cat clawing furniture

[Clyde]

I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the
corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is now
about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
type person.

I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I do
not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
does go after her scratching post.

I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.

I also have a spray to discourage her from clawing at the divan, the
carpet, or the corner of the walls.

Any sound advise will be welcome.

Clyde

[cybercat]

"clyde" > wrote in message
2...
>I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the
> corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is
> now
> about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
> type person.
>
> I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I
> do
> not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
> does go after her scratching post.
>
> I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
> before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.
>
> I also have a spray to discourage her from clawing at the divan, the
> carpet, or the corner of the walls.
>
> Any sound advise will be welcome.
>
>

Give her something she likes to scratch more than your furniture. A scratch
pad or Alpine Scratcher, or a TALL post, not one of those stupid short ones.
By the way, you can't have her claws removed. I tried this. All you can do
is have the ends of her front toes hacked off. I did not understand that
this is what so-called "declawing" was when I did it to my first cat. The
result? She became a biter, since she knew she had no claws to defend
herself with, and she stopped covering her poo. When she got older, she had
arthritis pain in those paws and began pooping on the rug because the litter
hurt her paws. Also--quit with the water bottle. They hate loud sounds much
more. A loud NO and a clap at the same time, or a shake of a coffee can full
of marbles will work better. Good luck.

[cybercat]

"clyde" > wrote in message
2...
>I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the
> corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is
> now
> about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
> type person.
>
> I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I
> do
> not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
> does go after her scratching post.
>
> I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
> before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.

P.S.--take her to a shelter asap if your carpet and furniture are really
worth more than she is to you. What an idiotic thing to say.

[[email protected]]

Several things to comment on:

1. Please do NOT spray her with a water bottle. You are teaching her
to be afraid of you, or to simply be more secretive about her
scratching. Neither is helpful to you or her.

2. What kind of scratcher do you have? How many scratchers do you have
around the house? What material is the scratcher made out of? Does she
scratch vertically or horizontally? You need to adjust what kind of
scratchers you have to what she prefers. A really great scratcher
(that I recently purchased for our five-month old kitten) is the
Ultimate Cat Scratcher. I got the best price on Amazon. It's a tall,
sturdy scratcher that a lot of cats like.

3. Instead of spraying her when she scratches undesirable areas, put a
scratcher near that area and make the other area less desirable. Using
tin foil or a double-sided tape called Sticky Paws works great.

4. Do you trim her nails regularly?

5. To entice her to the scratchers, rub or spray catnip on them, and
rub your nails against them. Drag a toy near or up them so she can get
used to the feel of them. Place them in centrally located areas in the
house, not tucked away in the corner. Cats like to scratch after a nap
or a meal, so have them accessible. Praise her when she scratches on
them.

6. If all else fails, you can buy a product called Soft Paws, which
are plastic caps you glue onto the nails (you can do it at home or
have your vet do this). They stay on 4-6 weeks.

Please do NOT declaw her. It's a cruel, unnecessary procedure that is
illegal in many countries. Here is a good article you should read:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002

[Matthew[_3_]]

"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> "clyde" > wrote in message
> 2...
>>I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
>> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or
>> the
>> corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is
>> now
>> about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
>> type person.
>>
>> I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I
>> do
>> not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
>> does go after her scratching post.
>>
>> I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
>> before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.
>
> P.S.--take her to a shelter asap if your carpet and furniture are really
> worth more than she is to you. What an idiotic thing to say.


Cyber when I looked at his post I saw it was from a remailer So I don't put
too much towards the post when I read his stupid statement.

[Clyde]

wrote in news:4b131bf0-7b7d-4ed8-9086-
:

> Several things to comment on:
>
> 1. Please do NOT spray her with a water bottle. You are teaching her
> to be afraid of you, or to simply be more secretive about her
> scratching. Neither is helpful to you or her.

I will keep this in mind.

>
> 2. What kind of scratcher do you have?

