For cat owners; have you tried the fancy cat condos?

My perverse kitties ignored them and continued to wreck the sofa.

We had one for our incredibly spoiled little fellow. Not unlike @dpworkin, he turned his nose up at it and continued to sharpen his claws on the couch.

The only way to train a cat is with a cat accelerator. Use it every time the cat does something that it shouldn’t or goes where it isn’t supposed to.

Cat Accelerator: http://tinyurl.com/cattrainer

@SuperMouse I beg your pardon. I scratched no sofas. My cats scratched the sofas. I may have turned up my nose, but that was an unrelated phenomenon.

My daughter-in-law has one and their cat uses 1 shelf if the whole thing is placed by the window properly.

Man, I have got to get new glasses.

I thought until I clicked in and read some of the other responses that the Q was about ”fancy cat condoms”. I couldn’t wait to see who might have tried those, and what the experiences may have been like.

@DarkScribe; I’d probably shoot myself in the foot.

@gailcalled ; I’d probably shoot myself in the foot.

That’s ok, the cat would lick it off.

Those things work – I have one of the best trained cats in the country – people marvel at it. If the cat looks like it is about to do something it shouldn’t, all I have to do nowadays is say “Super Soaker” in a stern voice and it does an immediate U-turn and pretends that it was about to do something else.

@DarkScribe : You mean this is an actual item that can be purchased and used? How do you prevent soaking your house?

I was doing some yoga on the floor this evening; Milo kept attacking (with both tooth and claw) my aquamarine socks, which, unfortunately still had my feet in them.

However, as with dealing with workmen in this area, sometimes you need a baritone.

Wow . Either I have great cats (5) or you all suck as cat owners. ;)

My cats never scratch the good furniture. I have 2 cat condos and my cats always have their own personal chair for clawing. We always take people’s old chairs and replace the clawed ones when necessary.

@tinyfaery: It’s the inconsistency and short attention span that I find difficult. Just when I think I’ve found the perfect toy, distraction, amusement, recreation, Himself changes his mind.

@dpworkin oops! Possibly Freudian? I did mean to have the word “cats” in there somewhere. I did. Really. I did.

@gailcalled You mean this is an actual item that can be purchased and used?

Unless you decide to steal one from one of the neighbourhood kids you have to buy them. Any water pistol that has accuracy and a bit of range will do. The house does get a bit wet – but it is just water. (Use the cat to mop it up.)

I agree about squirting water. It really really works.

Our cat had behavioral probs (well we all do from time to time lol) when we picked up from the pound..she was a half feral cat they believe. And if our cat was aggressive to our lab’s face or scratch or anything..immediately run or chase the cat and squirt from the water bottle. If you catch them scratching in action. If you don’t have the water bottle nearby…clap hands loudly and later on squirt.

I can’t remember the last time I used the water bottle on our cat and the water bottle is somewhere in dust. She knows now. Sometimes she scratchs the rug and that is okay. It is not the couch etc. She is so great with our kids. Before she scratched our first born and now she doesn’t scratch our second born unless our youngest pulls her tail which we trained our daughter not to. lol Maybe I can start squirting water on our toddler if she pulls the cat’s tail. Just kidding.

@DarkScribe Holy cat! That even looks military grade!
should I be concerned about depleted uranium using that mega water weapon of mass destruction?

My cat has five acres to roam and has never touched the furniture.
He does have a cat platform in the garage by his kitty door and once in awhile he scratches on a big wicker trunk in my bedroom, no big whoop.

I happen to be very proud of the ‘teepee’ I made him on a shelf off of the stairs in my garage for nights he wishes to have a kitty campout.

I took 3 bamboo garden stakes and wedged them into the wicker sides of his basket, draped a cool gold fringey throw around the frame and tied it off with a ribbon at the top and a big turkey feather as an ornament. People are always asking me where I bought it! lol

My kitties have all scratched the couch, even though I have always had a tall kitty tree kaboda thing (carpeted) It’s big, cost $650. they’re on it all the time. they love it.
I can’t stop them from scratching the couch, so I just have low lighting in the living room!

I gave up this war many years ago. I clip their claws every week. low lighting is very relaxing!

@OneMoreMinute love low lighting- I fool myself with it!

@OneMoreMinute
@faye

I’m in the low lighting club too. I like the bug lights, a nice golden light, every lamp in my living room is a bug light, very nice! Kitchen too! lolol

I fully admit to my mood lighting fetish.

