Cat scratching love seat in RV

Sandie

Well-known member
We are full-timing and are at our wits end. Our cat loves the front and sides of the love seat. We have 2 scratching posts, 1 with sisal, 1 with carpet. Have put cat nip on them, tried the spray bottle when she scratches sofa and tried double sided tape. She just goes around that to find a spot without it. I don't want to have her declawed but I may have no choice. Any other things I should try first? Not sure about those nail tips as she already has some holes in the fabric and if she still has nails with or without tips, I think she can still tear it.
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
The first thing we did was to declaw all three cats, wife thought that was better than getting rid of them.
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
Always had my cat's front claws removed...saved my furniture and did not hurt them at all...
 

Rrloren

Well-known member
We have not declawed ours, my wife found a cover that fits over the couch and that protects it from the claws and makes it easier to remove shed hair. The cover is easily removed if needed.
Additionally I learned how to trim their nails and keep the sharp points down. We didn't want them defenceless since they spend a little time outside.
 

Manzan

Well-known member
Several years ago we inherited a cat that love to scratch furniture along with a couple of other bad habits. Bought a Sisal scratching post and the first time she hit the furniture, picked her up, set her on the post and praised her. Every time she used the scratching post we praised her instantly. Became automatic and she stopped using the furniture within a day and she was not a young cat. Around 8-9 years old. Her other really bad habit was biting- hard. Even drew blood. That took a couple of months to stop entirely.
 

jjriker

Well-known member
Our cat was pulling at rugs and carpets, and we used Softpaws. (http://www.softpaws.com/) They worked great. They were easy to put on, and stopped him from doing any more damage. They were so soft and blunt that it was impossible for him to get any hold, his nails would slip right off whatever he was trying to scratch. They last about 6 weeks, as the nail grows they eventually fall off, and then you trim the nails and put a new set on. And the best part is that we didn't have to do it forever. I think we used them for maybe nine months, I can't remember now, but we replaced them several times anyway. He seemed to forget about pulling at the rugs, because when they fell off the last time, he didn't do it anymore, and so we never put them back on. That was about 2 or 3 years ago, and no problem since.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Have never owner cats, always dogs, but I guess any animal will do what comes natural unless you train them otherwise. Maybe cats are harder to train but I am sure it can be done.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I throw a towel over the top of the couch because of the cat, and try to remember to bring her cardboard scratcher.

For the next couple of months I am just doing weekend trips, so she is too much a hassle to bring along. She can survive extended weekends at home alone. Also, it is really a "fight to the finish" to get her into her transport cage to/from the RV storage at the ends of the trips.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
There are sprays that you can use to deter cats and dogs from using certain areas. Rather than apply it directly to the furniture, temporarily pin an old towel over the areas and liberally apply the spray to that. You may have to repeat it a few times. Eventually, they get the idea. It does have an odor detectable to humans, but it is not overpowering or offensive.

Another cat deflecting device is a simple bicycle horn, the kind with the rubber bulb on it. Give it a few loud toots aimed at kitty when they misbehave. After a while, all you need do is reach for it and kitty gets the idea.
 

Sandie

Well-known member
I have read the reviews on the soft paws and we are going to try those and all the other ideas given to us first. I really don't want to declaw her, as a matter of fact, our Vet refuses to perform declaws anymore.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
I have read the reviews on the soft paws and we are going to try those and all the other ideas given to us first. I really don't want to declaw her, as a matter of fact, our Vet refuses to perform declaws anymore.

I didn't read if you regularly trim her claws or not. If you've never done it, you might be in for a fight trying to get the SoftPaws on. We've been clipping Max's claws since we got him over 7 years ago and it's still a best 2 out of 3 falls proposition to get them done.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
We are full-timing and are at our wits end. Our cat loves the front and sides of the love seat. We have 2 scratching posts, 1 with sisal, 1 with carpet. Have put cat nip on them, tried the spray bottle when she scratches sofa and tried double sided tape. She just goes around that to find a spot without it. I don't want to have her declawed but I may have no choice. Any other things I should try first? Not sure about those nail tips as she already has some holes in the fabric and if she still has nails with or without tips, I think she can still tear it.

Please do not have your cat mutilated. Their claws are their "fingertips" and they use them all the time. To play with toys. To climb and to stretch, and if necessary, to defend themselves. There are some times complications from declawing. Not only in the cats personality and sometimes chronic pain from the now mutilated paws, but litterbox issues as well. Are you aware that 26 nations and some US cities have outlawed it as cruel, barbaric and of no benefit to the cat? There are many sites you can check out before having her mutilated.

http://www.declawing.com/
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
The first thing we did was to declaw all three cats, wife thought that was better than getting rid of them.