It is a three level structure with a five inch post connecting the three
levels togather. The post is covered with something that looks like the
back of a carpet. The three platforms are covered with a carpet,
similar to what I have in my house except a different color. The top
platform has a large hole in it for kitty to crawl through. Overall it
is about three feet high. It seemed adaquat when our kitten was ten
weeks old, but now she is too big for this scratcher, and she is only
about half grown. She does scratch on this scratcher, but then she also
scratches on the house carpet, some of the furnature, and sometimes on
the corners of the papered walls.


How many scratchers do you have
> around the house?

We have only one, but tomorrow that will change.


What material is the scratcher made out of? Does she
> scratch vertically or horizontally?

Both.


You need to adjust what kind of
> scratchers you have to what she prefers. A really great scratcher
> (that I recently purchased for our five-month old kitten) is the
> Ultimate Cat Scratcher. I got the best price on Amazon. It's a tall,
> sturdy scratcher that a lot of cats like.

Is "Ultimate Cat Scratcher" a trade name?
>
> 3. Instead of spraying her when she scratches undesirable areas, put a
> scratcher near that area and make the other area less desirable. Using
> tin foil or a double-sided tape called Sticky Paws works great.

I will try these also this weekend.
>
> 4. Do you trim her nails regularly?

No. We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
un-trimmed claws.
>
> 5. To entice her to the scratchers, rub or spray catnip on them,

Havn't tried this yet.

and
> rub your nails against them. Drag a toy near or up them so she can get
> used to the feel of them. Place them in centrally located areas in the
> house, not tucked away in the corner. Cats like to scratch after a nap
> or a meal, so have them accessible. Praise her when she scratches on
> them.
>
> 6. If all else fails, you can buy a product called Soft Paws, which
> are plastic caps you glue onto the nails (you can do it at home or
> have your vet do this). They stay on 4-6 weeks.
>
>

Please do NOT declaw her. It's a cruel, unnecessary procedure that is
> illegal in many countries.

I agree 100%. We have had cats that we had de-clawed and one of them
(litter mates) limped from time to time throughout her 14 year life, and
neither of them would ever cover their "poop".


Here is a good article you should read:
> http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002

B.T.W. I am not responsible for any spelling errors as my kitten is
helping me by sitting on the function keys from time to time and
slapping at the cursor.

[[email protected]]

> Is "Ultimate Cat Scratcher" a trade name?

Yes, it is. It's made by Smart Cat. You can find stores near you that
sell it on their web site. On this page, in the middle is a photo of
the scratcher. It's a nice, sturdy piece of furniture.
http://www.esmartcat.com/index.htm

You might also try a couple of cardboard scratchers. They're
inexpensive and when one side is worn, you can flip to the other side.
There's an angled cardboard version with holes and a toy on one side
that our kitten (five months) loves. It was only $12. One brand is the
Alpine Scratcher, but Petsmart has a similar style in their own brand.


> > 4. Do you trim her nails regularly?
>
> No. *We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
> and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
> un-trimmed claws.

There's a trimmer that looks like a little scissors. It works better
than the cheaper kind, and a bonus is that it's quiet. I got mine for
about $10 in a pet store.


I hope these tips work for you. Please report back on how things are
going!

Rene

[cybercat]

"clyde" > wrote
>> 4. Do you trim her nails regularly?
>
> No. We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
> and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
> un-trimmed claws.
>>

We do it once a month, and it keeps them from being able to scratch at all.

