Clawing uncontrollably!

[konicki]

I am a first time cat owner and I have made some mistakes along the way, but I have always tried to do everything i can to make my cat a happy one.  

One mistake, however, was being lenient on clawing.  I realize that clawing is natural and can be quite cute because they want to claw things that they associate with their owners, but I didn't imagine the results.

The chair has been destroyed which i don't mind.  What I mind is the fact that the chair is releasing threads that could be potentially harmful to my kitty.  I have bought a cardboard clawing box and I also have a tower with clawing posts.  Unfortunately, he doesn't really see me sitting on either ever and doesn't care much for clawing them.

How can I get him to go from the chair to the box!?

Tonight I am going to wrap the chair in a blanket as to cut off access to the parts hes been shredding in hopes that he will look for other alternatives.  I have tried spray bottles, but he claws at night when i am asleep with no punishment!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Can you move the scratching post in front of the chair (temporarily)?  I would keep the chair covered.  You may have to "show" him how to use it.  So when you see him clawing; bring him to the post or the scratcher and mimic the motions with his paws.  Some people have success with things like catnip spray to attract them to that.  (Depending on  your cat's age; some don't react to catnip when they are very young.)  Also nail trimming is very helpful.  They also make a product called Soft Paws; nail caps that are glued into place.  Your vet's office may even apply them for a minimal charge.  

This article goes into more detail: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/problem-scratching-and-how-to-stop-it

Good luck! 

 

 

[fhicat]

Tonight I am going to wrap the chair in a blanket as to cut off access to the parts hes been shredding in hopes that he will look for other alternatives.  I have tried spray bottles, but he claws at night when i am asleep with no punishment!

I'm not sure a blanket helps. Blankets are prime scratching material to some cats. I would suggest a citrus spray on the part he scratches (cats generally don't like the scent of citrus), or putting sticky tapes that he feels gross.

I'm not a big fan of spray bottles - unless you use it sparingly and the right way (i.e he must never know the spray came from you) I think it only teaches a cat how not to get caught by you, and doesn't actually fix the problem. To me, it's only -slightly- better than yelling at or physically hitting the cat (not saying you are!), and if used incorrectly, is no better than that even.

Does your cat like laser pointers? I got my cat to use the scratching post by dangling his favorite toy on top of the scratching post. That way when he wants to catch his "prey" he'll have to dig his claws into the posts for balance in order to reach and bite the "prey". It took just a few days of doing this before he got the idea that he's supposed to scratch there. If your cat likes laser pointers, it's the same method, and much easier for different posts.

Don't try to force his paws to scratch the post though. You can try carrying him and putting him near the scratching post when he starts clawing your furniture. Do some scratchy motions with your own fingers. It may work. It never did for me, but maybe it will for you.

Patience is key! It's never too late to teach him to behave.

 

[konicki]

Thankyou for the reply.

He does like laser pointers, so i think ill try that.  I can tell he misses scratching the chair because he still jumps onto the part where he scratched, but i think ill position the pointer on the board and hopefully he gets the idea.