Cat Scratching

[JenaMarie]

Hi! I'm new here, I have been looking for some advice for my cat. I have a 13 year old Calico cat named Buffy, I have had her all her life and all though she has always scratched things like the couch, it wasn't anything that bad, and she even went a year without scratching anything but a scratching post but in the past year, between her and my sisters cat (me and my sister live together) they have destroyed the underside of my box spring, my cat has scratched up my dresser, the carpet and door frame. She will stand up and stretch against all the door frames but she doesn't scratch them up, it's my bedroom door frame in particular that she has scratched up really bad. I have tried everything that I could think of to get her to stop... sprays, double sided tape, scratching posts in every room... I even have a scratching post hanging on my bedroom door knob but she scratches the door frame that is literally just centimeters from the post on the knob! I have the double sided tape on the door frame as well and that doesn't stop her. I put the soft claw caps on her and she has done pretty well with keeping them on but as soon as one of them fell off, she was right back to scratching the door frame. My sisters cat chewed the caps off within minutes of getting them out on.

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

Scratching furniture (and walls, doors etc) is a very natural behaviour on your cat's part. It sounds like you're trying really hard to give Buffy and your sister's cat appropriate scratching sufaces, and that great Unfortunately, it sounds like the cats simply don't approve of the scratch posts you're providing This is actually more common than you'd think, and it comes down to three factors:-

1. Stability. The furniture they're chooing to scratch on all sounds like big, heavy pieces (the bed, the sofa etc). These are big, heavy and stable enough that the cats can put their full bodyweight into when scratching, secure in the knowledge that they won't move or tip. The same goes for walks and doors/door frames.
2. Size, or rather, height. Scratching isn't just about claw sharpening, it's a full body stretch and workout. You say Buffy particularly likes your door frame, and that she stretches up her whole length when scratching there. A little, unstable (because it's hanging rather than fixed) doorknob scratcher just doesn't compare.
3. Location. Scratching is the most healthy way that a cat marks it's territory. Scratchers need to be in the most socially significant areas of the home (i.e. where you spend the most time). They also need to be close to the part of the room you spend most time in - if a scratcher is tucked away in the corner of the room, it'll get less use than if it's right next to the seating areas.

It's also helpful to look at the way your cats like to scratch. You say that the boxspring is pretty beat up. That sounds like your guys enjoy horizontal scratching surfaces as well as vertical ones. Cardboard scratchers are cheap and wonderful scratching surfaces, and most of them are designed for horizontal scratching. Be sure to get ones big enough to double as beds - my guys adore them, and they get scratches and slept/sat on in equal measure. If you want to invest a little, you can get truly beautiful flat scratchers too (check out Art Sound and Motion, and maybe enter their TCS giveaway for a chance to win one ).

For vertical scratchers, start by trying to weight down the posts you currently have, to try and make them more stable. A bit of catnip or valerian sprayed or rubbed onto them never hurts either

For your doorway, I'd consider getting a wall mounted scratcher to go next to it. That should give Buffy an appropriate alternative that she'll hopefully be equally happy with.
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[Mamanyt1953]

Well, Columbine gave you everything that I could have, plus a couple of things I hadn't thought of! I will add this, though, since you have scratched-up furniture!

Furniture Scratch Cover - Wood Scratch Cover Reviews