how do you stop your cats from scratching....

glasgow guy · 25-02-2007, 10:01

as in the heading..this is obviously aimed at cat owners/lovers so I am looking for thier advice....
following on from my thread about getting rid of my old suite and getting a new one I got up this morning to find that 1 of the cats has scratched it already

..its not too bad but its got me wondering what I can do to stop it from happening again...??
now no doubt I will get the stick the cats in a bag, get rid of the cats, take their claws out, get rid of the suite answers but I would like some help on this...is there some kind of protector you can buy for your suite..?
and we do have scratch posts before anyone asks that..

thanks in advance

Tealeaf · 25-02-2007, 11:46

Easy solution.

Kill your cats. They are filthy little animals and a total waste of space.

No further problems with your settee.

Doug · 25-02-2007, 12:08

Blow their bloody paws off..................

Sorry............

flashy · 25-02-2007, 12:46

buy a scratch post

jelly baby · 25-02-2007, 13:11

Not all cats will use a scratch post, we have 3 cats and only 1 will use it. We have found the other 2 like to scratch carpets so we got a few carpet samples and they like those especially if they are turned over to the hessian backings. You could have them de clawed but you wouldn't be able to let them out as they would not be able to defend themselves.

Margaret Pilkington · 25-02-2007, 13:24

When I bought a new leather settee, I also bought some lemon oil......I mixed this with some leather cleaner and gave the whole of the settee a rub down with the mixture.....the cats stayed away as they hate the smell of anything citrus.....so if your new furniture is leather, you might want to try that. If it is a cloth covered sofa then you could try mixing some lemon oil in a spray bottle and give the fabric a very light misting.....try this on an inconspicuous area as a precautionary measure first....but essential oils of the citrus group don't usually stain.

glasgow guy · 25-02-2007, 13:26

dont want to kill them...so thats out of the question...I dont have a gun so i cant blow their paws off...and like I mentioned in my post I already have scratch posts...
but I am glad I wasn't let down by non serious replies...maybe someone will come up with a helpful answer that doesnt involve killing said moggies...

edit : - where did you get your lemon oil from ? as it is a leather suite...and thank you for the reply !

Margaret Pilkington · 25-02-2007, 13:33

Holland and Barrett...it isn't the cheapest place, but the bottle is about ten mls and you only need a few drops....but it is worth repeating the process each time you clean the sofa....failing that why not try some lemon scented furniture polish.....it may work just as well.
PS......the lemon oil does smell lovely.

Margaret Pilkington · 25-02-2007, 13:35

I'm glad you aren't considering killing your cats as Tealeaf suggested. I love my cats and would never ever harm them...in fact they are far nicer than some people I have met. (NO....I've never met Tealeaf...so I'm not referring to him)

glasgow guy · 25-02-2007, 13:40

thanks for that..and I am sure your not supposed to use furniture polish on leather suites??...anyway I shall give holland & barrats a visit...
thank you very much..

Margaret Pilkington · 25-02-2007, 13:45

There are some specialist polishes for leather suites...i just thought that maybe one would be scented with lemon...it does seem a popular scent for cleaning products.
My sister in law insured her leather suite for pet damage when she bought it....it was a good job too because the dog took a great chunk out of the back while she was out at work one day...the insurance company paid for the sofa to be replaced....YES, the damage was awesome. I think the dog thought it was a huge leather dog chew

WillowTheWhisp · 25-02-2007, 14:42

I wish I'd thought about this before our cats started to demolish the furniture!

Has anybody got any idea to stop them scratching table legs and digging holes in the floor? Can you polish wood with lemon oil?

Margaret Pilkington · 25-02-2007, 16:42

Yes Willow you can....and you can use it neat on wood.

entwisi · 25-02-2007, 19:02

another option is to put double sided sellotape on the edges as they hate their paws getting sticky. A few weeks should be enough to dissuade them

MUMMIBOO · 25-02-2007, 19:11

If you look in the pet shop you can buy a cat repelant.