Just Got A NEW 4 Month Old Kitten. I have Question

[RoofTopPigeon]

Just Got A NEW 4 Month Old Kitten. I have Question;
She has NOT Once Scatched the Couch Yet (and) has ONLY neaded it; WITHOUT Using her claws.
So I Guess my Question is are their "Some" Cats that Just Do NOT Scratch Furniture?
(or) will the scratching NOT Come until she is Older?
1.) Are Some Cats ONLY Neaders and NOT Scratcher's?
Asking Because we've NEVER Had a Cat this young before; we've only had adult cats prior.

 

[Annoellyn]

All kittens are different. I would give him different textures to try out. Right now none of my kittens scratch our furniture but they love those cardboard scratch boards that you put on the floor. But our adult cat likes to scratch the walls. I have no clue if my kittens will start trying out different things to scratch but I've never one to worry about furniture.

 

[MysticPisces]

I think it just depends I’ve only had 4 cats and my first cat he didn’t claw any furniture except this old rocking chair that no one used so we gave him that chair everyone knew that was his chair including guests and if you dared sit in it be ready for claws and a cat tantrum from out of this world lol he also loved scratching door frames. As far as kneading goes he only ever kneaded me or if I pushed him off he’d knead the spot next to me. The other cats I got after he passed away never scratched or clawed anything I just figured it was because they had each other play with and were a little older when I got them.

 

[rubysmama]

Just Got A NEW 4 Month Old Kitten. I have Question;
She has NOT Once Scatched the Couch Yet (and) has ONLY neaded it; WITHOUT Using her claws.
So I Guess my Question is are their "Some" Cats that Just Do NOT Scratch Furniture?
(or) will the scratching NOT Come until she is Older?
1.) Are Some Cats ONLY Neaders and NOT Scratcher's?
Asking Because we've NEVER Had a Cat this young before; we've only had adult cats prior.

Congratulations on the new kitten! She sounds purr-fect.

You're lucky she hasn't scratched the couch ... yet. I think eventually her instinct will bring out her need to scratch, so if it's not the couch, it might be something else. So ensure you get some scratchers for her - both vertical and horizontal.

Got any pics of your sweetie you can share?
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post | TheCatSite

 

[susanm9006]

The main things cats like to scratch are wood, cardboard, sisal, carpet and fabric. But not every cat likes them all and most have a preference for only one or two. In addition some cats like to stretch up while they scratch and others prefer horizontal. So you need to present the kitten with a variety of scratching surfaces and positions until you and the kitten figure out what they like. A little catnip sprinkled in the scratcher can attract the cat to the scratcher as well. If the kitten does start to scratch furniture gently direct them to their scratchers.

 

[sivyaleah]

The main things cats like to scratch are wood, cardboard, sisal, carpet and fabric. But not every cat likes them all and most have a preference for only one or two. In addition some cats like to stretch up while they scratch and others prefer horizontal. So you need to present the kitten with a variety of scratching surfaces and positions until you and the kitten figure out what they like. A little catnip sprinkled in the scratcher can attract the cat to the scratcher as well. If the kitten does start to scratch furniture gently direct them to their scratchers.

All of this. You might also try taking a wand type toy and running it up and over the scratching surfaces you want the kitten to use. We found that to be a good trick to get our kitten interested in the taller post we had here. Once she realized she could stretch out on it, and grasp on to it to get the toy, she started using it for it's actual use too.

FYI, though, most kittens don't typically react to catnip until at least 6 months old so most likely using it right now won't work. You can try but don't be surprised if nothing happens. Ours hasn't shown any interest in it at all yet.

 

[Taphie]

Congratulations on your new kitty! I always think it's important to understand why cats do some of the things they do. All cats scratch, some more than others. My daughter has a rescue that was declawed by her previous owner and her cat goes through the motions of scratching even though she has no front claws.
I'm sure you were hoping that she would just knead and never use her claws to scratch, but cats need to scratch and there is a physical reason for that. Cats need to slough off the outer layer of their claws so the new nail growth underneath can be exposed. That's why a lot of cats like to scratch wood or sisal rope, because those are hard enough to take off that outer layer. Cats also have scent glands between their toes and put their scent on things to claim ownership. Other reasons cats scratch is that it is exercise and a form of play.
The reason that I think she kneaded and didn't use her claws is because her claws haven't gotten to the point where she feels she needs to slough off that outer layer. Though, she still wanted to mark her scent and play.