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OT Kittens scratching sofa



 
 
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  #21  
Old December 13th 05, 05:46 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

Pinkee Squeeeek-a-Lotta has a round plastic thing with a ball that
goes around when she bats it, in the center is corrugated cardboard
thing for her to scratch on. She scratches through/destroys the
cardboard about every 6 months. The cardboard is replaceable.

She and the other kittens had one to play with at the cat breeders,
and we bought one for her. She's got 2 of them because the ball
disappeared from the first one. It seems that the puppy took the ball
out to play, we found the ball after replacing the toy.

At the age of 4 she still loves it/them, tears at them every morning,
I'm sure that they have saved the sofa.

Bonnie, in MIddletown, VA



On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:00:35 +0000, Johanna Gibson
wrote:

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 07:52:07 -0500, "She in PA"
wrote:

I have three kittens one is 6 months old and the other two are 4 months old.
All of them like to law at the end of the sofa. I have tried spraying them
didn't work. I tried chasing them with a paper bag with noisy things in it.
I just looked like a fool running around the house. Then when I sat the bag
down they would go and play with it. I am getting a new sofa is there any
suggestions besides getting them de-clawed\? I don't like doing that.

She in PA


I used a combination of 1) giving Sasha a scratching post that I
actively encouraged her to use and 2) catching her in the act of
clawing something and squirting her with a water pistol.
For the first one, I had to take her paws and show her how to use
it. Once she got the idea, and that she wouldn't be in trouble, she
loved it. Cats want to sharpen their claws, so get them something
that is going to allow that behaviour.
For the second one, you have to run less with a water pistol than
you do if you are trying to smack a cat's bum. Sadly, you can't shoot
around corners, but it's very effective. I used to shake it so that
Sasha could hear what was coming, and stop if she wanted, then fire
away if she carried on. It got to the point where I only needed to
shake it, then to the point where I only needed to reach for it....
Good luck! It was easier for me, because I only had one kitten to
deal with. I always feel that 2 sort of egg each other on. They have
a little "cat community" of their own.


-- Jo in Scotland


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  #22  
Old December 13th 05, 06:04 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

I have three kittens one is 6 months old and the other two are 4 months old.
All of them like to law at the end of the sofa. I have tried spraying them
didn't work. I tried chasing them with a paper bag with noisy things in it.
I just looked like a fool running around the house. Then when I sat the bag
down they would go and play with it. I am getting a new sofa is there any
suggestions


Get them something else to scratch. But try several different things -
our lot have no interest in the standard wound-string scratching post,
but some of them love the back of a scrap of carpet and the others go
for the leg of an old table we don't care about (always the same leg -
one day it's going to fall over with a bang when they go right through
it). Bits of sack, old towels, corrugated cardboard... try lots.

One of the few things that will reliably dissuade a cat from scratching
something it's taken a liking to is pure citrus oil - I got some years
ago, it's an industrial type intended for ice-cream flavouring. But the
smell has to be *overpowering* for this to work - on something the size
of a sofa, you would be smelling lemon or grapefruit from the bottom of
your garden for a year after applying it. I've only used it on small
wooden areas.


besides getting them de-clawed? I don't like doing that.


And in most of the developed world it's illegal

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
  #23  
Old December 13th 05, 08:26 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

To keep kittens and puppies off of a piece of furnitu set a
mousetrap, lay it carefully on the place you do NOT want a fur baby and
cover (carefully) with one sheet of newspaper. Fur baby jumps up;
mousetrap snaps; fur baby runs and hides!

I've done this with both feline and canine babies with equally good
results.

A particularly persistent Labrador Retriever pup was treated to the
mousetrap without paper cover. After the first and only time it snapped
at him, just placing a mousetrap (un-set) anywhere would cause him to
avoid it. One trap on the bottom step would keep him from venturing
upstairs!


Anne in CA
annerudolph AT comcast DOT net
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl
Crow
http://community.webshots.com/user/annerudolph3
http://www.frappr.com/rctq



She in PA wrote:
I have three kittens one is 6 months old and the other two are 4 months old.
All of them like to law at the end of the sofa. I have tried spraying them
didn't work. I tried chasing them with a paper bag with noisy things in it.
I just looked like a fool running around the house. Then when I sat the bag
down they would go and play with it. I am getting a new sofa is there any
suggestions besides getting them de-clawed\? I don't like doing that.

She in PA


  #24  
Old December 13th 05, 09:01 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

This will sound funny, but I inadvertently taught my dog to scold the
cat when he claws at things. Pippen likes to claw at an upholstered
ottoman that I have by the window. I usually just have to yell his name
and he stops, but now my dog will bark and chase him away from the
ottoman without me having to say a thing.
My other two cats use a scratching pole. I made a "bad boy can" by
putting a few pebbles in a soda can and I rattle or throw it towards any
cat or dog who is being mischevious, not to hit them, but to scare them.
It works great. When my big dog starts barking at things for no reason,
all I have to say is, "Where's the can?" and he shuts right up.

Denise

  #25  
Old December 13th 05, 10:47 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

If they don't get the idea from the water spray pretty quickly, try adding
some lemon juice or vinegar to the water. When the lick the water off they
soon get the message and associated it with an unpleasant consequence of
what they were doing.
--

Cheryl
http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
cawaitesATnetconnectDOTcomDOTau


"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
I'd move the scratching post away from the sofa - sometimes it's hard for
kittens to realise that on of the two nice upright things is ok and the
other is not.

also try rubbing the scratching post in with catnip - it will make it more
attractive ;-)

I'm also with Jo about the water pistol /or plantspray set in a stream -
cat's do learn fast from this.

