Getting cat to use scratching post?
 

I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

You can also try that sticky tape stuff on the recliner. My new girl was
going to town on the stereo speaker. I put sticky stuff on that and got one
of those cat trees/scratching posts wrapped with the rope over the weekend
and she hasn't messed with the speaker since. I sprayed the cat tree
liberally with cat nip spray (don't know if that did anything or not). By
the looks of the sticky tape it shouldn't be a problem to remove when I'm
sure the cat is well established with the appropriate things to scratch.

Wendy

"Gail" wrote in message ...
Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

You can also try that sticky tape stuff on the recliner. My new girl was
going to town on the stereo speaker. I put sticky stuff on that and got one
of those cat trees/scratching posts wrapped with the rope over the weekend
and she hasn't messed with the speaker since. I sprayed the cat tree
liberally with cat nip spray (don't know if that did anything or not). By
the looks of the sticky tape it shouldn't be a problem to remove when I'm
sure the cat is well established with the appropriate things to scratch.

Wendy

"Gail" wrote in message ...
Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

You can also try that sticky tape stuff on the recliner. My new girl was
going to town on the stereo speaker. I put sticky stuff on that and got one
of those cat trees/scratching posts wrapped with the rope over the weekend
and she hasn't messed with the speaker since. I sprayed the cat tree
liberally with cat nip spray (don't know if that did anything or not). By
the looks of the sticky tape it shouldn't be a problem to remove when I'm
sure the cat is well established with the appropriate things to scratch.

Wendy

"Gail" wrote in message ...
Try the turbo scratcher, which can be purchased on line. My cats all love it
and never used the post. Some cats are horizontal scratchers. It is
inexpensive and worth a try.
Gail
wrote in message
...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.
She hasn't used it once.

But 5 minutes later, she goes back and scratches the chair.

I can't let her live inside until I can trust her.
How do I train her to scratch the post?

In article ,
enlightened us with...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.


Get a post closer to the material of the recliner. Make the recliner
uninviting by putting StickyPaws on it and spraying it with a citrus-
scented air freshener.
If she likes catnip, put some on the post.

The post must be more inviting than the chair. If she likes the chair,
she likes that material and/or that location.
Also, place the post very near the chair. Move the chair if you have to,
to see if it is the location she actually likes, not the chair.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.

Do you praise her and play with her next to it and on it?
If she likes string, play with some on the post, running the string over
it so she grabs it and her claws dog in the post. Praise and treat.

She hasn't used it once.

Place her paws on the post if she doesn't mind her paws touched. Praise,
pet, and treat.

--
~kaeli~
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.


Get a post closer to the material of the recliner. Make the recliner
uninviting by putting StickyPaws on it and spraying it with a citrus-
scented air freshener.
If she likes catnip, put some on the post.

The post must be more inviting than the chair. If she likes the chair,
she likes that material and/or that location.
Also, place the post very near the chair. Move the chair if you have to,
to see if it is the location she actually likes, not the chair.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.

Do you praise her and play with her next to it and on it?
If she likes string, play with some on the post, running the string over
it so she grabs it and her claws dog in the post. Praise and treat.

She hasn't used it once.

Place her paws on the post if she doesn't mind her paws touched. Praise,
pet, and treat.

--
~kaeli~
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...
I'm the one who has considered bringing in a stray, and did not want
to declaw her.

Before I commit to letting her in full time, I've been letting her in
for short periods (an hour or so), supervised.

I bought a sisal scratching post, and one of those cardboard
horizontal scratching pads.

When she comes in, she goes straight for my recliner and starts
scratching it.


Get a post closer to the material of the recliner. Make the recliner
uninviting by putting StickyPaws on it and spraying it with a citrus-
scented air freshener.
If she likes catnip, put some on the post.

The post must be more inviting than the chair. If she likes the chair,
she likes that material and/or that location.
Also, place the post very near the chair. Move the chair if you have to,
to see if it is the location she actually likes, not the chair.

I gently pick her up and set her next to the post.

Do you praise her and play with her next to it and on it?
If she likes string, play with some on the post, running the string over
it so she grabs it and her claws dog in the post. Praise and treat.

She hasn't used it once.

Place her paws on the post if she doesn't mind her paws touched. Praise,
pet, and treat.

--
~kaeli~
In democracy your vote counts. In feudalism your count votes.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace