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#1
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protect persian rug, declaw not an option
Hiya.
Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? Thanks |
#3
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From: (Elijah)
Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
#4
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From: (Elijah)
Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm |
#5
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm The Turbo Scratcher is especially attractive to kittens because it has a ball they can bat around as well as the cardboard to scratch on. It would probably work better to place it relatively near the rug you don't want scratched so it will always be a more attractive alternative. You can also buy an inexpensive scissors-like tool at the pet supply store to trim the cat's claws. Have someone show you how to do it because you can injure the cat if you trim too much. There's a blood vessel in the claw you might hit. It's only necessary to snip the end of the claw to blunt the sharp point. Bill |
#6
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm The Turbo Scratcher is especially attractive to kittens because it has a ball they can bat around as well as the cardboard to scratch on. It would probably work better to place it relatively near the rug you don't want scratched so it will always be a more attractive alternative. You can also buy an inexpensive scissors-like tool at the pet supply store to trim the cat's claws. Have someone show you how to do it because you can injure the cat if you trim too much. There's a blood vessel in the claw you might hit. It's only necessary to snip the end of the claw to blunt the sharp point. Bill |
#7
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm The Turbo Scratcher is especially attractive to kittens because it has a ball they can bat around as well as the cardboard to scratch on. It would probably work better to place it relatively near the rug you don't want scratched so it will always be a more attractive alternative. You can also buy an inexpensive scissors-like tool at the pet supply store to trim the cat's claws. Have someone show you how to do it because you can injure the cat if you trim too much. There's a blood vessel in the claw you might hit. It's only necessary to snip the end of the claw to blunt the sharp point. Bill |
#8
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ In addition to what Lauren has said, I would recommend that you get several types of scratching posts. It is good to have several so that one will be available close to wherever the cat is. Also try different covers. Most cats seem to like sisal-wrapped posts, but some prefer carpet or even cardboard. Some cats prefer horizontal posts, but mine have always like vertical posts best. As Lauren said, get a tall post to encourage stretching; and make sure it is heavy and sturdy so it won't topple when the cat is using it. If the post falls over on the cat, your cat may be too frightened to use it again. PetSmart has a very nice tall post with a base that the cat stands on when scratching. That adds still more stability. You can see some of my cats' posts (and also their cat tree, which includes one sisal-wrapped pole and 3 carpeted poles) if you will scroll through their pictures on the sites below my signature. Since this is a kitten, I do think it would be a good idea to train her to a scratching post before you put the new rug on the floor. However, that should be easy if you are consistent. All of my cats were trained within a few days, but I did monitor them closely during those first few days. If they would start to scratch elsewhere, I would say "no" and either take the cat to a scratching post or tap or scratch on the post myself. Any time the cat used a scratching post, I would praise extravagantly. I would frequently take time to attract a new cat to a scratching post. I would drag a piece of cord (sometimes with a toy on the end) up the post while the cat would grab for it. Invariably, this would lead to the cat grabbing the post itself and then would usually start to scratch ... which would lead to more praise, etc. As I said, it takes only a few days to train a cat to a post (although it may take more time with a kitten -- just as you can't expect the same reaction from small children as you would expect from an older child). None of my furniture is scratched! MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 |
#9
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ In addition to what Lauren has said, I would recommend that you get several types of scratching posts. It is good to have several so that one will be available close to wherever the cat is. Also try different covers. Most cats seem to like sisal-wrapped posts, but some prefer carpet or even cardboard. Some cats prefer horizontal posts, but mine have always like vertical posts best. As Lauren said, get a tall post to encourage stretching; and make sure it is heavy and sturdy so it won't topple when the cat is using it. If the post falls over on the cat, your cat may be too frightened to use it again. PetSmart has a very nice tall post with a base that the cat stands on when scratching. That adds still more stability. You can see some of my cats' posts (and also their cat tree, which includes one sisal-wrapped pole and 3 carpeted poles) if you will scroll through their pictures on the sites below my signature. Since this is a kitten, I do think it would be a good idea to train her to a scratching post before you put the new rug on the floor. However, that should be easy if you are consistent. All of my cats were trained within a few days, but I did monitor them closely during those first few days. If they would start to scratch elsewhere, I would say "no" and either take the cat to a scratching post or tap or scratch on the post myself. Any time the cat used a scratching post, I would praise extravagantly. I would frequently take time to attract a new cat to a scratching post. I would drag a piece of cord (sometimes with a toy on the end) up the post while the cat would grab for it. Invariably, this would lead to the cat grabbing the post itself and then would usually start to scratch ... which would lead to more praise, etc. As I said, it takes only a few days to train a cat to a post (although it may take more time with a kitten -- just as you can't expect the same reaction from small children as you would expect from an older child). None of my furniture is scratched! MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 |
#10
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"PawsForThought" wrote in message ... From: (Elijah) Have a supremely annoying and occasionally affectionate 9-month old kitten and an older and loving tuxedo cat. Was just given a magnificent persian rug but it'd be a shame if the kitten tore it to shreds and there's no way I'll declaw them. Is there any kind of effective deterrant? I was thinking of waiting a few months until the kitten isn't so destructive anymore, but that isnt 100% effective, cause she'll still probably occasionally scratch it like when she's bored, stretching or deliberately misbehaving. Any advice? I would highly recommend a good tall sturdy scratching post, one of those cardboard scratching pads, and a cat tree. I have these for my cats and they do not scratch my rugs. The key is to give the cat something more enticing than your rug to scratch on. Glad to hear you won't consider declawing! Lauren ________ In addition to what Lauren has said, I would recommend that you get several types of scratching posts. It is good to have several so that one will be available close to wherever the cat is. Also try different covers. Most cats seem to like sisal-wrapped posts, but some prefer carpet or even cardboard. Some cats prefer horizontal posts, but mine have always like vertical posts best. As Lauren said, get a tall post to encourage stretching; and make sure it is heavy and sturdy so it won't topple when the cat is using it. If the post falls over on the cat, your cat may be too frightened to use it again. PetSmart has a very nice tall post with a base that the cat stands on when scratching. That adds still more stability. You can see some of my cats' posts (and also their cat tree, which includes one sisal-wrapped pole and 3 carpeted poles) if you will scroll through their pictures on the sites below my signature. Since this is a kitten, I do think it would be a good idea to train her to a scratching post before you put the new rug on the floor. However, that should be easy if you are consistent. All of my cats were trained within a few days, but I did monitor them closely during those first few days. If they would start to scratch elsewhere, I would say "no" and either take the cat to a scratching post or tap or scratch on the post myself. Any time the cat used a scratching post, I would praise extravagantly. I would frequently take time to attract a new cat to a scratching post. I would drag a piece of cord (sometimes with a toy on the end) up the post while the cat would grab for it. Invariably, this would lead to the cat grabbing the post itself and then would usually start to scratch ... which would lead to more praise, etc. As I said, it takes only a few days to train a cat to a post (although it may take more time with a kitten -- just as you can't expect the same reaction from small children as you would expect from an older child). None of my furniture is scratched! MaryL (take out the litter to reply) Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's integration into our household): Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54 Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56 |
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