My cat won't use a scratching post...how do I fix this?

Question

My cat is about 8 years old and has never used a scratching post. We have two sisel posts and 2 cardboard floor scratchers throughout our home. Our young cat loves all these scratching posts and uses them all the time. The older one though won't go near them.

She doesn't like cat nip, so sprinkling cat nip on the posts or near them doesn't work. She perfers our $800 rug to scratch on but doesn't do it every day, so catching her with a squirt bottle is difficult. Putting the posts near/on the rug doesn't help because she won't use the scratching posts. We've tried those soft paws on her a couple times and they are a disaster - they don't fall off and kitty ends up at the vet's office to have them cut out of her pad that they've grown into. Cat deterent spray that you buy at pet stores doesn't work either.

In our old apartment I put down old floor mats from a car and she scratched on those, but they were ugly - don't really want those in my house.

Maybe a cheap but pretty rug from Ikea for kitty to scratch and some citrus spray to deter her from the nice rug is the solution?

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

I have 2 kittens and originally one post. One kitten would not use the post & kept scratching my sofa & rugs. Every time he did it I picked him up and took him to the post but he still kept coming back to the sofa. I've now bought another post which he does use. I think they wanted a post each as they each stick to their own posts now.  

Answer 2

You can try one of these two method to teach your cat to use the scratching post.

Method One

Hold treats near the post to get your cat to come near the post. Slowly, make your cat come closer and closer to the post to get the treat. Then increase the height at which you are holding the treat so your cat must put his paws up the post to reach the treat. Gradually increase the height at which you hold the treat so that your cat eventually has to climb to the top in order to get the treat. This training session is a slow process to be worked on each day, making small progress each time you work on it.

Method Two

Using the kind of cat toys that are at the end of a string, dangle, drag, and swing one of your cat's toys. Do this on and around the post. Use the scratching post as the play area. Your cat will climb up and down and around his post to try to reach his toy. By doing this, his post will be a place of fun and good memories.

Also, since she does not respond to catnip, you may want to try another alternative. It's called Valarian and has the same effect as catnip. Honeysuckle is also another plant that will cause similar reaction.

http://www.cat-alog.com/cat_toys2.html

Answer 3

The age old question, why doesn't kitty use the scratching post?

Cats have preferences, same as humans, and your cat has told you that she prefers horizontal rugs to poles.  So, first thing to do is take a serious look at your scratching poles.  Cats like to scratch things that are solid, won't move under them, and feel secure.  If your poles are too short, or wobbly, she might not like using them.  Also, if she can't stretch out her full length, that might be another reason.  Take a good look at your pole and see if it meets these requirements, if it doesn't, try investing or making one that does.  If she doesn't like sisal, try getting a cat tree that is covered in a more rug like material.

Next, as for the rug, actually put it away for the time that you are trying to get kitty to use a more appropriate scratching post.  Try putting a couple of cardboard scratchers where the rug is, or better yet, get a couple of cheap floor mats from the store, and put those where the rug is. Start moving the floor mat or cardboard scratcher to where the tree is, Eventually propping up the scratcher securely on the tree, and then removing the scratcher.  Or, you can cover the scratcher with the floor mat, and then slowly cut out pieces of the floor mat to expose the cardboard underneath.  Once she is consistently using the scratcher or tree, then put your rug back, and maybe spray it with a strong citrus smell, and watch her like a hawk with a water bottle.  With a new habit in place, and a bad habit being punished, she should soon get the idea.

Also, a cheap but pretty rug will be perfect, if you are willing to do it, and not care about the rug :)

Answer 4

Maybe your cat thinks that if she scratches on the posts that you'll sqirt her with water. Maybe when she scratches on your rug you could take her to the post and rub her paws up against it to show her. Maybe doing this everytime will train her. HOPE THIS HELPED SAY HI TO KITTY FOR ME :)  

Answer 5

It' s very easy to get your cat to start using a scratching post!

A lot of cats won't use the sisel posts and most cats like to stretch up and scratch.  So the cardboard ones aren't of use to them either.   Save your money.  Don't buy the soft paws.  Cats were meant to scratch and it's good for them as it comforts them.   I have a solution for you.



Get a scratching post with tight carpeting on it. Not shag carpet.    Preferably berber carpeting.

They like to dig their nails in the carpeting that's why your cat loves your carpeting.    Get one with a perch on top so she can sit up there.  She will LOVE it.  Buy one that is high enough that she can stretch right up when she's standing on her hind legs.

When you bring it home show her how to scratch the post and she'll start scratching it.    I've never met a cat who can't be trained to scratch on a post.  You just have to find the right one and the ones with tight carpeting on it, will work.

A big hug to you for asking about scratching posts and not declawing her.  You're a wonderful person!!  Take care

  

Answer 6

You can try a couple of things. You could put double sided tape on the rug to keep her from scratching it. She won't like the feel and probably would stop walking on it all together. You can get something called Sticky Paws from Petsmart that wont damage the fabric.

I had a kitten that liked to play with the carpet where it met tile and she pulled it up and was unraveling it. I had a plastic mat that is supposed to go in front of the litter box to get the litter, but she would never step on it because she didn't like it, so I put it where she was messing with the carpet and she stopped after a couple weeks. It was the mat that had little spikes to walk on, I think I got it from Wal-Mart.

You may want to experiment with different materials for her to scratch. She doesn't like the rope or cardboard, so try a different material, there are all sorts of stuff for cats to scratch.

Answer 7

1st get a water gun and every time anyone sees her scratching something she should not.. spray her with it...

and try putting her paws on the scratching post so she gets the feel of it.... and I know you wrote she does like not catnip..but try the spray version of it.. that seems to work for the anti-catnip cat.