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Keeping Your Cat from Clawing your Furniture

By
Real Estate Agent with SHAHAR Management
This is a follow up post to the keeping cats out of your plants.  I saw alot of complaints about scratching furniture, clawing wires and things of that sort.  I tried everything for those things too and of course nothing works.

 Training-nope!
Spraying "smell bad sprays"-nope!
Moving the furniture around-nope!
Piling the couches with stuff to keep the cat off-nope!
Re-organizing wires etc...-nope!

stop cats from clawing furnitureOne day I was running out the door and I found a new problem solver quite by accident.  For every one of those problems.  You are going to laugh but I promise you, it has been working for me for over two months already.  On everything!  I was getting ready to go to work and right before I was leaving Miley hopped up on the couch to scratch away and all I could think of was her scratching my couch into a million pieces all day long while I was gone.

For lack of something better I went into my bedroom, looked around for anything I hadn't tried yet and for whatever reason my eyes landed on my perfume tray.  I am sure in every household in America and beyond you have the abandoned perfume tray.  Perfumes you bought, have been given and that have appeared mysteriously that you absolutely hate.  But you don't throw them out for whatever reason. When someone wants a spritz etc.. you have extra because you never want to loan your FAVORITE perfume!  Anyway I headed to that tray and grabbed the strongest one and headed to my couch.  I spritzed the area where the cat likes to scratch and she ran screaming.  (not literally but close) I noticed she did not even go near the couch for over a week.  So then....I spritzed my one carpet in the area she will occasionally sneak a small clawing and realized she wasn't going there anymore either.   So now I do this everywhere and it is a win win.  She only claws her post and my house smells good.  Go figure! I hated the perfume on me but it makes my house smell good!  And it doesn't stain or smell more than a few minutes for our noses but for the cat's nose is a permanent turnoff.  I just re-spritz once a week.  

stop cats from clawing furniture
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SHAHAR MANAGEMENT

 

Debbie Walsh, GRI, CNE, CHMS, REM | Office (845) 283-3036 |

website www.viewhudsonvalleyhome.com | search for homes

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WINNER 2015, 2016 & 2017 Hudson
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Geoff ONeill
John L. Scott Medford - Medford, OR

Great idea.  I have a new client with 2 cats.  This may be a chellenge.

Mar 06, 2010 07:07 AM
Nick T Pappas
Assoc. Broker ABR, CRS, SFR, e-Pro, @Homes Realty Group, Broker/Providence Property Mgmnt, LLC Huntsville AL - Huntsville, AL
Madison & Huntsville Alabama Real Estate Resource

Debra, not normally a post that would interest me, but I decided to read it.  Actually if I find myself with another cat in the house I'll keep this in mind.

I know you probably wont believe this but I actually trained a cat not to claw an oriental rug that I have...no spraying or anything like that.  I even trained the cat not to walk on it.  It was really kind of funny because when I had friends over they were totally amazed to watch the cat walk around the rug.  Now I don't know what the cat did when I wasn't at home, but I never saw claw marks or indication that it walk on the rug while I wasn't home.

Mar 06, 2010 09:03 AM
Craig Rutman
Helping people in transition - Cary, NC
Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

Great advice Debra. Of course if that doesn't work, you can always put these on your cat! Don't worry about the thumbs, they get used to it!!!

Mar 06, 2010 09:57 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Hey Debra!

Great tip.  I will try it for sure.  I believe it will work based on the AWFUL smell  that emanates from the bathroom after  my daughters  spray all that perfume over themselves before going out!  Now I know why the cats never go near the bathroom.

By the way Sharon bought a scratch post exactly like the one you have pictured but it never interested our cats.  Any tips for that DR. Debra???

 

 

Mar 06, 2010 10:40 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Debra, This might just help my clients almost as the other one....now they can add plants and not worry, that's such good news.  I do have one client with a 'problem' cat, I will send this along to her!

Mar 06, 2010 11:43 AM
Irene Tron
Valparaiso, IN

I think you might have just solved my biggest problem with 3 cats.  I cannot wait to try your solutions.  My furniture, my carpet, and most of all my budget,  thank you!  :-)

Mar 06, 2010 11:45 AM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Debra, I seriously am going to try that and know exactly the perfume I am going to use! Thanks for the tip, maybe Hiway will stay away from the couch now!

Mar 06, 2010 12:57 PM
Rita Minion
O'Brien Realty - Solomons, MD

Hi Debra,

Thanks for the tip!  I will definitely give it a try. 

Rita

 

Mar 06, 2010 03:16 PM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Geoff-Thanks for stopping by!

Nick-So Spill!  How did you train the cat to avoid the carpet??

Craig-That is exactly what I need! THANK YOU!!!!

Bruce-You are going to laugh but I do.  I taught her to scratch the post by rubbing cat nip all over it and helping her to scratch by putting her paws there and I scratched with my own hands.  When I put her paws there it didn't really do anything but when I did it myself she copied me.  You have to keep doing it over several days but once they realize they can scratch there they will return.  You have to rub a decent amount of catnip on it while you are doing this though.  The catnip makes them want to claw. 

Carole-I hope it works for her-if it does she will think you are a genius and bring you lots of business!  :-)

Irene-Good luck!

Wanda-You will have to let me know how you make out.

Rita-Good luck I hope it works!

 

Just one thing to mention-when using the perfume make sure you use enough so it is nice and strong-if it is not strong enough it won't bother the cat.

Mar 07, 2010 03:27 AM
Leslie Prest
Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ - Payson, AZ
Owner, Assoc. Broker, Prest Realty, Payson,

WONDERFUL! I have a new caouch, and I'm having this problem. I'll try this today!

Mar 07, 2010 03:29 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Leslie-Thanks for stopping by-good luck!

Mar 07, 2010 03:33 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Well, it seems you are developing a new role as The Cat Answer Lady! 

Mar 07, 2010 04:19 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

It does look like that doesn't it?  I really just had some good luck.  I don't know that it will work in anyone else's house.  You never know!

Mar 07, 2010 04:22 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Gosh Debra, I hope our cats have as high an IQ as yours do!  Remember that we have HOOSIER cats and they probably are not as sophisicated as your EMPIRE STATE felines.  I am not sure about getting them loopy on catnip in order for it to work.  Thanks for the tips!

Mar 07, 2010 07:12 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

LOL-oh come on now...it is no big deal!  It doesn't happen overnight.  It took me some time. 

Mar 08, 2010 06:43 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Debra-I have an idea.  Can you make a video and post it on YOU TUBE of you clawing the post so I can show it to my cats?  They never pay attention to me unless they are hungry!  Do you sniff the catnip to show them how it is done???    ^_~

Mar 08, 2010 11:08 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Bruce-Well I used to think highly of you.  LMAO!

Mar 09, 2010 02:54 AM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Hi Debra!  

 ". . . think highly of you" 

the catnip?????    ^_~

 

Mar 09, 2010 04:44 AM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Bruce-Thats it-I give up!  LOL

Mar 09, 2010 12:57 PM
Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Debra, aren't cats(and cat lovers) supposed to have NINE lives???  ^_~  (you can't give it up that easy!)

 

Mar 09, 2010 02:16 PM