Sounds like the ideal way to adjust your cats' behavior when you're
    not home!  Anyone seen this or tried it?
    
    Pam

    Well, I always run to whatever cat is making that
    "I'm gonna barf" sound, because they ALWAYS barf on
    something!!! (Last time it was in my husband's sneaker!)
    
    The canine file suggested putting a set mousetrap under
    a newspaper, and when the dog or cat jumps on the paper,
    the trap goes off, momentarily scaring the pet....????
    Some success was noted!  
    
    Boundry is a spray repellent that won't harm the pet/furniture/
    rugs etc.  
    
    L- 

I cannot remember what they are called, but I have heard of a device that,
unlike a mousetrap, cannot hurt your pet, but can scare the snot out of it...
The device is set with a rubber band and placed on the furniture...when the
cat steps or jumps on the furniture, the rubber band releases, making a loud
snapping noise and popping the device into the air.

Now, knowing cats as I do, you cats will probably take a fast hike away from
the device once it has popped and NOT return to it for a very long time...
I would suggest you scan the old canine notes conference for the name, or,
better yet, drop a query into the conference and find out how to get these
things.

re:  nature's miracle - it works, it doesn't discolor fine furniture or carpet,
and I need to find out how to order industrial size drums of it...it saves
a great deal of grief as the cat will not return to the same spot.

    Try covering the seats of the dining room chairs with tin foil or
    plastic. My cats hate tin foil and plastic!
    
    
    Lisa.
    

      father of cat owner,
      Are there any easy ways to train cats to keep off certain areas,
      furniture table etc.. etc..
      Rgds,
      Stephen

    See topic #172.  We're working on it.  ;^)
    
    K.C.

    Thanks for the ideas so far.  I can't bring myself to put a huge drop
    cloth over my dining room table.  Reminds me of the neighbor across the
    street that we grew up next to.  She kept plastic on her lamps,
    furniture, etc., just so she could ensure they would last longer (she
    didn't have pets).  I mean, to me, this is like buying a Mercedes and
    then parking it in the garage all winter long.  You buy it to use and
    enjoy, not cover.  :^)
    
    One option we are going to try is to move the chair that Chubs often
    sits on.  Perhaps it's more of a "location" thing with him.  I've also
    been thinking about the idea of putting something on the chair that
    will make him select another hang out.  The other option is to design
    some of those shoji(?) screens that slide and we'll put them up at each
    doorway and will be able to close the room off entirely.  Only problem
    with that is the cats will probably figure out a way to slide them
    open!
    
    I don't want to use any scare tactics.  They are already skittish
    enough as it is.... Perhaps we'll try some of that Boundary or
    Natures's stuff mentioned earlier and wait for results.

     Cut cardboard into 2" wide strips.  Attach masking tape, sticky side 
up.  Place on counters, mantels, chairs, tables, etc.  The cats get the 
idea real fast.  Its helpful if they have to jump up and can't see whether 
the strips are there or not.

    I know this has to do with furniture, and expensive items. But what
    about my poor plant. BeeGee loves to dig, dig, dig in my favorite
    plant. I have tried pine/spruce cones, but this is another toy for her.
    I have even tried plastic, but her will just dig that up, too. Any
    other ideas out there in kitty land???????
    
    
      Crys (dirty paws BeeGee & how can I get BeeGee in trouble Miskey)

>    I know this has to do with furniture, and expensive items. But what
>    about my poor plant. BeeGee loves to dig, dig, dig in my favorite
>    plant. I have tried pine/spruce cones, but this is another toy for her.
>    I have even tried plastic, but her will just dig that up, too. Any
>    other ideas out there in kitty land???????
    
try laying chicken wire over the pot and attaching it to the pot securely
by tying it down with wire or twine...be sure to snip all sharp edges of
the chicken wire so no damage is done to the cat.  The idea is to keep the
cat from the soil without "suffocating" the plant, or adding dangerous
chemicals to the plant or the cat.  Sturdy screening will also work and
is easier to manager than chicken wire....see your hardware store man for
advice on how to attach it.

RE: the plant

You also may want to try those white rocks.  They look very nice and
the cats don't seem to dig at them.

