So I've had my cat for a while now, probably about a year and a half. She's about 2 and a half years old. She also was born and raised an adopted in a shelter. The issue I'm having with her is that for one, I had to buy 2 new couches because the first two, the sides were completely destroyed. Now you may be thinking, get a scratching post. Oh but she has one. It has never once been used. Even tho when she began to claw my couch I'd move her to the post and give her affection and call her a good girl, she still continued to claw the couches and now my new ones. So I got to the point when I would yell NO and she'd stop. But now she got smart, now she only does it when I'm asleep or at work when I cannot watch her, then I find the claw marks when I get home. So now I just clip her claws. But the other issue is she's not supposed to go into the kitchen because I have my desk set up in there with my expensive computers and I don't want her to chew on the cords. She chews on everything. I have a jacket I have had since I was 16 (I'm currently 20) and I love it, its my favorite jacket. But now it has 4 or 5 holes in it from her chewing on it. I've tried spraying her with the spray bottle whenever she gets near it, but she just does it when I'm not home, or when I'm asleep. Now when I'm gone i have to lock it in my room. Then today I got down under my desk to examine why my $1500 iMac wouldn't turn on. Looked at the cord and it was severed completely in two. with very familiar bite marks on it. I continued to look at every other cord and saw bite marks on each one. Luckily (haha not really) she only broke the most expensive computer cord I have.
She also gets in the blinds in the kitchen and when she gets in them, they're pushed out off the windows sill, so I know she's still getting in the kitchen while I'm not home and chewing on my cords, and getting in the blinds and on the counter (the window is above the sink). Whenever I try to encourage her to use the scratching post, play with her toys (she has so many) or try playing with her and a ball with a bell or some other toy, she isn't interested and continues to do whatever she wants when I'm not home. I'm at my wits end now because I have to do work on my iMac and it's out of commission until I buy a new cord. Every attempt I make to discipline, reward and punish, goes unwavered. She doesn't like treats, she won't eat anything unless it is her own cat food, cat nip doesn't work on her. And now she is so used to the spray bottle she kinda flinches when I spray her then continues to misbehave right in front of me sometimes. Other times she gets on the couch and just sits there looking at me like I'm just the guy who randomly gets mad at the queen of the house.
I also looked everywhere online on how to discipline cats. They say reward them with things they like when they do something good. She doesn't like treats, toys or catnip so I'm out of ideas. They also say to spray her when I catch her in the act. I can't catch her in the act cuz she only does it when I'm not home or when I'm asleep. There are times when I get home and she runs out of the kitchen and sets on the couch and then i show her the blinds and spray her, which works for a day then resumes bad behavior. Or I'll be asleep and wake up to the sound of her clawing my new couches and I'll walk out and spray her but at that point she just continues to do it even while getting sprayed then goes on the couch and sits in her spot and looks at me like I'm the bad one. Even trying any other discipline measures for when she gets in trouble does not work.
Please, if you have any ideas, PLEASE let me know. I'm so close to just taking her back to the shelter and saying I can't take care of her.
List of things she has broken or damaged.
Loveseat couch sides
3 section couch sides
$80 bluetooth headphones
$90 macbook charger
$25 iMac power cord
$45 jacket from 4 years ago
left side of kitchen blinds (faux wood)
many many many socks
my friends phone charger
My brand new couches sides, on both couches
a leather ottoman sides (all four corners)
Sound system cord
printer power cord
windows computer power cord
monitor power cord
keyboard cord
ethernet cable
friends jacket sleeve
extension cord
Uninterruptible power supply cord (honestly surprised she didn't get electrocuted with that one)
many phone chargers of all colors
she ripped a hole in the bottom of the box spring on my bed so she can climb inside it
ruined carpet in front of bathroom door
Things she has ironically not damaged or has yet to damage.
HER OWN SCRATCHING POST
Her bed
none of her many toys
the toy on a spring on her scratching post
the straps on my backpack
my other socks
anything that contains food in it. including her own food.
As you can see, the list is quite extensive, so please if you have any suggestions, let me know. If not, I may just have to take her back to the shelter and tell them she will not listen and she's costing me too much money.
She also gets in the blinds in the kitchen and when she gets in them, they're pushed out off the windows sill, so I know she's still getting in the kitchen while I'm not home and chewing on my cords, and getting in the blinds and on the counter (the window is above the sink). Whenever I try to encourage her to use the scratching post, play with her toys (she has so many) or try playing with her and a ball with a bell or some other toy, she isn't interested and continues to do whatever she wants when I'm not home. I'm at my wits end now because I have to do work on my iMac and it's out of commission until I buy a new cord. Every attempt I make to discipline, reward and punish, goes unwavered. She doesn't like treats, she won't eat anything unless it is her own cat food, cat nip doesn't work on her. And now she is so used to the spray bottle she kinda flinches when I spray her then continues to misbehave right in front of me sometimes. Other times she gets on the couch and just sits there looking at me like I'm just the guy who randomly gets mad at the queen of the house.
I also looked everywhere online on how to discipline cats. They say reward them with things they like when they do something good. She doesn't like treats, toys or catnip so I'm out of ideas. They also say to spray her when I catch her in the act. I can't catch her in the act cuz she only does it when I'm not home or when I'm asleep. There are times when I get home and she runs out of the kitchen and sets on the couch and then i show her the blinds and spray her, which works for a day then resumes bad behavior. Or I'll be asleep and wake up to the sound of her clawing my new couches and I'll walk out and spray her but at that point she just continues to do it even while getting sprayed then goes on the couch and sits in her spot and looks at me like I'm the bad one. Even trying any other discipline measures for when she gets in trouble does not work.
Please, if you have any ideas, PLEASE let me know. I'm so close to just taking her back to the shelter and saying I can't take care of her.
List of things she has broken or damaged.
Loveseat couch sides
3 section couch sides
$80 bluetooth headphones
$90 macbook charger
$25 iMac power cord
$45 jacket from 4 years ago
left side of kitchen blinds (faux wood)
many many many socks
my friends phone charger
My brand new couches sides, on both couches
a leather ottoman sides (all four corners)
Sound system cord
printer power cord
windows computer power cord
monitor power cord
keyboard cord
ethernet cable
friends jacket sleeve
extension cord
Uninterruptible power supply cord (honestly surprised she didn't get electrocuted with that one)
many phone chargers of all colors
she ripped a hole in the bottom of the box spring on my bed so she can climb inside it
ruined carpet in front of bathroom door
Things she has ironically not damaged or has yet to damage.
HER OWN SCRATCHING POST
Her bed
none of her many toys
the toy on a spring on her scratching post
the straps on my backpack
my other socks
anything that contains food in it. including her own food.
As you can see, the list is quite extensive, so please if you have any suggestions, let me know. If not, I may just have to take her back to the shelter and tell them she will not listen and she's costing me too much money.