Sticky paws to protect furniture? Cat rips it off!

[writerhall]

Well, we bought a new sofa and chair that Cappy loves to scratch. Someone here suggested sticky paws tape. So we got some, and it 'seemed' to work, but I was confounded by the piles of clumped up sticky tape that I would find underneath the couch in the a.m. This morning I came downstairs to discover him methodically ripping the tape off the couch with his teeth! 

So, maybe Sticky Paws isn't the best answer for this very precocious cat of mine! And yes, he DOES have a beautiful cat tree right next to the couch which I keep liberally coated with cat nip - and yes, he does scratch there, but he likes to scratch everywhere! And this couch looks like such a grand expanse of perfect clawing material!

Anyone else have any other suggestions? In the same display in PetSmart, they had a spray that you spray on your couches that is a scent that cats don't like. Does anyone have any experience with this? I was afraid of it damaging my couch.

lin

 

[bastetservant]

Oh, dear! I'm one of the ones who recommends Sticky Paws, and only that brand has stuck well for me. I've had great results using this product. Sticky Paws is sold at Petco around here, but Petsmart sells one of the other brands.

One of my cats, Harlow, often tried to pull the tape off with his teeth. But he had little success. How well the tape sticks can vary with the type of material the furniture is made of.

If you are using the Sticky Paws brand, then maybe an alternative for you is Soft Paws. You have to clip the cat's claws before applying these plastic covers, using a glue. They last a few weeks before needing to be reapplied. There are some groomers who will apply them for you. I've never used them myself.

I haven't tried the repellent sprays in years, and when I did, they didn't work. Maybe they are better now. I would definitely test it first on the fabric someplace that doesn't show. The Sticky Paws directions recommend doing that, also.

Robin

 

[writerhall]

I'm writing again on this thread that I started a few months ago. My cat is STILL scratching our new couch and chair and we have tried everything. I live in Canada and our Petsmart doesn't have Sticky Paws, but something like Sticky Paws but put out by a company called Whisker City. He just tears it off with his teeth. I'm wondering if there is a brand - maybe available in the U.S. that might be better and stronger? I'm heading into the States in a few days and could pick some up.

Also, last week we bought Whisker City spray from Pet Smart, and it doesn't seem to phase him at all. But I'm wondering if it's an outdated batch. I can't smell anything in that spray. 

I read in the 'sticky' section here about using lemon air freshener. So, that's on my grocery list now. Has anyone tried that with any success?

He has a very nice huge cat condo in the living room here - and he does scratch on it, but he scratches everywhere. Right now I've got bubble wrap taped all around my chair. What I will end up doing, is throwing blankets over the couch and chairs when we go out, and then try to deter him when we are here. I don't believe in the water squirt bottles- what I do is gently lift him up and take him to the scratching post on his cat condo. 

Other than that - he's a wonderful cat. 

Lin

 

[p3 and the king]

Some cats will avoid citrus fruit scents and others are not phased by it.  But citrus oils are not good for cats so make sure it doesn't contain any real citrus oils.  And that can be hard.  Citrus oils are in almost all citrus scent products as it is very aromatic.   My friend puts vinegar in a bowl out by where she doesn't want them to go but it doesn't sound very clever to me... First of all, it can stink to you, too and the spill hazard is high. 

 

[txcatmom]

We have two cats who EAT the sticky paws stuff.  I thought about the deterrent sprays but decided to try feliway spray (a calming spray) first.  It worked!  I sprayed it on the corners of the couches where he would scratch.  My theory is that one reason they scratch is to mark territory but the feliway spray tells them "Chill out....this is already marked."  It helps that we also found the one post that our Leo loves around the same time we tried feliway.  He's picky about his scratching surface, so it took several tries. 

 

[redvelvetone]

I have a cat, and while he does not scratch the furniture, he does like to scratch my area rug. He also has scratching posts and a cat condo, which he uses, but he also likes to scratch the floor, esp. if he's playing and gets excited or if he just got up from a nap nearby. ANy suggestions besides soft paws? I really don't see me being able to apply those to him...

 

[txcatmom]

My Leo also loved to scratch area rugs.  We found an arch shaped scratcher at petsmart that is covered in a rug like material (not carpet...a material like a kitchen rug would be made of.)  He loves that and he loves the tall woven sisal (not sisal rope...he hated that) post that we got for him.  Also, your cat might just like horizontal scratching, not reaching up.  There are several inexpensive cardboard scratchers that just lay on the floor that might be worth trying. 

 

[redvelvetone]

yeah I've tried these. He didn't like the cardboard scratchers. He did like the S shaped one I got him at petsmart, however, so far he hasn't figured out that unless he sits on the one end and then scratches the arch part, the scratcher will tip over (he comes at it from the side and it just tips over when he scratches it). He really likes his sisal horizontal scratching post, but this still does not stop him from going after the rug, even if the rug is right next to the sisal scratcher.   I keep saying "No" nad putting him by the other scratcher but he hasn't caught on yet.... 

My Leo also loved to scratch area rugs.  We found an arch shaped scratcher at petsmart that is covered in a rug like material (not carpet...a material like a kitchen rug would be made of.)  He loves that and he loves the tall woven sisal (not sisal rope...he hated that) post that we got for him.  Also, your cat might just like horizontal scratching, not reaching up.  There are several inexpensive cardboard scratchers that just lay on the floor that might be worth trying. 

 

[turnipamg]

Mali, my foster, also has a taste for Sticky Paws. Spraying her with water when she does it is not a deterrent. I'm glad to hear others have had similar responses to this product. I'll look into the spray someone mentioned and let you all know if it works. I'm also going to try covering furniture and getting her another scratching post. Maybe her foster coordinator will spring for the Soft Paws or for a groomer to tend her claws once a week. I can't seem to hold her right for that.

 

[molldee]

I second the Feliway spray. My parents cat started peeing and scratching the furniture in the basement. After a vet check and clean bill of health, we tried the Feliway spray. I already have the plugin so I thought maybe using the spray for spot problem areas would work. And it did! She no longer scratches the basement couch. Just lightly spray the furniture with the Feliway spray and make sure to spray it again every couple days. It doesn't take that much spray. We still have the bottle we first bought and it's between months.

 

[kittyfostermom]

What about bitter apple maybe the smell will discourage him from scratching? Have you tried Feliway?