Help Needed from the Cat Experts

[Sylvia_n_Joseph 3]

This may sound totally wierd but it works. Give your kitty acrylic nails. Buy the stuff to do it at home and make her fake little fat nails end so they wont tear things. She won't be as able to defend herself outside but your rug will thank you.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

Have you tried Soft Paws?

Soft Paws suck beyond anything. Seriously, it is more cruel than declawing. Just wait until your cat uses one of them to declaw herself. I promise, it's not a pretty sight.

[Mags 112]

I know it sounds odd, but try putting things ON the rug at night. Her scratching post, some magazines laid out etc. It might distract her.

[TracyTN 237]

I tried "No-Scratch". It says it is herbal.

I ask because I've heard that cats hate anything citrus. Wasn't sure if that had citrus in it or not.

[Mags 112]

I tried "No-Scratch". It says it is herbal.

I ask because I've heard that cats hate anything citrus. Wasn't sure if that had citrus in it or not.

They also can't stand vinegar. I would suggest a highly diluted vinegar spray if you didn't mind the rug smelling a bit iffy for a few days.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I tried "No-Scratch". It says it is herbal.

I ask because I've heard that cats hate anything citrus. Wasn't sure if that had citrus in it or not.

They also can't stand vinegar. I would suggest a highly diluted vinegar spray if you didn't mind the rug smelling a bit iffy for a few days.

I'm going to have to test lemon juice and vinegar on my kitties' senses tonight. I'll let everyone know the results.

Maybe I should bathe in vinegar to stop my cat from randomly latching onto me in the middle of the night.

[britty 1]

OK Im gonna try as Mags suggested to put things on the rug to see if it confuses her at all. I will also try a citrus spray with a little vinegar to see if she balks. Unfortunately I cannot lock her in the spare room at night - she howls like a wolf and scratches constantly at the bottom of the door until she has basically eroded the wood. She is still sitting in my older cat's bed and he is really upset. I keep telling him to stand up for himself and turf her out but he just stands there wailing. Oh wait til the new doggie comes - she really doesn't know how good she has it right now.....

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

OK Im gonna try as Mags suggested to put things on the rug to see if it confuses her at all. I will also try a citrus spray with a little vinegar to see if she balks. Unfortunately I cannot lock her in the spare room at night - she howls like a wolf and scratches constantly at the bottom of the door until she has basically eroded the wood. She is still sitting in my older cat's bed and he is really upset. I keep telling him to stand up for himself and turf her out but he just stands there wailing. Oh wait til the new doggie comes - she really doesn't know how good she has it right now.....

My smaller cat dominated our homes for a long time. The bigger, younger one would just go along. Recently, though, the big one started getting really affectionate and has to sleep with me, which is the other one's territory. So now they end up chasing each other out of the bed at random times during the night. The little one usually just keeps sneaking in and biting the bigger one on the back legs until she leaves. It always makes me laugh.

I really want to see the reaction to introducing Lindsay's cat into the equation.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's sort of funny because it's like the cat knows how much it annoys you (or more likely it gets her a lot of attention) which makes her mess with the rug more. I would imagine the only sure fire way is to move the rug out of the way.

Edited February 20, 2008 by Purple_Hibiscus

[maya62 7]

If it were me, I would roll up the rug at night and get some kind of (cheap) cylindrical "cap" to put on each end of the rolled-up rug. Depending on the size of the rug, perhaps you could use small, plastic bathroom trash cans... something like that.

Also every cat I've met has loved those corrugated cardboard scratching things like this:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754331

But I personally would just buy the refills and the catnip and forget about the hokey ramp thingie. It may provide a new favorite place to scratch, or at least an alternative.

Good luck!

Maya

[britty 1]

It's sort of funny because it's like the cat knows how much it annoys you (or more likely it gets her a lot of attention) which makes her mess with the rug more. I would imagine the only sure fire way is to move the rug out of the way.

Well I shout at her when she goes near the rug, but its like she knows it pi$$es me off. I told hubby she had a smirk on her face. Of course he thinks I'm a loon, but I'm sure she is mocking me.

[Peikko 1,575]

Cats can do that.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

It's sort of funny because it's like the cat knows how much it annoys you (or more likely it gets her a lot of attention) which makes her mess with the rug more. I would imagine the only sure fire way is to move the rug out of the way.

Well I shout at her when she goes near the rug, but its like she knows it pi$$es me off. I told hubby she had a smirk on her face. Of course he thinks I'm a loon, but I'm sure she is mocking me.

I love how they start doing something they know is bad, then wait for you to make them stop. It's an attention ploy, for sure.

Edited February 20, 2008 by AnewKINDofFEELIN

[rebeccajo 14]

Cats without front claws might not be able to 'defend' themselves, but who wants their outdoor cat (claws or not) gettting in a fist-fight with another cat? I mean, the wounds from a cat fight can kill them....

De-clawed cats learn not to fight. Instead they flee. They CAN still climb. I've seen many a declawed cat shinny up a tree by wrapping their front legs around the tree (similar to the way we climb) and then digging in with the back claws.

The only way a cat is completely defenseless is if the back claws are removed. No good vet should recommend that.

[~Chad~ 0]

the cat-tat belly...