[Poe]

clyde wrote:
> wrote in news:4b131bf0-7b7d-4ed8-9086-
> :
>
>> Several things to comment on:
>>
>> 1. Please do NOT spray her with a water bottle. You are teaching her
>> to be afraid of you, or to simply be more secretive about her
>> scratching. Neither is helpful to you or her.
>
> I will keep this in mind.
>
>> 2. What kind of scratcher do you have?
>
> It is a three level structure with a five inch post connecting the three
> levels togather. The post is covered with something that looks like the
> back of a carpet. The three platforms are covered with a carpet,
> similar to what I have in my house except a different color. The top
> platform has a large hole in it for kitty to crawl through. Overall it
> is about three feet high. It seemed adaquat when our kitten was ten
> weeks old, but now she is too big for this scratcher, and she is only
> about half grown. She does scratch on this scratcher, but then she also
> scratches on the house carpet, some of the furnature, and sometimes on
> the corners of the papered walls.
>
>
> How many scratchers do you have
>> around the house?
>
> We have only one, but tomorrow that will change.
>
>
> What material is the scratcher made out of? Does she
>> scratch vertically or horizontally?
>
> Both.
>
>
> You need to adjust what kind of
>> scratchers you have to what she prefers. A really great scratcher
>> (that I recently purchased for our five-month old kitten) is the
>> Ultimate Cat Scratcher. I got the best price on Amazon. It's a tall,
>> sturdy scratcher that a lot of cats like.
>
> Is "Ultimate Cat Scratcher" a trade name?
>> 3. Instead of spraying her when she scratches undesirable areas, put a
>> scratcher near that area and make the other area less desirable. Using
>> tin foil or a double-sided tape called Sticky Paws works great.
>
> I will try these also this weekend.
>> 4. Do you trim her nails regularly?
>
> No. We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
> and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
> un-trimmed claws.
>> 5. To entice her to the scratchers, rub or spray catnip on them,
>
> Havn't tried this yet.
>
> and
>> rub your nails against them. Drag a toy near or up them so she can get
>> used to the feel of them. Place them in centrally located areas in the
>> house, not tucked away in the corner. Cats like to scratch after a nap
>> or a meal, so have them accessible. Praise her when she scratches on
>> them.
>>
>> 6. If all else fails, you can buy a product called Soft Paws, which
>> are plastic caps you glue onto the nails (you can do it at home or
>> have your vet do this). They stay on 4-6 weeks.
>>
>>
>
> Please do NOT declaw her. It's a cruel, unnecessary procedure that is
>> illegal in many countries.
>
> I agree 100%. We have had cats that we had de-clawed and one of them
> (litter mates) limped from time to time throughout her 14 year life, and
> neither of them would ever cover their "poop".
>
>
> Here is a good article you should read:
>> http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=002
>
> B.T.W. I am not responsible for any spelling errors as my kitten is
> helping me by sitting on the function keys from time to time and
> slapping at the cursor.
>


Another thing to try is that two-sided tape to put places you don't want
then scratching. They hate the tacky feeling on their feet and quickly
go elsewhere. After a couple weeks you can remove it completely. I have
broken cats from various areas of the house permanently using it -
certain counters, furniture edges, etc.

[LauraM[_2_]]

On Feb 5, 10:32*am, clyde > wrote:
> I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the
> corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is now
> about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
> type person.
>
> I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I do
> not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
> does go after her scratching post.
>
> I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
> before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.
>
> I also have a spray to discourage her from clawing at the divan, the
> carpet, or the corner of the walls.
>
> Any sound advise will be welcome.
>
> Clyde

Try putting tin foil over the areas your kitty likes to claw, and then
put a scratching post near the area. As the cat learns to scratch the
post, move the post away from the foil-covered area a foot a day until
it's in a location you prefer. Try spraying catnip spray on the post
too...they love that smell.

[DWMeowMix]

Try spraying catnip spray on the post
> too...they love that smell.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Ditto on this. I don't use the spray but I do use just regular loose
leaf catnip that I rub onto the post and any carpeted areas (if it's a
cat tree or condo) and voila! Scratching post is kitties best
friend!!!

Debbie

[Stan Brown]

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:32:22 GMT from clyde >:
> I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the
> corner of the living room than on the scratching post I got her. She is now
> about 12-14 weeks old, healthy and much like a rebellous 7 year old human
> type person.

