Conference misery::feline

    An animal behaviorist I heard at a local show suggested using
    the double-sided carpet tape to help train cats not to do things.
    I've been planning to buy some and stick it on the one corner of
    my sofa that Onyx loves to scratch.  Theory is they won't like
    sticking to it and it will help modify the behavior.  
    
    Also, provide lots of alternatives to the sofa.  Those cardboard
    scratching boxes work great for all my cats except Onyx.  A cat
    tree would be good too.  
    
    And, one last thing...never take a cat off of something you don't
    want him/her to scratch in anger and then try to get them to 
    scratch the thing you do want immediately.  It doesn't work well.  
    Try to separate the two so there isn't confusion.  But, do give 
    generous amounts of praise when kitty scratches the proper items.
    
    Jan (who's attempting to work this very issue at her house)

    
    Rolf,  What we have done for our cats, 1- we clip their nails regularly
          We also have a cat scratching post in the living room and in 
          the bedrooms.  I usually even sprinkle some cat-nip on them. 
          They much prefer to use their scratching post. On occassions that
          they might be using the *new* furniture, a spray bottle will do 
          wonders. You have to be there at the right time, and when the
          kitty tries to sharpen nails on new couch just blast a spray of
          water. He'll get the message. ;-)
    
    Shaw 
           

    I also think it depends on the material of the sofa.  I use to
    own a sofa that I believe was called herculon...which was weaved
    material and the cats use to love digging their claws in it!!!
    
    I now own a sofa that appears to be velour material...and believe
    it or not...none of my 11 cats have ever dug their claws in it.
    What is also good about it is that the cats fur doesn't seem
    to stick to it either!!!!!     
    
    I wouldn't buy any other kind now....
    
    Sandy

    Rolf,
    
    Are you in the new england area?  The best solution is to go to a pet
    store that sells ARUBACAT cat furniture (yes people, he's at the stores
    now!), and buy a small cat tree.  They're usually about three feet
    high, they're a "post" with a little shelf on top for them to sit on.
    Don't go to a big commercial store (like Dr. Pet, etc.).  Go to
    a small, local pet store that sells pet supplies.  
    
    The reason that I specify ARUBACAT is because on the post they have
    "siscel (sp??) rope", which it seems as if the cats prefer to scratch
    on.  I've always had this type of cat tree, and have never had a
    problem with my cats clawing my furniture.  Never even had to train
    them to use it, they just did.
    
    If you DO have a problem where the cat doesn't use the cat tree, take
    some catnip and boil it in a small amount of water.  Basically make a
    "tea" out of it.  Then take the water and pour it over the tree.  That
    will attract them to the tree.
    
    Holly
    

    Well, well, well, that was 4 replies in record time! Much appreciated,
    all of them, and certainly a lot to be learned from them.
    
    I must leave the office now, but let me just answer generically:
    I live in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, and the cat definitively will be
    an outdoor cat, so I don't really want to cut the nails if I don't have
    to, because there are lots of dogs and other cats in the area, many of
    them stray, so Ziggy will have to defend himself.
    
    The idea about a cat-tree is very interesting, but I havn't seen
    anything like that here in the stores. Maybe I should get one next time
    I get to the states, but in the meantime I'll have to cope without,
    unless I "build" one myself. 
    
    I'll digest the replies over the weekend, but any other suggestions are
    most welcome of course!
    
    Greetings
    
    Rolf

    Hi Rolf,
    
    I think what -.2 meant was to "clip" the claws using cat nail
    clippers - not declawing.
    
    You can just cut the tips of the nails so that they're not so
    sharp and less likely to do damage.  Be sure to have your vet
    show you how, as you can cut too close to the quick and cause
    a lot of bleeding.
    
    Clipping their nails doesn't affect their ability to climb
    trees or defend themselves outside - it only gives your sofa
    a fighting chance to survive!!
    
    good luck
    Pam

    Re:  .3
    
    I guess it depends on the cats (or the velour materials).  
    I have two burgundy colored velour sofas.  The small one is 
    Onyx's favorite scratching place.  Both of them collect cat 
    hair (though it is reasonably easy to remove with a squeegee 
    device, cat comb or vacuum).
    
    Jan