I have heard that black pepper is a good deterrent but I haven't tried it
as
I found out after I had my cat trained to react to me reaching for the
spray.

--
Jessamy
In The Netherlands
Take out: so much quilting to reply.
Time to accept, time to grow, time to take things slow
www.geocities.com/jess_ayad
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jess_ayad/my_photos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes they have a scratching post and I pick them up and take the to it. I
even but it at the corner of the sofa. Is there anything you can spray on
a
sofa, that won't hurt the sofa, but the kittens would hate?

She in PA





  #26  
Old December 14th 05, 12:40 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

Do they have their own scratching post. If so spray their post with catnip
spray ( get at your local pet store) and then they will prefer their own
post to your sofa.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"She in PA" wrote in message
. ..
I have three kittens one is 6 months old and the other two are 4 months
old. All of them like to law at the end of the sofa. I have tried spraying
them didn't work. I tried chasing them with a paper bag with noisy things
in it. I just looked like a fool running around the house. Then when I sat
the bag down they would go and play with it. I am getting a new sofa is
there any suggestions besides getting them de-clawed\? I don't like doing
that.

She in PA



  #27  
Old December 14th 05, 12:41 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Posts: n/a
Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

isn't the pepper an irritant to their nasal passages. I'd prefer the water
spray and catnip on their own post placed well away from the sofa.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Jessamy" wrote in message
...
I'd move the scratching post away from the sofa - sometimes it's hard for
kittens to realise that on of the two nice upright things is ok and the
other is not.

also try rubbing the scratching post in with catnip - it will make it more
attractive ;-)

I'm also with Jo about the water pistol /or plantspray set in a stream -
cat's do learn fast from this.

I have heard that black pepper is a good deterrent but I haven't tried it
as
I found out after I had my cat trained to react to me reaching for the
spray.

--
Jessamy
In The Netherlands
Take out: so much quilting to reply.
Time to accept, time to grow, time to take things slow
www.geocities.com/jess_ayad
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jess_ayad/my_photos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes they have a scratching post and I pick them up and take the to it. I
even but it at the corner of the sofa. Is there anything you can spray on
a
sofa, that won't hurt the sofa, but the kittens would hate?

She in PA





  #28  
Old December 14th 05, 01:09 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Posts: n/a
Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 07:52:07 -0500, "She in PA"
wrote:

I have three kittens one is 6 months old and the other two are 4 months old.
All of them like to law at the end of the sofa. I have tried spraying them
didn't work. I tried chasing them with a paper bag with noisy things in it.
I just looked like a fool running around the house. Then when I sat the bag
down they would go and play with it. I am getting a new sofa is there any
suggestions besides getting them de-clawed\? I don't like doing that.

She in PA


One thing I forgot to mention was that I was very strict with Sasha
when she was young. I brought her home when she was 8 weeks old, and
my regime was "firm but fair". She was crawling with fleas and ear
mites, all feasting on her delicate kitten flesh. The first thing I
did was give her a flea bath in the bathroom sink - I held her in one
hand and washed with the other.... boy that stuff lathers.... I had to
rinse and rinse and rinse... and she never complained through the
whole thing. She is really very patient and intelligent.
After that came a dose of ear mite medication in each ear. We both
needed a break, so I made dinner while she looked for her real Mama
Cat. I then clipped her claws (should have done that before the bath,
but she was so good it wasn't necessary). I have clipped her claws
every 2 weeks ever since. We have a little understanding - she can
scratch her post as much as she wants, but I'm going to clip those
claws every fortnight.
So I'd say, get those kittens used to having their claws clipped! I
bought a special little pair of clippers that grabs at the nail from
each direction at the same time - so much easier than trying to use
human nail clippers! I think it cost about $10 but I've had it for 12
years and it's not dull or anything. I'm sure pet shops would know
what I'm talking about, and would carry them.



-- Jo in Scotland
  #29  
Old December 14th 05, 04:01 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

You can also take sheets of aluminum foil and pin it or drape it over
the spots they are using to scratch on the couch. They might try to
scratch the foil once, but then that's all. And, make sure that they
have their own place to scratch.

The foil also works good on cords and things that kittens and puppies
like to chew.

LizA.
Kent, WA -- with the world's most stubborn Dalmatian who learned to
jump up on the counters NEXT to the mousetraps, push them off with his
paw and then take whatever he wanted from the counter as mousetraps
only snap ONCE.....sigh.

  #30  
Old December 14th 05, 04:19 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.quilting
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Default OT Kittens scratching sofa

You know I've been reading all the ideas and I think every cat is
so different it might take a lot of attempts to find the right
one for each kitty. It might even take a combination of fixes.
We have more inside only cats these days and they just seem to
take more effort in giving them a good quality of life while
living with all of our decorating needs.

Taria

Liz A. wrote:
You can also take sheets of aluminum foil and pin it or drape it over
the spots they are using to scratch on the couch. They might try to
scratch the foil once, but then that's all. And, make sure that they
have their own place to scratch.

The foil also works good on cords and things that kittens and puppies
like to chew.

LizA.
Kent, WA -- with the world's most stubborn Dalmatian who learned to
jump up on the counters NEXT to the mousetraps, push them off with his
paw and then take whatever he wanted from the counter as mousetraps
only snap ONCE.....sigh.


 




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