how do i get my cats to stop scratching up my furniture and walls?

Question

i have had my cats for about 3 years. in the past couple of months they have been scratching my furniture and walls. the paint is even starting to chip off and the furniture has tags. i tried spraying the cats with water right away after so hopefully they can try and identify what they did was wrong, and even giving them a little slap with some news paper because the news paper makes a loud noise and is not harmful. but they still go at it. how do i stop them from ruining my house? and why did they start doing this all of a sudden? they are neutered. one likes to be out side and the other likes to be inside. they both do it. and i have noticed they have been getting a little sassy. they are starting to scratch my boyfriend i. that is intolerable. the other day my boyfriend was playing innocently with my cat and bit him on the hand. i could tell it was hard because he had teeth marks. that isn't the first time they have done this. they used to be so good. they still are but they have their moments. what can i do?

Answer 1

TAPE: Cats HATE stickiness on their paws. Create a "pad" of duct tape to be placed over the area of the couch where he scratches, with the sticky side OUT.



VINYL MAT: Purchase one of those clear vinyl carpet mats in the same department you can find rugs. They are the ones that have those small "spikes" on the underside that hold the vinyl mat in place on a carpet. Then CUT (good pair of scissors will work very well)) the mat to the shape of the area of the couch where he scratches, with the "spikes" pointing outwards. He will hate that, too!



Keeping the scratching post close, if not in front of, the couch will retrain him to "prefer" THAT over the very UNFRIENDLY couch.



See below for products you can use.



As for scratching the door, there are scratch pads that hang on doorknobs. Do you have this kind? Have you placed it on the door where the cat scratches? There is also catnip sprays to draw them TO the scratch pad instead.





Me... kittyslave23... I know my place.

Answer 2

NO! never declaw an animal. it is bad for their bones and agility and will cost you more in the end as it will result in severe arthritis in your pet as it ages! plus it is a gruesome surgery, the animals "finger" is amputated at the first knuckle not just the claw removed!!!! My cats scratched up my door frames until i bought a scratch pad. They sell them at walmart for about 9 dollars and are infused with catnip and come with catnip to encourage your pet to scratch there and not your furniture. If that does not work they sell plastic type nail covers (almost like our acrylic nail alternative to long nails) that you can have put on by your vet, however these covers will wear away as a natural nail would, but are fairly inexpensive and are sold at your vets office as well as at a pet care supply store such at petco or petsmart.

Answer 3

maybe there was a change in diet or a change in the household or it could be a medical attention i suggest talking to the vet about the problems cats need to scracth so it can get rid of dead toe nails so you might have to clip them with cat clip nails which is better than getting it de-claw because one of them is mostly out-door how would it defend it self with no nails plus get a scracthing post adding cat-nip on it most cats want to scracth something be on top of it too clipping the nails is a weekly effort but first i suggest talking to the vet on why on their behavior change and how to clip the nails

Answer 4

If they are not outside cats. get their front paws de-clawed.