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?

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?

"Wendy" wrote in message
...
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

All great advice. I pin aluminum foil (you could tape it, too) to the
places they like
to scratch. They hate it and will not touch it--and you sure can tell
that they have
not been there. After two weeks of a funny looking chair, you can take
the foil
down because the cat will be trained.

Meanwhile ... everyone offered this same advice the first time around,
no?

Rub the scratching post with fresh catnip. ;-)
I can guarantee that will get a good response from most cats!

I grow my own...... so always have access to it.

K.
--
^,,^ Cats-haven Hobby Farm ^,,^ ^,,^

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

Rub the scratching post with fresh catnip. ;-)
I can guarantee that will get a good response from most cats!

I grow my own...... so always have access to it.

K.
--
^,,^ Cats-haven Hobby Farm ^,,^ ^,,^

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

Rub the scratching post with fresh catnip. ;-)
I can guarantee that will get a good response from most cats!

I grow my own...... so always have access to it.

K.
--
^,,^ Cats-haven Hobby Farm ^,,^ ^,,^

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

"Wendy" wrote in message
...
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

All great advice. I pin aluminum foil (you could tape it, too) to the
places they like
to scratch. They hate it and will not touch it--and you sure can tell
that they have
not been there. After two weeks of a funny looking chair, you can take
the foil
down because the cat will be trained.

Meanwhile ... everyone offered this same advice the first time around,
no?

"Wendy" wrote in message
...
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

All great advice. I pin aluminum foil (you could tape it, too) to the
places they like
to scratch. They hate it and will not touch it--and you sure can tell
that they have
not been there. After two weeks of a funny looking chair, you can take
the foil
down because the cat will be trained.

Meanwhile ... everyone offered this same advice the first time around,
no?

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?