I’d be afraid to use the “accelerator” inside the house, but I have a number of friends who successfully employ these to train their kitties.

@DarkScribe: The house does get a bit wet – but it is just water. (Use the cat to mop it up.) (Mile here: I heard that).

@OneMoreMinute: In two years I have been able to clip 7 claws, in total. Short of body armor, for him, me or both of us, I am defeated. I got several small puncture wounds through a sweatshirt yesterday. Milo was angry at something.

Tomorrow it’s to the animal shelter where the kids will do it for a $10 donation..1 hr. driving and the cleaning out the throw-up in carrier and on cat.

@Coloma, @faye, @everyone
Ooohh, I <3 LOW LIGHTING!!!
Let me tell ya, that Low lighting has many other practical uses I found…it hides dust and cat hair, mens socks in the middle of the floor, dead bodies, some clutter, crumbs, it enhanses a relaxing mood etc….It even lowers blood pressure!
You know you’ve got the right mood lighting when you can fool yourself AND the police!!!
And those Himalayan salt lamps give you that sexy tanned look from their orange glow!

@OneMoreMinute: $650? What are you? A money bags?

@gailcalled No, I’m a kwazy kat luver!!!
A very hard worker. Before that I would build my own from lumber and carpet scraps, nails and a staple gun.
I figure if there isn’t a heaven or a hell, I’ve got a great chance for kitty heaven for sure!!! I have all my friends tell me when they reincarnate, they want to be my cat!

Oh, I have had my share of claw marks on my arms to remind me not to clip too short!!!
I have all my kitties trained pretty good now. I cheerfully announce to them that it’s “kitty beauty parlor time” and I affectionately sweet talk them while I clip away.

There was a time years ago that I had to wrap and roll my cat up tightly in a bath towel with only his arm sticking out, and hold him down. He finally got over that.

Good luck with your trip to kitty beauty parlor tomorrow!

@OneMoreMinute: There was a time years ago that I had to wrap and roll my cat up tightly in a bath towel with only his arm sticking out, and hold him down. He finally got over that.

Were you able to do it yourself and were you able to restrain his jaws? I am told one can make a muzzle out of a small paper cup with the bottom cut out and shoe strings. I have had three large males (all cat owners) try separately to do Milo’s front paws. No luck. They fled.

Off to put Bacitraicin on my wounds.

@OneMoreMinute

Well…I have a himalayan salt crystal lamp AND a Himalayan cat…bonus points! lolololol

Tip: Do not buy black velvet corderoy chairs with an extreme fluffy light colored cat…what was I thinkin’?

Go through about 2 of those sticky roller thingies a month. haha

@Coloma Turn down your low lighting a little more and you can save on cat hair rollers and electricity both!!! I LOVE velvet on everything!!!
Your kitty is a beauty! I have a 16 year old Siamese. Looks just like yours with a bit shorter hair. He sheds way tooooooo muchness!

@gailcalled Retrieve said feline into bathroom.
Close door.
Put a satellite dish (from the vet) around his neck.
Wrap him very tight in a bath towel with his arm pulled forward.
Gently and firmly grasp paw and separate toes to extend one claw.
Clip claw. Repeat to all toes, not too short.
Too short and you fail.
Repeat three more times.
Always sweet talk him to calm his nerves, and reward him with a favorite treat, like the juice from the tuna can.
With the patience of Mother Theresa, you can eventually break him.
Never clip too short.
Immediately apply antiseptic to all human flesh wounds.
Release said feline and go to kitchen.
Open a can of tuna and drain into small dish.
Place on floor.
Gently stroke feline while apologizing profusely, and using sweet glorious praise.
Go to fridge and open two cans of beer.
Hold one can on your forehead while slamming the other down your throat as fast as you can. Sigh, Cuss and swear and praise yourself profusely!!! Do a little touchdown dance!
In time you will love kitty beauty parlor as much as your Milo!

@OneMoreMinute

I love the siamese and himmy breeds, chock full o’ personality! ;-)

I want to reiterate. I have great cats.

@tinyfaery: Rubbing it in, are we? Have you no consideration?

I just don’t get. I’ve never had any cats (and I’ve had a lot) that do any of the things described in this thread. I must truly be a cat whisperer.

@tinyfaery: Or the cat dominatrix.