RE: keeping Chubs off of the furniture.

good luck!  I haven't figured out any way of keeping them off of the furniture.
We do lock them out of the kitchen during the day, and keep a watch on them
at night.  That at least keeps them off of the table.  The only thing that
I've done is I keep a cloth on the couch and pick it up when I want to 
sit down.  I keep two of them and put one on while the other is being washed.

Holly

You can also tip dining room chairs up against the dr table. (pull them out 
about a foot or so, and then tip them forward towards the table.) That way they
can't sit/sleep on the chairs or ise them as springboards.

As far as kitties in plants, the pine cone trick worked for me (I used *lots*
of pine cones - really stuffed the top of the pot).  My mother just puts
empty flower pots over window screen.  It keeps her giants out. 

What about the citrus suggestions that folks had for keeping kitties away from 
Christmas trees?  That wouldn't be too offensive odor-wise.

Basically, the only way to keep them off *your* furniture is to get them *their
own* furniture that they like *better* than your furniture.  The hard part is 
figuring out what they want!!

I recall mentioning those snappy "mouse-trap-like" devices in the old file, but
I don't remember what they're called.  I saw them in the pet shop in Hudson,
MA.

I think I'll try the masking tape trick.  The only place we really want to keep
the cats from going is climbing up the speakers onto the entertainment
center.  Well, maybe we should just protect the speakers better :-)

We've seen Hemi lying down on the aluminum foil...

Jill

    The only thing I have ever succeeded in doing is teaching the cats to
    not get on furniture I don't want them on when I can see them do it -
    I know that *someone* eats flower arrangements left on the dining room
    table, and I think I know *who* since most of the flowers don't agree
    with her delicate half-Siamese tummy real well, but I have *never* seen
    her up there since she was a kitten.
    
    I use chicken wire over the dirt in the largest of my houseplants.  It
    probably isn't necessary anymore since both kitties have gotten out of
    the habit of trying to excavate the plants.  You can't see it since the
    pots are in decorative baskets.
    
    /Charlotte

    The masking tape sounds like an excellent idea!  Zelda would likely 
    learn a lesson the first time around.  Chubs on the other hand would
    probably think it was fun and would do it over and over again.  
    
    Our cats go on the dining room table only when we are asleep.  They are
    exceptionally intelligent little buggers!  My husband went downstairs
    at 4am and came back and said "you would strangle Zelda if you knew
    where she was".  He didn't even have to tell me she was on the table. 
    Too bad we haven't been able to catch them in the act!  :^)
    
    We can at least be thankful for the fact that none of our cats ever get
    up on the kitchen counters.  We don't mind them being on the couch or
    loveseat or the bed....  but they cross a fine line when they head for
    the dining room.  :^)  
    
    In the morning when I go downstairs to feed them, they get a head start
    and cut through the dining room while I'm going around through the
    living room (where they should also be going).  Then they anxiously
    wait for me to appear by the food bowls with the "what took you so
    long?" look.  They are such devils at times but they do it in such a
    cute way.  I must be a sucker for a cute face.  :^)

    I have to laugh at this note because even though I think I
    defeated my cats into staying off of certain things...ha ha
    when I'm not home they have a ball.
    
    For instance...I have a bird with eight cats.  We have worked
    very hard to stop the cats from trying to climb the wall to
    get to the bird.  We have won this battle when we are home..
    but...do I trust them when I'm not there.  No way...that room
    is closed off!
    
    If you really want them to stay off...close the room off!
    
    Sandy

re: furniture more desirable to the cats

tall, very sturdy cat tree, covered with nice, deep carpet to claw up...and
several "heated" sleeping pads on different levels of the tree.  I know where
to buy the tree ($340.00) and I know where to get the heated pads ($60.00/ea)
and I know that this is the most desirable piece of furniture you can ever
offer a cat.  I'm saving up.  I'm going to either buy the cat tree or I am
going to turn one wall in my bedroom into a carpetted surface with sturdy
shelves (with 1.5 inch risers around the edges to hold a sleeping cat in
place) scattered about so that the cats can "walk up the stairs" to the
desired level.  On the shelves, I will put the heated sleeping pads with
washable covers that I've seen in the Cat Fancy magazine market section.
This way, I'll be able to find them when it is bath time....