Really? Every young cat I've ever known was much more like a 2-year-
old. :-)

But trying to overcome her instincts is an exercise in frustration
for both of you. Instead try other "scratchy things". For instance.,
mine loves a "Cavern Play Scratcher", an inclined plane of textured
cardboard. It costs around $11 at Petsmart, and includes some catnip
to get the cat into the habit of scratching there. But you may have
to try various things till you find one or two that the cat likes --
and you may have to experiment with where you put them in the house.

When Kitty scratches some place you don't want her to, pick her up
gently and take her to one of the desired scratchy things, then
gently manipulate her paws in scratching motions so she'll get the
idea. Praise her when she does scratch there.

Be prepared for less than perfection. Milo does about 95% of his
scratching on his scratchy thing but it's in a cat's instincts to
mark territory and one way they do that is with the pads of their
feet. You have to accept that the furniture is going to get a little
more wear than it otherwise would.

And as for declawing -- please put that out of your mind. It's cruel
to the cat, because it involved actually cutting off part of their
toes. If you feel "declawing" is the only answer, then with all
respect I say you should find another home for the cat or else take
it to a no-kill shelter.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

[Stan Brown]

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:16:58 GMT from clyde >:
> No. We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
> and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
> un-trimmed claws.

Meaning no disrespect, you must have been doing it wrong, or you had
the wrong tool, or both. It's in your best interest and your cat's to
learn to do it right. Take her to your vet or to a groomer and get a
lesson for yourself in how to clip her claws and how to hold he when
you do it.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

[Clyde]

Stan Brown > wrote in
t:

> Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:16:58 GMT from clyde >:
>> No. We have tried to trim the claws on other cats that we have owned,
>> and the procedure left the claws so jagged that it was worse than the
>> un-trimmed claws.
>
> Meaning no disrespect, you must have been doing it wrong, or you had
> the wrong tool, or both. It's in your best interest and your cat's to
> learn to do it right. Take her to your vet or to a groomer and get a
> lesson for yourself in how to clip her claws and how to hold he when
> you do it.
>

After all of the comments i've received on my post about having her claws
removed, I can say that I have decided not to take that route. She is a
part of our family so dumping her is also out of the question.

The vet or a groomer suggestion is a good one. We will take that one and
run! A couple of other responders also suggested using catnip to draw her
to the scratching post. Good suggestions all!

clyde

[cybercat]

"clyde" > wrote
>
> After all of the comments i've received on my post about having her claws
> removed, I can say that I have decided not to take that route. She is a
> part of our family so dumping her is also out of the question.

Way to go, Clyde. You're a good man.

[---MIKE---]

My cats prefer scratching posts wound with sisal rope. Tiger likes to
climb up the 4 1/2 foot high one to the platform on top. It is comical
to watch a 24 pound cat climb up that post.

I don't trim my cats' claws but I have seen ads on TV for a device that
uses a small electrified grinding wheel to safely take the sharp point
off. I would think that the sound of the motor would spook the cat.


---MIKE---
>>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
>> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

[DWMeowMix]

On Feb 6, 5:45*am, clyde > wrote:

> After all of the comments i've received on my post about having her claws
> removed, I can say that I have decided not to take that route. *She is a
> part of our family so dumping her is also out of the question.

Wise choice Clyde! I have heard (not experienced) of kitties
developing behavior issues after having the tips of their toes clipped
off. But that's not why I'm writing. I had one other suggestion, you
can also use a cat replellant. I have had great success with a
product called Kitty Off that I picked up at Petco for about $6.99.
It smells horrid when spraying, but luckily disipates quickly so that
only kitty can smell it. I had issues with one of my boys pooping on
the carpet and I used Nature's Miracle Citrus (to eliminate odor) and
Kitty Off to make sure he didn't do it again. Also used it on my
leather couch when my new rescue kitty Chasca decided to start
excerising her claws there. GRRRR!!! Anyway, it worked. Both
times. The only drawback is that you do have to repeat application
daily, but it only took my kitties a couple of days. I also did have
to use a "reminder" spray a couple of times week for about a month
before they "got-it". Now I just use it once or twice a month to keep
the behaviour reinforced and will quit that entirely when I'm positive
the message has gotten through.

