Advice needed

[Highway61]

I know many of you here have kitties. Just got new furniture and wanted to know if there were any kind of "furniture protectors" for the corners. I was thinking about, something along the line of, the clear corner protectors you can get for walls and doorways. I did a search and came up with some lame products that look like they don't really work. I have scratching posts but Toonie was never interested in them. Any ideas? I will NOT declaw...not an option. I got a spray from Petco, but I don't think it's really all that. Any input would be appreciated.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Try softpaws

They're little plastic caps that get glued onto the cat's claws. My mom used them and they work.

[Highway61]

2. Where would I get them

Pet store?

[Deep13]

4. I think a vet has to install them.

http://www.softpaws.com/about.html

[Highway61]

5. Thanks

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

6. You don't need a vet

I used to put them on my mom's cat for her. If the cat will let you handle her enough to clip her nails, you can do it yourself.

[Deep13]

8. Even better.

And it sure beats kitty walking up to your demin pant leg and start digging in to your shins. I had a cat once that made a habit of that.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

9. yeah, the vet wanted to charge her like $50 to put them on

It took me about 10 minutes to do. Just have to make sure the nails are clipped, then you squirt a drop of glue in each soft paw, and stick it on the nail.

The hardest part was dealing with all the fur on the cat's feet. She's a Ragdoll cat with really long toe tuffs that get in the way. With a normal cat's feet, that wouldn't be an issue.

[Highway61]

10. Oh, Toonie is a rag doll

I never saw so much hair on a kitty in my life. She's so beautiful but can get herself in some deep mischief

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. Yeah, my mom has two Ragdolls

A mitted seal point and a cream point. The cream point is the one that needed the soft paws. She was rescued from a kitten mill (she had 10 litters by age 5) and was severely underweight at first. Due to being a kitten mill cat, she also didn't know not to claw on stuff.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

7. She got them online

[Deep13]

3. Cats have to be trained to use a scratching post.

When kittie starts going after the furniture, you have to take kittie and put its front paws on the scratching post until the fluffy destroyer of furniture gets the hint.

That and Softpaws which come in a delightful variety of color.

[HopeHoops]

12. Duct tape

:hide:

[Bertha Venation]

13. An alternative to Soft Paws: trim her claws regularly

If the sharp tips are cut off of her claws, her scratching will do no damage. If you decide to try this, read up on it first.

Good for you for not declawing. :)

[Haole Girl]

14. Good advice

That is what we do with our cats.

[Highway61]

15. Thanks all for your input

[NV Whino]

16. You can get large strips of double sided tape at PetCo

or other places. Stick it on the corners of the furniture. Cats hate it. It is safe for most fabrics, but give it a test if you aren't sure. Worked like a charm for me.

I occasionally have to reapply it somewhere new, but it only takes once to convince the cat that it is inappropriate to claw there.

[Deep13]

17. Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.

Just sayin' is all.

[applegrove]

18. My cats have destroyed my couch. Since then I have used water

(or the fear of water) to punish them. They seem to stop scratching the couch or at least don't see it as a game to get my attention since I've sprinkled water on them after they scratch the couch. I'm on the look out for a water pistol.

[astral]

19. put catnip around the scratching post

it helps to get the TALL version of the scratching posts too, the cats will like it if they can stretch out and kittens will probably enjoy climbing up it.

Also, be quick and firm about letting them know clawing the furniture is not allowed. Perhaps a quick clap of the hands to startle them along with a "No!"

Cats can learn boundaries like don't claw the furniture and stay off the kitchen counter / table pretty easily. Long as they got somewhere it is okay to go that's high, not on the floor, and as long as they have some to dig their claws into.