soft paws and scratching issues

vlinder

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My tabby is about 3 years old. About a month ago we bought and moved into our new home. We have two different types of carpet on the main level. But she has only taken to scratching on the carpet in the living room and hall which has less of a shag to it. She never expressed her love for carpet scratching in our old rental unit where the carpet was rougher, she actually used the sides of our spare bed to scrath and stretch on which wasn't a big deal.

I'm against the declaw issue, so I've been trying alternatives. My husband made her a cat post to scratch and perch on. We put shaggier carpet on the perch, and less shaggy (yet different from the one in our living room)on the middle, scratch part. I've put catnip on it, I've put her toys on it, and I've scratched it for her to try to get her into it.

She perches on it in the mornings when she watches the birds, but she won't even sniff the post or anything else to it to even try it out. She's taken to scratching the carpet right on the outskirts of the bottom area. I've put down aluminum foil in the rough spots she likes, but she moves them. And I'm not too sure if the cayanne pepper is detering her away either.

I would like to find out how else I can train her to use the post. She's very timid, and nervous so when I hold her and put her on it, she just runs away. (we got her as a stray when i worked outside a drug treatment facility, so she's always been very skittish and weary of some people and things).
What else can I do for her?? And where can I get those soft paws?? What is the current price they are going for to be put on and how effectively do they work for cats??

Please help! I'm open to any and all info. to get my sweet, sweet kitty to stop sharpening her claws on my poor carpet.

Thanks.
 

swalker

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Feb 6, 2001
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Hi vlinder. Kitties like new textures and I am sure this is why she has taken up scratching at your new carpet. There are a few things you might try. When you see her first start to claw at the carpet pick her up and set her over to the cat post (helpful if same type of carpet is on the post that she is clawing at). You may have to get down to her level and show her how it is done. You may entice her even more by putting cat nip or kitty treats on the post. Kitties scratch most often when they awake from a nap. You might want to try and put the post by her sleeping area so it is the first thing she sees when she wakes up. All of these suggestions worked very well for my friends cats except my little princess wasn't buying any of it. I finally gave up and let her at it!!LOL You can trim kitties nails and they will not pull up the carpet. There is instructions on how to do this on this site. For more info on soft paws go to... http://cats.drsfostersmith.com

Let me know how it goes!!
 

tiggeytoes

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Mar 16, 2001
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When we moved into our rental appartment, our kitties were all fascinated with a wooden post in our dining room that anchors a rail separating the dining room from the sunken living room. We tried everything under the sun to try to keep those furry little imps from tearing the post to shreds.We tried bitter apple, and several other products, two sided tape, even placing soda cans around it. Nothing worked. We even put up heavy plastic strips around the post to protect it. Well, they tore the strips to shreds. You know, we finally decided to stop trying t9o keep them from doing it, and encourage them to do it. We bought a piece of carpet, and nailed the carpet to the wooden post. Now they have a WONDERFUL floor to ceiling scratching post as well as an energy outlet...an indoor tree to climb. And, when we move, all we have to do is fill in the nail holes and repaint. I realize every item kitties choose as scratching posts can`t be accomodated so easily, but for us it has been well worth it in saved frustration.
 
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