New cat owner scratching concerns

[kgaz12]

Hello,

I am considering adopting a cat from a shelter. I had a cat as a kid, but would definitely consider myself a cat novice! 

I've done a ton a research and am really excited about bringing a new friend home. I'm mostly set on the idea of getting an adult cat who is still on the younger side (maybe 2 or 3 years old). My main concern is that I have a couple pieces of wicker furniture in my apartment (dressers and nightstand). I know there are quite a few cat trees/beds that are made out of wicker so I'm worried my potential cat will be attracted to them. Has anyone gone through a similar situation? This may sound trivial but I am young grad student that put a lot of effort into making my home look nice and would like to keep it that way. 

I am planning on providing plenty of appropriate scratching options once the cat comes home. Will this be enough? 

Any other newbie advice is also appreciated  

Thanks in advance! 

*EDIT: Sorry of misspelling "scratching" in the title 

 

[catpack]

So glad that you are co considering adopting a young adult (or rather a 2-3 yr old kitten!) I would say it really depends on the cat as to whether or not they will scratch on the wicker or not. The idea of having other options around is great and will hopefully divert any urge to scratch the furniture. I have 6 cats and half have taken to using a wicker hamper as a scratching post (there are 3 large cat trees and scratching pads throughout the house.) I would encourage you to use catnip (dried or liquid) on the appropriate scratching areas and double sided tape/aluminum foil/etc on other surfaces if you notice your new buddy scratching there.
Another suggestion is to adopt from a rescue that uses foster homes or a smaller rescue that may have a good idea of their cats' quirks. If they've been in a foster home, they should have an even better idea of which cats are good at using scratching posts and which ones tend more towards furniture/other surfaces.

 

[kgaz12]

Thanks! I will keep that in mind!

 

[tammyp]

Hi Kgaz12 - so excited for you.  I also think a 2-3 year old cat will be a great choice!  At that age, they have learned the 'manners' of living in a house, and are far less likely to scratch whereever as a kitten does (because they have yet to go through their training and get a big enough brain to remember).

You are right to get lots of scratching options.  If there ever is a 'problem', then look at what they want from scratching that thing - is it that texture, is it that alignment, is it because they want to OWN that thing?  And then you have a way to provide a substitute - whatever they want, place it next to the problem piece.  Then it is a matter of redirecting them to 'theirs' so 'yours' remains 'yours'. 

As you are starting out on your cat adventure, if you haven't already come across this blog, it is EXCELLENT for understanding cats and troubleshooting any issues.  She even writes a small 101 manual to cats that you can download for around $12 I think.  It is excellent.  http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/i-own-this/21836

Also, one other thing we like in our cats, is trimmed nails.  You may need to work a bit with your new cat for them to allow your to trim their nails, but it will be possible.  The benefits are that anything 'accidentally' scratched as they learn the ropes will have less damage, and if they like to jump on you (we have shoulder riding cats), there are less damaging oopsie balance scratches on the human!

And certainly, make sure you match your personality/likes/dislikes with your new cat.  Good shelters/fosters will know what type of cats they have, and be able to match you up.  It sounds like you may not want an 'alpha' cat (as that blog writer terms them), as those guys will monkey through your place.  Perhaps not the best choice for the house-proud  (we have monkeys!).

Best wishes!

 

[mservant]

Welcome Kgaz12, really happy to hear you're looking at offering your home to a youngster rather than kitten - still plenty of bounce but not quite so scratchy, and much less likely to be offered a home by some. I agree with the others, you can learn a lot about the cat's behaviour before you open you home to him / her, and tammyp's approach to the scratching is the same as my approach. I have never had a problem with the three cats I have shared my home with although they have all been indoor critters who would tear their own little bits of furniture apart very enthusiastically   I have wicker laundry baskets and sea-grass drawer units and they have never been touched.  Banana leaf chairs and storage cubes were a bit more interesting when I first got them and the corner of the chair got a bit shredded by one of my girls but that was my own fault as I didn't intervene  (it was a stop gap to getting something else and I knew it wasn't going to be in the apartment for long).

I've always got my cats used to regular claw clipping as soon as they've moved in - done at least once a fortnight.  I allow them pretty much free sun of the apartment so they feel they own it and think that helps reduce the need for them to 'scratch in their mark'....

I hope you find your purrfect feline house mate soon. 

 

[kgaz12]

Thanks everyone! I was pretty nervous about protecting my furniture but you all have made me feel much better!

 

[hebi]

It depends on what the cat likes to scratch, as well as what you make clear is available for the cat's use. My cat will only use cardboard scratchers, not carpet or rope. Some cats might not like to scratch wicker at all. Spray or sprinkle catnip on what you DO want your new cat to use to encourage it, and provide more than one kind of scratcher just in case. And you may want to wrap the chair in an old sheet until your cats get used to the scratchers.