how to stop this??
My partners parents got 2 kittens from a rescue place a while ago, brother and sister, they are now 7 months old. They have asked me to post for a bit of advice as they dont have the internet.
couch= destroyed
doors=destroyed
walls=getting there
curtains=destroyed
They each have a scratchey post, but they insist on using the leather couch, i have seen the damage and it looks like a chainsaw has been used on it, all the back of it, sides and arms are full of holes. (pic of side of couch so you can see what im talking about
)
They sctrach and bite the doors, the bottom of the doors have bits hanging off them and scratch marks going from mid to bottom.
The curtains are also full of holes everywhere from them climbing up them, when they are closed during the day you get rays of light lol.
They have now started scratching the walls :eek:
i have never had cats before so i was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to stop this?
also, are all kittens like this?
couch= destroyed
doors=destroyed
walls=getting there
curtains=destroyed
They each have a scratchey post, but they insist on using the leather couch, i have seen the damage and it looks like a chainsaw has been used on it, all the back of it, sides and arms are full of holes. (pic of side of couch so you can see what im talking about
)They sctrach and bite the doors, the bottom of the doors have bits hanging off them and scratch marks going from mid to bottom.
The curtains are also full of holes everywhere from them climbing up them, when they are closed during the day you get rays of light lol.
They have now started scratching the walls :eek:
i have never had cats before so i was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to stop this?
also, are all kittens like this?
0
Comments
Stick a load of cat nip and or feliway on the scratching posts to make them even more attractive to them.
I found putting scratching posts at strategic areas helped, i.e. next to the furniture etc.
Make sure that they've got plenty to keep themselves occupied maybe invest in some climbing trees.
And lastly I clip my kittens claws. You literally just take 2-3mm of the end (i.e. the sharp bit) DO NOT GO NEAR THE WICK, you will have some very angry cats if you do that. He still has a good go at the scratching post but lets says it does a lot less damage. Needs repeating every coupla weeks.
I do advise a large scratcher though( 3 tiers ) the small ones are useless:)
However they may grow out of their worst behaviour. Chloe wrecked one wall in my bedroom. He loved jumping as high as he could and bringing the wallpaper down with him. He stopped after he was one year old and I've since redecorated with no problems at all.
The back of the sofa occasionally gets scratched, but usually in response to me ignoring him for too long. When he was a kitten I did the same as an earlier poster suggested by carrying him over to his scratching post instead. I also sprayed it liberally in cat nip to encourage him to use it.
I assume these kittens don't go outdoors - is there no possibility of them doing so? It sounds as if they are bored and exhibiting normal cat behaviour in a confined environment. Have they been neutered? And are they normal 'moggies' or pedigrees?
The scratching post needs to be positioned in the right position - and that might not be where it looks most attractive from a human point of view. Putting it next to a favourite piece of scratched furniture might help.I agree about getting a proper good tall scratching post - I don't know why they sell pathetically small varieties, completely useless. They need a tall post which they can stretch up to at full length, and hang off (that is what my cats do!)
Unfortunately now they have started (or, from the sounds of it, more or less finished!!) scratching those pieces of furniture/curtains, it will be more or less impossible to stop them. The scratched areas act as visual cues to them to scratch the area again.
Re clipping claws, my cats have had clipped claws when they had surgery, and the main result seemed to be that they scratched frantically at their scratching post/at the fences outside to resharpen them. That is partly what they are doing when scratching - keeping their claws nice and sharp, as well as marking territory & depositing scent.
The whole motivation for scratching is to deposit scent, as cats have scent glands on their paws. By leaving their own scent on strategic places they are effectively claiming territory, marking the space as "mine"! The fact that they may also leave claw sheaths as they scratch is a by-product of the behaviour, not the sole motivation. They like to use easily shreddable surfaces as this also leaves a big visual marker so any other cats know that this territory belongs to them. It is irrelevant that there may not be any other cats in the house ~ there may be odd smells coming in from the outdoors that motivates them to perform this territorial behaviour.
Once they have statred on the furniture, it is not easy to get them to stop. The scent will still be there so they will be driven to keep topping it up.
One way to try to make them stop & use something more appropriate is to invest in several large & sturdy scratching posts ~ the ones covered in sisal rope are good. But the key is the location of the posts. If tey are hidden away in corners, behind doors or furniture, it is unlikely that the cats will use them. Given that the whole point of the scratching is to leave big scent & visual territorial markers, it would make no sense to the cats to scratch on something that can't easily be seen as soo as they walk into a room! So the posts need to be in a central location, probably right in front of whatever they are currently scratching on. Once the cats are using them regularly then the posts can be moved (but very gradually, literally inch by inch) to a more convenient location.
Another thing you could try is to use blue tac to attach some tin foil to the scratched areas ~ this may at as a deterrent. Citrus fruits don't smell very nice to cats so some lemon/lime/orange peel in the scratched areas may also deter them.
If feasible, a large sturdy log propped against walls or furniture may also be a welcome scratching posts ~ but that can also have drawbacks in that the cats may leave shredded bark & wood around. The owners may also find that if the kittens have outdoor access they may prefer to scratch outside on fence posts, trees & shrubs on the borders of their territory as the indoors may be seen as the "core territory" that doesn't need to be so heavily protrected by scent markings.
Whilst a squirt with a water pistol may teach the cats that scratching in certain areas brings an unwelcome dousing with cold water, such punishment needs to be given very carefully if it is to work. Firstly it must not be associated with the presence of the owners otherwise the cats will just learn to scratch when the owners are not there! Secondly, the squirt should happen every time they scratch ~ not always feasible unless the cats are watched 24 hours a day. And thirdly, if the cats are at all nervous or timid, getting squirted with water is likely to make them more nervous, more stressed & possibly more likely to keep scratching.
I must say that the cats do seem to have really gone to town with their scratching behaviour in this case:eek:. It won't be easy to stop & it may mean that they won't completely stop unless the furniture/wallpaper etc is replaced ~ but the sooner the owners can take some ation to stop it, the better. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to break the habit.
In answer to a few questions, they are neutered, and they are both tabbies. They do go outside a fair bit, and they both get lots of attention as the owners are both retired and have most of the day to give them attention.
Thanks agains everyone..
Cats like scratching but sometimes you have to show them what they can scratch and what they cant. I've never used a water pistol on my cat.
Their scratching behaviour is pretty extreme considering they do go outside. To try to break the habit I would do a couple of things.
I'd wait another couple of months, and then start replacing the stuff they have wrecked - furniture and curtains (assuming they can afford to). As each item is replaced, it should be a bit less appealing to them as it won't have the visual and scent marks on it, and the owners can concentrate on ensuring the new item does not get attacked - if necessary by only allowing the cats in the room when the owners are present to deter them.
It would also be worthwhile investing in some Feliway (buy it from the vet). I'd get the spray version, and spray the new items plus the chewed doors with it (you have to repeat this regularly). Hopefully once the habit is broken things will calm down a bit. About Feliway:
http://www.feliway.com/gb/All-about-Feliway-R
Also as previously mentioned they need to get a couple of really good sturdy tall scratching posts. The ones with a platform on top as well are good as they can take turns to sit on it and slap each other:D
If all that doesn't help, there is no hope!:eek: