Our cats are destroying our furniture and we need help!

Why not get your cats de-clawed?

I was going to say “why not have your house de-catted,” but I guess the GA from @jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities is less drastic.

@PapaLeo You just made me laugh my ass off a little bit.

We won’t have our cats declawed because vets today consider declawing inhumane. It’s akin to chopping off part of your fingers. I realize that would be a simple, permanent solution, but it’s not an option.

Get some of the spray to deter the cats from the furniture, and then use a cat attracting scent on the scratching posts.

Make sure you offer the right alternative. A scratching post has to be anchored so the cat does not feel it will pull over on them if they scratch on it. My cats really liked these too.

Declawing is barbaric. If you cat goes outside, it could be a danger for him or her to be declawed.

@suzyq I know many vets who would disagree with you. It’s akin to removing the fingernails, not part of the fingers. I’ve had 2 cats that have undergone this procedure, were both fine and in no pain afterwards, and went on to live long, happy lives.

there’s these claw cover things you can get for your cat that are better for them than declawing them. You put them over the cats claws and have to replace them every couple of months or so but it keeps them from messing up the furniture. They’re called soft paws I think. I had my one cat declawed because he was messing up the furniture and its something that is regretted. He now hates having his paws touched and if for some reason he gets out of the house he also has no way to defend himself.

You could try Kitten mittens.

Here is a second (what Andrew was told in the thread I sent you the link to being the first) endorsement for microfiber. This person says microsuede.

“What we decided to get was couch with a smooth microsuede detachable cover. The cats already have a nubbly chair that they love to shred, and so far after 2 weeks they are still just happily scratching their chair and leaving the smooth couch alone. As a precaution I clipped their front claws and plan to continue doing that (though Ajax fought it as if her very life depended on it). I even performed a magical ritual to deter their couch scratching, as I never want it to be said that I didn’t try everything.

The bonus is that the cover of the couch is removable though. If/when I need to, I can get a new one for around $50.” Source

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities No, suzyq had it right. They take off the first joint of the toe, because it’s impossible to just remove the claw. I lived with a vet for 3 months last year, and she had a poster of this procedure up on her wall; it’s horrifying but that’s what they actually do. She also took one look at my cat and said, “That’s the worst botched claw job I’ve ever seen.” Some cats I’ve known were OK after the surgery – but it drastically changes other cats’ personalities, such as mine. She literally could not walk for about a year after the procedure – my mom playfully called it “chipmunking”; she would raise her front paws up and just look at you piteously until you picked her up and carried her over to her bowl or box or whatever. The vets said that she was allergic to the surgical glue they used on her paws, but whatever the case PLEASE don’t declaw your friends. Good for you for being aware of this issue already. Love your name, btw, and welcome!

OK, check it out (this is more for jeff and anyone else who is not already aware than for you, suzy): These are pictures I took of my two cats’ feet. The first is normal, the second is the cat I mentioned in my post above.

The things mistared is talking about are called Softpaws

Ouch! Your poor cat. Pictures do speak louder than words.

@jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities Declawing involves removing the last phalange plus the nail – not just the nail itself. It disrupts tendon and ligament attachment, is extraordinarily painful, and there are very good reasons that more and more vets are refusing to perform the procedure.

@suzyq I use two sided tape on areas where my cats are prone to scratching (I usually remove it if I have guests coming over). I’ve also been considering trying soft paws, which some people love and some people don’t (it seems to depend on whether you cat is the type to tolerate having something on his toenails).

We had this issue a couple years ago, and felt our only option was declawing out one cat. We deeply regret it, and wish we had known some alternatives. I had no clue about the soft paws at the time, and all I wanted was to keep my cat and my furniture and walls safe.

We have another cat that is not declawed, and he tends to rip at the carpet more than furniture, also the walls…they love to destroy walls for some reason. It’s not bad enough that we’d even buy the soft paws, but if it did we would use them and not declaw our cat.

