cats clawing

[josaphine32]

I need some advise i have 2 kittens 7 months old who run around the house like looneys play fighting which is lovely to watch but my furniture does not think so.. i have just ordered a new leather sofa is there anyway in a nice way of stopping them running up the sofas as i think they are going to ruin it....i have just started to let them out side to tire them out abit..can anyone think of any good suggestions on how i can traine them, i have 6 weeks to do it in.

thanks

[gilby]

if you are able to lock them out of the lounge when you are not there and at night they will realise that it is not their room. Start as you mean to go on. I have a cat and I wouldnt stroke her etc if she went on the furniture and I sent her out of the room. She soon learned that she had to play by my rules or stay away. She now snuggles by my feet and curls up infront of the fire with me.

[Aggi]

I haven;t put it to the test with my cat but apprently cats don't like citrus so you could try spraying lots of lemon polish on the leather. I'm thinking of buying a leather suite soon so i'd be interested to know if it works. Good luck

[drgnrdr]

I wouldn't put them outside, but if it's safe to do so where you live, to each it's own. Check out these sites. I would train them to stay away, with what they suggest as aversives, from the sofa that you have, and not use it as a race track. If you can not train them I would try to cover it with a nice covering, when company comes take the cover off, so they can see your lovely sofa. Or try to position it so that it's not as easily used as part of their obstacle course, up against a wall for example...

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/cat-avers.pdf

http://www.hssv.org/LIBRARY/PDF/Behavior/declaw.pdf

Maybe others have experience with this, I'm sure if they do they will reply...good luck ~/:\~

[gill3891]

Hi there, I am suffering with the same problem myslef, although I only have the one to deal with. I have recently heard of a substance that you can buy that deters you spray on your funriture which stops them from scratching and so on, not sure what it is called, but it might be worth checking out on the net. Hope you get it sorted!

[Toureman]

Buy a good quality water pistol and keep it loaded and by your side whenever you are in the lounge, I think what you then do with it is commonsense!