she is really starting to scratch the couches and my lift chair is there any way to stop using our furnture as a scraching post she also bites or scratches when we move her when she lays down on us she is also very whinnee she most of the screeches when she gets off her cat she cries the hole time she jumps down we wouild like to keep our living room door open but she runs throgh the door so fast she goes down stairs where she isnt supposed be we own a retirement home and residents live down stairs can anyone help us with these issues i really want to keep her
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She Is Still Biting And Scratching Furneture
- Thread starter edie56
- Start Date
How old is your cat? You want to make sure that she has several scratching posts to use in place of furniture. They should be tall, stable and made of different material, like carpet, wood, and cardboard since cats differ in the preference for a scratching surface. You want to sprinkle catnip over each to encourage her to use them.
As far as trying to get downstairs, you do have to have some kind of a door that she can’t get through. If she is running out when the door is opened, you can try something that makes noise like penny’s in a can that you can shake to startle when the door is opened. This should slow her down long enough for you to get through without her darting out.
As far as trying to get downstairs, you do have to have some kind of a door that she can’t get through. If she is running out when the door is opened, you can try something that makes noise like penny’s in a can that you can shake to startle when the door is opened. This should slow her down long enough for you to get through without her darting out.
I agree with the scratching posts & penny can. Is she spayed? Also I would take it a step further & shake a penny can when she gets within 5 feet of the door to downstairs whenever you are using the door. Also if she is a young cat and in full on hunt mode when she is 'attacking' the couch, she might lash out at you. Distracting/redirecting her with a toy should work. If she ignores the toy wiggling away from her, get a catnip banana or something big/ then throw it away from the couch or gently touch her belly with the toy to get her attention, then throw it. A couple of play sessions a day should calm her down. They also sell couch covers.
* Lastly it is a shame your cat can not be around the senior citizens since petting a cat/dog relaxes people. You may be able to train her to be certified as a service animal. I would start with harness training first. Cats love to explore & it is hard to get them to not explore the forbidden areas especially when we go there ourselves. If you want her to be friendly towards strangers; I would encourage you to learn from my mistake and invite lots of people over who are the only ones who toss her her favorite treat. My cats are shy around strangers, but kittens/young cats that are introduced to a lot of people tend to be less shy around people.
* Lastly it is a shame your cat can not be around the senior citizens since petting a cat/dog relaxes people. You may be able to train her to be certified as a service animal. I would start with harness training first. Cats love to explore & it is hard to get them to not explore the forbidden areas especially when we go there ourselves. If you want her to be friendly towards strangers; I would encourage you to learn from my mistake and invite lots of people over who are the only ones who toss her her favorite treat. My cats are shy around strangers, but kittens/young cats that are introduced to a lot of people tend to be less shy around people.
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- #4
we think she maybe might 4yrs old we adopted in july she isnt very good about being held but im working on that when she cries she does that all the time while she is running while trying to find some one she loves to play some times i ask her wheres your mouse she will go find it if her toy is on the living room table she will jump on top with her front paws and get it down she knows she isnt supposed to be on the table but she gets away with it
LOL I put the their toy basket on the ground for them. Well one of them... I rotate them 
My punk wasn't good at being held so I would put a thick blanket on my lap, then lure him onto my lap with toys. Pet him for a few seconds then go back to playing with him. When it comes to training cats I believe in the 10/1 ratio. 10 positive interactions for every negative one. The good news is, playing counts I started a name chant for Dante, when I played with him, just so he would associate his name with good things instead of 'hey you, knock it off!' 
The other thing I did for both my cats was the 15 minute rule. If they got on my lap they got at least 15 minutes (with or without petting depending on their mood.) I now have 2 lap cats. When Dante was a kitten there were times when I saw him coming & got up so he wouldn't get on my lap, because I was busy. However if 90% of the time he gets at least 15 minutes, they get more snugly. You should see him perk up when I put a blanket over my legs, because then he knows I'm going to be there a long while & he rushes right over to my lap. Try feeding her a treat a day on your lap to
My punk wasn't good at being held so I would put a thick blanket on my lap, then lure him onto my lap with toys. Pet him for a few seconds then go back to playing with him. When it comes to training cats I believe in the 10/1 ratio. 10 positive interactions for every negative one. The good news is, playing counts I started a name chant for Dante, when I played with him, just so he would associate his name with good things instead of 'hey you, knock it off!' The other thing I did for both my cats was the 15 minute rule. If they got on my lap they got at least 15 minutes (with or without petting depending on their mood.) I now have 2 lap cats. When Dante was a kitten there were times when I saw him coming & got up so he wouldn't get on my lap, because I was busy. However if 90% of the time he gets at least 15 minutes, they get more snugly. You should see him perk up when I put a blanket over my legs, because then he knows I'm going to be there a long while & he rushes right over to my lap. Try feeding her a treat a day on your lap to