Our cat was much different after the surgery…he’s always been an odd ball, but now he can be quite strange and it still hurts him maybe psychologically, to have his paws touch. I feel so bad that we did it to him. I wishI could take it back :(

I recently got a kitten and I refuse to get her declawed. All you have to do is read up on the procedure and you can understand why many vets believe it to be inhumane. I bought 2 scratching posts, but she seems to like my backpack better. To stop her, I just clap loudly and she’ll immediately stop. But obviously cats and kittens can’t be watched 24/7. I found some catnip spray that seems to attract her over to the scratching posts, but it’s only been a few days. I’ve heard double-stick tape will work wonders, but it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing thing. My vet suggested the Soft Paws and regular trimmings to help keep claws under control.

I have a cat too.
Since i took her to live with me, i think it’s up to me to put up with her, sometimes, damaging my furniture (or the skin of my belly for that matter).
She didn’t choose me.
I never, ever thought about taking her claws away from her.
Although i don’t know about any scientific research proving it has negative (or not) consequences, it just goes straight against my thoughts concerning cathics.

Also, we had a cat that used to urinate on furniture quite often.So we tried that Feliway, and that helped somewhat..maybe that would deter your cat from going near the furniture to scratch.
I’m sorry, I don’t know of any fabrics that holds us best to cat scratches

@casheroo My guy with the claws loves the walls, too, doorposts especially. Last place I lived was painted white over the last owner’s bright red, white, and blue color scheme – most of the doors were red under the white, so when he went at the walls it looked like the house was bleeding, and in the blue parts like it had varicose veins. My Cleo still hates to have her front pawn handled, like your buddy :(

@suzyq @syz @wildpotato I looked into it, and you’re all right, it does remove more than just the nail. My sincerest apologies, I was misinformed. I feel really bad about declawing now.

I want to second the microfiber suggestion—my cat stays away from the microfiber.

@suzyq:Give them some paint and a brush and make some money.

Why Cats Paint

Sisal rugs, microfiber or choices seen here: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Fabrics+cat+proof&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I find that my cat does not scratch real leather.

A always recommend the book Starting From Scratch. It has great tips on how to retrain your cat.

Here’s an updated link for those 2 pics I mentioned in my second post – I moved some stuff around on flickr in between then and now.

@gailcalled Great book! You should check out Dancing With Cats if you enjoyed that one.

@gailcalled I was worried about leather, but I also find that my cats seem to avoid the leather furniture – they don’t seem to like it.

@Syz:Milo likes to sleep on my leather lounge chair. Luckily I find it uncomfortable.

@wildpotato: It is as funny as the painting book?

@gailcalled Yup. Amazing, too – I couldn’t believe it at first, but those cats are definitely mirroring the movements their people make.

@syz Our last cat like to pee all over the leather furniture :(

personally, I’d just get rid of the cats, or at least relegate them to rooms without furniture.

Thanks so much all of you for your input! You are truly a responsive bunch and I appreciate it. Clearly there are some humane options and I will try them all, or as many as I can.
Again, thank you, and thanks from Chester, Jack and Gus.

I use this clear sticky tape on the corners of my furniture and now Spiderman never scratches them because he hates the stickiness!

Here’s what I use: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755192&lmdn=Product+Type

A friend of mine had the same problem with her cat and she and her husband bought these little nail covers that slip right over there claws this maybe the same thing that @mistered was referring to. You may want to try them. It was actually pretty cute they bought hot pink and it looked like the cat had on pink nail polish all the time. Pretty funny but it saved their leather couches.

I had a cat (max) years ago and I had him de-clawed and later I felt really bad about it because I was scared to death that if he got outside he would be completley defensless. = (

Milo here; I am amused to think that Gail could possibly get soft paws on one of my nails, never mind the other 17. My best feline friend (bff) is called “Max.”

@wildpotato So sorry to hear about your kitty! That had to be awful to see him or her hold their little paws up to be carried! = ( My cat seemed ok about it, I just felt really bad.