Chair Scratching

Hello. Wee Tashie's dad here. She's pretty good as far as scratching goes.
She uses her post and a stack of newspapers out the back, but there's one
thing we have trouble with.

She likes to lie across my lap when I'm at the desk (like right now).
Sometimes she waits to be lifted up, and sometimes she will jump up onto my
lap. The problem is, she gets my attention by scratching the seat of my
chair behind my left knee. If she would just touch my leg or meow rather
than pull threads out of my nice new chair, we would be fine. I want her to
come up, but I'd rather she didn't distress the furniture every time she
wants to. I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way. Any ideas?
Thanks

I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way. Any ideas?

Put double sided sticky tape where she is scratching. Put your leg right in
front of where she would scratch to get your attention. Then each time she pats
your leg instead, give her a treat and pick her up, if that's what she wants.
If she tries to scratch the wrong spot, say "no" and don't pick her up. Don't
reward the undesirable behavior. Maybe you can even take her paw and pat your
leg with it so she gets the idea. I do this when I'm teaching them to scratch
on the kitty tree.

I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way. Any ideas?

Put double sided sticky tape where she is scratching. Put your leg right in
front of where she would scratch to get your attention. Then each time she pats
your leg instead, give her a treat and pick her up, if that's what she wants.
If she tries to scratch the wrong spot, say "no" and don't pick her up. Don't
reward the undesirable behavior. Maybe you can even take her paw and pat your
leg with it so she gets the idea. I do this when I'm teaching them to scratch
on the kitty tree.

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 16:21:59 +0800, "Wilba" wilba at arach dot net dot
au wrote:

Hello. Wee Tashie's dad here. She's pretty good as far as scratching goes.
She uses her post and a stack of newspapers out the back, but there's one
thing we have trouble with.

She likes to lie across my lap when I'm at the desk (like right now).
Sometimes she waits to be lifted up, and sometimes she will jump up onto my
lap. The problem is, she gets my attention by scratching the seat of my
chair behind my left knee. If she would just touch my leg or meow rather
than pull threads out of my nice new chair, we would be fine. I want her to
come up, but I'd rather she didn't distress the furniture every time she
wants to. I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way. Any ideas?
Thanks

Well, I was going to suggest a cover, but you beat me to it. Hmmmm,
someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching? Don't really know, but it would be something cheap to
try, and might work.
--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky

[remove Junk for email]
Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html
Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 16:21:59 +0800, "Wilba" wilba at arach dot net dot
au wrote:

Hello. Wee Tashie's dad here. She's pretty good as far as scratching goes.
She uses her post and a stack of newspapers out the back, but there's one
thing we have trouble with.

She likes to lie across my lap when I'm at the desk (like right now).
Sometimes she waits to be lifted up, and sometimes she will jump up onto my
lap. The problem is, she gets my attention by scratching the seat of my
chair behind my left knee. If she would just touch my leg or meow rather
than pull threads out of my nice new chair, we would be fine. I want her to
come up, but I'd rather she didn't distress the furniture every time she
wants to. I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way. Any ideas?
Thanks

Well, I was going to suggest a cover, but you beat me to it. Hmmmm,
someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching? Don't really know, but it would be something cheap to
try, and might work.
--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky

[remove Junk for email]
Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html
Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html

Steve Touchstone wrote:

someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching?

That was me, because Bev was having a problem with FluffySP peeing in
front of the front door. I got the idea because many people put tin
foil on furniture to stop their cats from scratching there. Apparently
cats hate the way it feels. And it seems to be effective, according to
folklore, though I've never tried it. I was just adapting that idea for
the peeing problem. So, no reason you couldn't adapt it back for furniture
scratching!

Joyce

Steve Touchstone wrote:

someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching?

That was me, because Bev was having a problem with FluffySP peeing in
front of the front door. I got the idea because many people put tin
foil on furniture to stop their cats from scratching there. Apparently
cats hate the way it feels. And it seems to be effective, according to
folklore, though I've never tried it. I was just adapting that idea for
the peeing problem. So, no reason you couldn't adapt it back for furniture
scratching!

Joyce

in article ,
at wrote on 10/6/04 6:09
PM:

Steve Touchstone wrote:

someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching?

That was me, because Bev was having a problem with FluffySP peeing in
front of the front door. I got the idea because many people put tin
foil on furniture to stop their cats from scratching there. Apparently
cats hate the way it feels. And it seems to be effective, according to
folklore, though I've never tried it. I was just adapting that idea for
the peeing problem. So, no reason you couldn't adapt it back for furniture
scratching!

Joyce

I think that is a good idea. Of course, she will then learn to do what MY
cats do for attention .... poke...pokepoke...POKE .... poooke. All with one
little claw. Very cute but irritating.

in article ,
at wrote on 10/6/04 6:09
PM:

Steve Touchstone wrote:

someone recently suggested putting tin foil down for a kitty having a
problem not using the litter box, since some cats don't like the
noise/texture. I wonder if it would help to put a little where she's
been scratching?

That was me, because Bev was having a problem with FluffySP peeing in
front of the front door. I got the idea because many people put tin
foil on furniture to stop their cats from scratching there. Apparently
cats hate the way it feels. And it seems to be effective, according to
folklore, though I've never tried it. I was just adapting that idea for
the peeing problem. So, no reason you couldn't adapt it back for furniture
scratching!

Joyce

I think that is a good idea. Of course, she will then learn to do what MY
cats do for attention .... poke...pokepoke...POKE .... poooke. All with one
little claw. Very cute but irritating.

Mary wrote:
Wilba wrote:

I have put a towel over the seat so that it takes the damage, but
I'd like to teach her how to get my attention in some other way.
Any ideas?

Put double sided sticky tape where she is scratching.

That's interesting. I don't think I've heard that one before. I guess they
don't like sticky stuff. :-)

Put your leg right in front of where she would scratch to get your
attention. Then each time she pats your leg instead, give her a treat
and pick her up, if that's what she wants.

I can't sit all day with my leg twisted around the side of my chair. :-)

If she tries to scratch the wrong spot, say "no" and don't pick her up.
Don't reward the undesirable behavior.

That's a real bind, isn't it - when they are doing something undesirable as
a precursor to doing something desirable.

Maybe you can even take her paw and pat your leg with it so she
gets the idea. I do this when I'm teaching them to scratch
on the kitty tree.

That worked with scratching for its own sake, but so far it hasn't worked
for this attention seeking behaviour. When she pulls a thread out of the
towel I say no, then show her how to get my attention by touching my leg
with her paws. Rather than then repeating the desirable behaviour, she
usually walks away and sneeks back five minutes later to start all over
again, so I don't get many chances to reward the desirable behaviour. I'll
see what I can do with showing her a treat to hold her attention.

Thanks Mary.