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MysticFireTopaz -> RE: What is your cat doing? (4/18/2010 11:50:05 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ShaharThorne
Some help here...I am trying to train (HAH!) Binx not to scratch up the sofa and futon. She has 2 scratching posts. How can I get her interested in the posts and not the sofa and futon?
I already threaten her with the spray bottle...
Way back when my sofa was new, I trained the cat I owned at the time by giving her a treat and talking to her lovingly when she used the scratch post. Also, rubbing the suface of the scratching post with catnips helps, too. When Amanda scratched the sofa, I would yell at her and either squirt her with the spray bottle or throw the device my vet recommended (an empty soda can filled with some coins and then taped shut) in her direction to startle her. That worked great with that cat, though it required a lot of vigilance.
That cat went to kitty heaven several years ago. I must admit I have been lax with the two I have now, as it was a lot of effort to train Amanda. One thing I have found that works is covering the sofa with a slipcover that has a smooth texture. They don't seem to get any gratification out of scratching that and pretty much leave it alone.
I am, however, planning to get a new sofa and chair for the living room soon, and will go back to the training methods I used with Amanda. Not looking forward to it, though, as it requires a lot of effort and vigilance. I suppose I could get smooth-textured slipcovers for the new sofa and chair similar to the ones I have for the old ones, but I'd really prefer not to.
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