And I don't even care if the furfaces get on the furniture!....spoil my
pets?  Nah....

      I will try the sticky tape trick..
      Do Kittens have a willful streak?  At least once every evening my
      daughters cat becomes hyperactive. This entails charging through the
      house, doing the wall of death around the tub wing chair and trying to
      roll the rug up. He pauses on the wing chair untill someone gets up and
      moves towards him. He then leaps down to continue the mad dash. I will
      let you know how the sticky tape works.

    Ahh, your daughter's cat is experiencing the condition known as 
    "Cat-Crazies".  It happens at least once per night, and if you have
    more than one cat, this insidious condition afflicts all of them at
    once.  The time of the crazies attacks vary, but it is usually timed
    when it is most inconvenient for the rest of the household.  The
    attacks are known to be most severe around the full moon.
    
    As you described, the condition is characterized by mad charging about,
    jumping high in the air for no reason (at least no reason that is
    visible to humans), wild attacks on anything that comes near
    (including human legs), various meowls, and extreme fur-poofing and
    hopping sidewise.
    
    It's my favorite time of night!
    
    Sue B + Smokey, Spike & Trouble (who is well named....)

cat crazies can often be controlled or modified by extended periods of active
play....chasing a toy around the house, etc. to burn off energy.  I buy my
four felines these plastic poles with a strand of twine off one end, the
end of which is a 5 inch long fake fur, neon pink...thing.  I call them to
play by asking if anyone wants to play "catch the furry mouse"...then I drag
that toy all over the house and dangle it enticingly above their heads to
encourage jumping up...allowing one or the other to "catch" the mouse just
enough to keep interest up.  After approx. 40 minutes of real active play,
they are ready to mellow out a bit.

caveat:  my cats are all 1 year or older....a kitten will demand more play,
and several sessions a day are recommended.  It will keep your daughter from
watching too much TV!     8^}

RE: Cat Crazies.....

	T.K. has these.  He zooms around the apartment, up and over
	furniture, growling the entire way.  Bandit just sits there
	and watches.... he's too big (19 lbs) to have cat crazies.
	I wish he did... maybe he'd lose that weight.

RE: furniture of their own.

	I made two cat beds in a fabric that complements the couches
	and I leave them on the couch.  They do not always use them,
	but often enough that the couches are not as hairy as they
	used to be.

	T.K. loves the top of the refrigerator.  I think it is because
	it is warm.  He also loves to crawl in the lining of one
	chair (underneath) to take a snooze.

	I'm buying a house in a few months and it will be interesting
	to see what becomes their favorate places.  I may try to
	encourage the basement by having my father build a tree for
	them. 

	Karen

My mother had me make a small cat-sized afghan that she used to put on the 
couch where Tiger used to sleep.  She also placed it half on her lap, half 
on the couch next to her when she sat on the couch cuz that was where Tiger 
always planted himself.  It definitely helped heep the dark-grey-and-black-
cat-hair-on-the-light-colored-sofa problem to a dull roar.  The afghan just 
went in the washer occasionally.

    re: 172.23 ... 
    
    Bandit may know that he's too big to have cat crazies .... but my Harry
    is 22 pounds, and I guess nobody ever told him he was too big, because
    he gets BIG crazies!
    
    (Of course, he thinks he's still a kitten, so that must explain it. 
    But it sure would be nice if he didn't THUMP around the house at
    night!)

    	Spray your furniture with Static Guard. It will vacuum up easier.
    
    Mike

    Thanks for that tip, Mike!!  My couches are getting pretty darn furry.
    

    Late reply here.
    
    I used aluminum foil around the top of the pot of the plant Onyx used 
    to like to dig in.  I just took 2 sections of foil, wrapped each
    loosely over the top of the pot and around the stem of the plant.  I 
    can easily lift it to add water, and Onyx doesn't want anything to do
    with it.  I haven't had to vacuum the dirt from the floor around the
    plant or pick up the knocked over pot since the day I put the foil on
    it.
    