Why would she have gotten rid of them if they had their claws as nature/God intended? You can clip their claws as we do. Glue on SoftNails and do other things rather than have them mutilated for life.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
Always had my cat's front claws removed...saved my furniture and did not hurt them at all...

Didn't hurt them? How can it not hurt them when the entire last bone of the digit is removed and cats are digitigrade? And they use their claws as we use our fingertips. I worked in an Animal Hospital for years and can tell you this is a cruel thing to do to a cat and it is painful. Painful and bloody. Are you aware how many Nations have outlawed it as cruel and unnecessary and of no benefit to the cat? Even some US cities have outlawed it. Please educate yourself before encouraging others to mutilate their cats for life. Once those last bones are removed with the claw attached, there is no fixing the paws. It's infuriating when people make this surgery sound like it's little more than a nail-clipping.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/declawing.html
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
We have not declawed ours, my wife found a cover that fits over the couch and that protects it from the claws and makes it easier to remove shed hair. The cover is easily removed if needed.
Additionally I learned how to trim their nails and keep the sharp points down. We didn't want them defenceless since they spend a little time outside.

Thank you. Thank you and thank you for not mutilating your cats. :) We have indoor only cats and they were easily trained with a spray bottle of water to use their scratching posts and cat-trees and cat-condos. If someone values their furniture over the welfare of their cats, they shouldn't have them. Toy cats would serve them better and are unable to suffer from having their paws mutilated when they're digitigrade and will forever never be able to carry their weight as nature intended on those paws. Nor will they ever be able to defend themselves or evade a predator or hunt or grab a toy or even stretch without their front claws.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
Have never owner cats, always dogs, but I guess any animal will do what comes natural unless you train them otherwise. Maybe cats are harder to train but I am sure it can be done.

It can be done and is done all the time. But some people don't want to bother training the cat and so run it to a vet who will happily do the mutilation as it's a money maker for them. The USA vets will almost never tell the owner the downside and will never mention how many countries have already outlawed this cruel practice. There are vets who refuse to do this unnecessary surgery but most are more interested in an income than fighting to get our laws changed banning this surgery.
 

RanCarr

Well-known member
I have read the reviews on the soft paws and we are going to try those and all the other ideas given to us first. I really don't want to declaw her, as a matter of fact, our Vet refuses to perform declaws anymore.

And thank God for that! :) Your vet has compassion and knows the real story about declawing. He's not greedy for income. It's a horrible painful and often crippling mutilation and it can't be reversed.
 

Sandie

Well-known member
We bought the soft paws and had her groomer put them on... she looks fabulous in purple. They do work and have decided to never de-claw her. They should last for 6 weeks so every time she goes in for her grooming I will have them put a new set on. Hot Pink next time.
 

jjriker

Well-known member
We bought the soft paws and had her groomer put them on... she looks fabulous in purple. They do work and have decided to never de-claw her. They should last for 6 weeks so every time she goes in for her grooming I will have them put a new set on. Hot Pink next time.

Awesome! I'm glad they worked for you. I was amazed how well they worked when we put them on the first time. I still have a bunch in my cat supplies in case our cat ever starts doing it again.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
It never ceases to amaze me how this forum seems to solve a problem we have at just the right time. Patti and I took in 2 feral cats, strays. We didn’t want to, it was an accident, honest :). First it was feeding Sweet Pea 1 very black cat. After 2 weeks Sweet Pea brought her kitten Pee Wee along for a free bite to eat. One thing led to another and after a few trips to the vet. Them little buggers snuck into the house or so Patti says.

So here they are in our home playing and doing cat stuff. Every morning after tea and crumpets, Pee Wee morphs into “CHUCKY – the home terror”. One of his “look at me” tactics is the game of furniture elimination. We’ve tried several things but cats will be cats. I even held “CHUCKIE” and forced him to watch reruns of ALF, nothing worked.

I just ordered Soft Paws, what a great idea, I hope they work. The only thing that worries me is waking up to find “Chucky” put them on me.

On a more serious note, we trim our cat’s nails and it looks to be no big deal putting the Soft Paws on (I watched the video). Basically they are the same thing used on humans designed to fit cats. I’ll bet it’s even super glue that holds them on. Also, we have found it makes the job much easier “IF” we wrap our cats in a large bath towel and allow only 1 leg out at a time while Patti trims nails and now softens their paws. We will go with a bright color to easily see if a Soft Paw cap fell off. Still I wish the ALF thing worked better though :).

Happy RVing (w/ ur Soft Pawed cats) !
 
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