Board 8 > Of cats and claws

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I have two cats. One is ten years old. When I got him and his sister, I felt forced to front-declaw them. I don't regret that decision, because the cats are much more enjoyable to be around and because I would have inevitably spent that same money replacing my roommate's furniture with nothing to show for it, but I am well aware of the significance of declawing and I am trying not to subject the new cat to that. She's better than her predecessors (probably because she's over a year old,) and I now live somewhere where the furniture is mine, but I'm still not happy with the amount of times she digs her claws into things. I'm looking for what I can do to keep my computer chair and my sectional intact from her.

Some notes:

1) I have scratching pads and posts available. She uses them. This isn't for lack of an outlet. This is just because she sits on something and then kneads her claws, or because she jumps onto something, using her claws to pull herself up.
2) I am not trying to overtly keep the cat off the furniture. I don't want her to feel like she can't be near me when I'm sitting at the computer. I certainly don't want to drive her away from the couch which she uses on her own throughout the day. So I'm not going to scare her off, rub the furniture down with foul scents, or apply double-sided tape.
3) Both chair and couch are faux leather. There are vinyl protectors you can get for upholstered covers, but they aren't safe for use on leather. Office chair covers are designed for protection against dust or liquid, not being pierced.
4) I've tried covering with blankets. That works to a limited degree on the couch, and I've definitely covered the parts she would use to "swim" across the floor, pulling herself across the hardwood by digging into the couch. However, nothing ever wants to stay on top of my chair. If it did, my chair would be fine.
5) She won't let me trim her claws. I have a clipper. I'm probably not very good with it. Nonetheless, in theory, I know how to trim her nails without cutting the quick. She just won't tolerate it. Plus, that's a very temporary solution.

Truthfully, I'm more worried about the chair, and in particular the top of the chair. I'd love if there was some kind of leather pad attached to some elastic that I could just slide over the top. That precise product doesn't seem to exist. I'm curious if anyone has any other ideas, though.

Please do not turn this topic into a philosophical discussion over the atrocities of declawing.

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My current cat was declawed by her previous owners before they abandoned her and she definitely has behavioral issues and bites a lot because of it so it's kind of a trade off of what you're willing to put up with

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Spray bottle full of water.

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You don't have to do anything gimmicky, just set boundaries and be firm about them and the cat will get the idea. Invest in a squirt bottle and let your cat taste liquid fear. Also works on small children.

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First, are you making sure to trim the cat's claws?

Second, cats and leather just really don't mix.

That's all I've got, neither of my cats really scratch furniture.
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azuarc posted...

5) She won't let me trim her claws. I have a clipper. I'm probably not very good with it. Nonetheless, in theory, I know how to trim her nails without cutting the quick. She just won't tolerate it. Plus, that's a very temporary solution.

You have to suck it up and do this, it's kind of the important part. Wrap the cat in a towel or something so she can't fight you too much. If you are persistent she will learn to stop fighting it.

Also you can try an anti-scratch spray but those have mixed results. I also recommend buying catnip and sprinkling that on the scratching posts periodically to get her to prefer those.

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Yeah our cat doesn't mind having his paws touched but any more than that and he no likey, so my wife wraps him in a towel while I do the clipping. He still fidgets and wrestles about but it usually goes by really quick.
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Leather and cats dont mix. You done goofed.

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redrocket posted...

Leather and cats dont mix. You done goofed.

I got the furniture before the second cat. Claws were not a consideration at the time. As I said, my previous cats were declawed.

Either way, the answer can't just be to throw up my hands and say, "I guess my furniture will be ruined." I don't like the idea of trimming her nails constantly, but I may have to double down on that.

I'm trying to decide if https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L9HCN5W would protect the chair top. $37 feels expensive, but if it does the job, maybe it's worth it.

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Best bet is to suck it up and trim her nails.

As for scratching posts and stuff, try putting catnip on it. It doesn't work for all cats but some react to it and will scratch more on those points, dulling the nails a bit.

But really just trim the nails.

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