On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:17:57 -0500, cybercat wrote:

"Patty" wrote

When Rusty was a kitten, he liked a flat on the ground scratching post(?),
they make those cardboard ones. When he got older, he switch to carpeted
which I discovered when he scratched up the side of a "kitty condo" thing.


The one that keeps my cats from scratching the furntu

http://www.cosmicpet.com/scratchers.htm

Another thing: if you go the route of the carpeted scratcher, make sure
it is at least 30 inches tall to allow the cat to get a good stretch in, or
he will be making for the corner of your couch again. A good stretch
is part of a good scratch!

Ours have always averaged 18" tall. They always got a good stretch because
they stood a bit back from it and stretched towards it, I guess. Never had
furniture scratched or clawed up in 16 years of having these cats, except
for the carpeted kitty condo thing, but since that was theirs, I really
didn't care much. We got rid of it when they got too big for it and
couldn't easily fit into it anymore.

With the cardboard one, Rusty used the flat type (not the Alpine) while he
was little. He would just go up to it, even stand on it and run his little
kitten claws over it. When he got interested in carpeted, he never touched
it again.

I think since they had specific preferances for what they liked which were
readily available, carpeted and sisal/jute, they never touched the
furniture since it was made out of fabric and now leather. They never had
any interest in the furniture, except to take a nap on it. We had our last
sofa for nearly 20 years (yeah, way too long) and there was not any clawed
spots on it.

Patty