Debbie

[Clara Semps]

In article >,
---MIKE--- > wrote:

> My cats prefer scratching posts wound with sisal rope. Tiger likes to
> climb up the 4 1/2 foot high one to the platform on top. It is comical
> to watch a 24 pound cat climb up that post.
>
> I don't trim my cats' claws but I have seen ads on TV for a device that
> uses a small electrified grinding wheel to safely take the sharp point
> off. I would think that the sound of the motor would spook the cat.
>
>
> ---MIKE---
> >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
> >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')
>

Yes, the Pedi-Paws. A worthfy investment. Took them some time to get
used to it but it works wonderfully and makes it so easy on them to
file instead of cut. Takes a little getting used to using too. At
first, you don't file as much because you're too scared of taking off
too much and it's hard to see and they squirm a bit. But after awhile
both of you get into the hang of it and it becomes a regular weekly
bonding ritual. They love the attention.

[cshenk]

"clyde" wrote

>I have a kitten, or at least I got her as a kitten), that seems to be much
> more inclined to workout her claws on the carpet, or the furnature, or the

In my experience, this will never really go away but the cat will not damage
the carpet unless you have seriously cheap stuff that wont last anyways.

> I use a water bottle to squirt her when I catch her clawing the things I
> do
> not want her to claw, and reward her with praise and a treat whenever she
> does go after her scratching post.

This works to a small extent but over used, as in 'claw only this' becomes
just a frustration for you both.

> I do not want to have her front claws removed, but that is what I will do
> before I let her ruin my furnature or carpet.

If you truely value the furniture and have things like a leather sofa that
you are unwilling to shift from, then the best thing really is to take the
pet to a no-kill facililty if you can not find her a new home on your own
quick enough. Please, do not torture the cat for being a cat. You seem a
good sort and just unaware of cat ownership things or perhaps have never had
one before who wasnt declawed?

> Any sound advise will be welcome.

A tail of 4 cats may help? Allegory can be useful in cases like this.

I had 2 lovely cats, both as god intended other than being 'neutered' in
ways needed for the male and female. I had scratching posts and such about
which they sometimes used and a reasonable sofa (not leather and i hate
leather sofas anyways). One day, a fellow who's otherwise unmetionably
evil, was about ti put his 2 declawed cats to sleep because his new wife
developed an allergy while pregnant (so he said).

Into our home comes 2 declawed cats. I was very worried my 4 foots with all
4 feet as intended, would hurt them but this was not the case. Instead,
they BIT and BIT HARD. Clawed cats rarely bite much and when they do, tends
to be the 'I love you' almost grooming style. Declawed cats cause puncture
wounds that get infected and can send you to the doctor.

Now I said the other fellow was unmentionally evil. I say that because
that's what the vet said. I took both the new kitties over (previous fellow
had promised records but none came) and had their shots started and by then
at merely 6 hours i could see 'something is wrong'. They didnt walk much
and when they did, it was slow.

Vet said, he's not sure they had the declawing done by a vet, but he knew
some who did cheap jobs that bad. It looked like they used human tonenail
clippers and just truncated the first digit off. Worst yet, all 4 feet had
been done. Knowing the circumstances, he took me on as a charity case to
fix what 'could be done' at a mere 100$ per foot so 800$. Once they healed
up as best as they ever could, they could walk comfortably about the house.
Yes, a far more than normal case, but please, if you do have this done, be
sure its a GOOD vet, not just a 'cheap' one.

Reality. Cats have claws. Most of them if clipped every 4-5 weeks will not
cause problems. Even unclipped at all, few real problems. If you are so
worried, you may not be a cat person.

Meantime, my cat (fully clawed as all but those 2 adopted ones have been) is
watching 'fish TV'. She's on her little cat thing standing up and she can
just see into the 70G fish tank. Watching them swim about and batting at the
glass.

[Stan Brown]

6 Feb 2009 14:58:01 -0600 from Clara Semps >:
> Yes, the Pedi-Paws. A worthfy investment. ... [A]fter awhile
> both of you get into the hang of it and it becomes a regular weekly
> bonding ritual. They love the attention.

I had been wondering about this -- thanks for posting.

Anyone else have good or bad experience to report?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

[[email protected]]

> > Yes, the Pedi-Paws. A worthfy investment. ... [A]fter awhile
> > both of you get into the hang of it and it becomes a regular weekly
> > bonding ritual. They love the attention.
>
> I had been wondering about this -- thanks for posting.
>
> Anyone else have good or bad experience to report?

I have talked to a few pet owners who have them. Some pets are afraid
of the noise. Other reviews I've read say the motor burns out quickly,
and suggest getting a Dremel tool (which is essentially what the Pedi-
Paws is) instead.

[[email protected]]

On Feb 9, 2:13*pm, wrote:

> I have talked to a few pet owners who have them. Some pets are afraid
> of the noise. Other reviews I've read say the motor burns out quickly,
> and suggest getting a Dremel tool (which is essentially what the Pedi-
> Paws is) instead.

Agreed on the Dremel - but get the TOL unit, and not the el-cheapo.
You want variable speed - the single-speed units (if there are any
left out there) will cut SO fast as to risk cutting into the quick of
the claws. After which your cat will _NEVER_ tolerate it again. And
the TOL units are very smooth and quiet. There is a flex-shaft
attachment that takes the whine even further from the cat. It is also
much handier than manipulating the entire motor unit.

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-225-Flex-Shaft-Attachment/dp/B0000302Y8

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dremel/761-03/ if you do not want to
spend the bucks for the complete system. As I have several hobbies
that require power-tools, the complete system does not go to waste.

And, you want to use a fairly mild drum sand paper abraisive at a low-
speed. Cutting will be slow, but so will noise and the potential to
cut too far too fast. 120-grit for dogs, 220-grit for cats. DO NOT use
wheels or solid abrasives. They overheat quickly as well as clog
easily. But it is the heat that is dangerous.

Our cats are constantly testing the limits of clawing - they
understand that it is not permitted in 'established' furniture, but
they are always checking anything new for permission - and they REALLY
like the microfibers and false suedes. So, we have the corrugated
cardboard scratchers liberally scattered about and at various angles,
some even nearly a foot above the floor so they have to stretch to get
to it. That and a little catnip and they are generally under control.
They also happen to like scratching real wood, so as we have
fireplaces, we leave a long piece of birch log out for them. They love
the flakey bark.

But cats scratch both as exercise and as a territorial imperative and
to scent-mark. Multiple-cat households will have additional scratching
behavior as a square of the cats involved - so, 1 cat = 1 x
scratching, 2 cats = 4 x scratching, 3 cats = 9 x and so forth. Cats
will also seldom share identical scratching locations although
separation may be as simple as one scratching the one end or side of
the item, the other another. They DON'T do it for their claws - those
remain plenty sharp on their own.

Bottom line, do anything but de-claw. If the alternative is get rid of
the cat or de-claw, get rid of the cat. Or, cut off your fingers at
the first knuckle to understand the process more precisely before you
do the cat.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[Stan Brown]

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 18:33:39 -0500 from Stan Brown
>:
> 6 Feb 2009 14:58:01 -0600 from Clara Semps >:
> > Yes, the Pedi-Paws. A worthfy investment. ... [A]fter awhile
> > both of you get into the hang of it and it becomes a regular weekly
> > bonding ritual. They love the attention.
>
> I had been wondering about this -- thanks for posting.
>
> Anyone else have good or bad experience to report?

Thanks to those who responded!

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...