    Jan

Heard an interresting little trick from the humane society.  Put a dusting
of flea powder where ever you don't want the beast.  Haven't tried it but
I know how much they like that ole flea power.  After about a month I
believe they'll know where not to go.

BB

    
    
    
    My mom yelled everytime a cat was where he/she was not allowed - most of 
    the time it worked -
    
    There were those unavoidable occasions when a cat was enticed on the 
    kitchen counter by the smell of food, or on the dining room table by
    the sound of birds through the window.  
    
    We put a tall stool in front of the window trouble spot, and that
    worked.  It became THE hot spot for bird and squirrel watching, much
    better than the table.  When there were two cats, they fought over who 
    was going to sit on the stool, so then there were two stools side by side.
    (then the only problem was flying fur during the sibling rivalry - "he 
    licked my ear" - swat!)
      
    I was sucessful in stopping my cat from sleeping on my bed.  My cat 
    always slept with me until I got a DOWN COMFORTER. (Of course, Rosie's
    eyes lit up when she saw it, thinking of kneading and curling up in this 
    new soft place).  I built Rose her own "nest" with an old comforter in a 
    large windsor  chair (it was high off the ground and in clear shot 
    of a window). Of course, it took a LOT of positive reinforcement and
    some snacks to reinforce that it was her new sleeping spot, and I had to be
    sure not to give in to the old sleeping arrangement, but it worked.
    
    
    Lois

    My husband and I built our 2 cats a large 3 shelved "cat tree"
    by the window.  It is covered in carpet.
    
    
    I used to have trouble with Merlin scratching his claws on
    the carpet, and now he just does it with the
    carpet on his tree!    Also, like the previous noters,
    the tree is where they mostly sleep and sit (not on the
    furniture or bed)   They think it is the best furniture
    in the house!
    

    The title of this topic tickles me - "keeping cats off of the...
    expensive items"... Y'see, I have three (3) cat trees, a cheap-o one
    for the basement (so they can get to the casement window without having
    to claw up the wall), and two large ones in the living room, the newest
    and snazziest of which is more expensive than almost any piece of
    furniture I own. ;-) [And I haven't even counted the two window-perch
    seats for the windows that don't already have bookcases under them...] 
    
    So I suppose  my "solution" for keeping the cats off of the expensive
    stuff is to buy expensive stuff for the cats. (And, after all this, I
    don't even try to keep them off of the couch, chairs, or bed, anyway!)
    
    -b

    Another solution, but maybe not the best. I am planning on trying this
    on my house plants that the little darling likes to use as his deposit area
    when I am not around.
    
    In the notes file for gardening it has been suggested to use dog hair
    to keep raccoons and etc. out of the garden.  So I thought I might take
    some old nylon stockings and make little bundles of dog hair and place
    them areas I don't want te cat to go. The odor of the dog might keep 
    them away from the area. I might add that I don't have a dog so the
    odor maybe more frighting to my cats.
    
    I will let you know how this works out.
    
    Lee

    re .33
    
    We've had *very* good results with placing quarters of a fresh lemon or
    lime in places we don't want "the kids" to go.  They approach, sniffing
    cautiously; take a really big sniff when they get on top of; and run
    like crazy in the other direction.
    
    I've also fashioned circles out of cardboard or corrugated cardboard,
    with appropriate center hole for tree trunk, and put this into the
    plant pot, resting on the dirt. Easily removed for watering, but not
    diggable.
    
    Lynn

    Another suggestion for big potted plants is to place pine cones
    on top of the dirt.  I have had the same pine cones in my Yucca 
    tree for over 4 years...and nobody has attempted to poop in it
    since that time!!!!   They don't even have to be removed when
    watering.
    
    Sandy
    

    ...and in our plants.  We put fist-sized decorative rocks in the
    plants right on the dirt.  They don't have to be moved to water the
    plants.  Just make sure to place the rocks so when the water rolls off
    them it doesn't drip all over the floor.  The rocks even keep the
    dirt moister for longer so you don't have to water so often --
    more time to play with the kitties or take care of those honey-do's!!
    
    Carl