New Kitten - Hubby Wants to Make Her Into

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Discussion Overview

This thread centers around the challenges of managing a new kitten's behavior, particularly regarding scratching furniture and other surfaces. Participants share their experiences and various strategies they have tried or considered to address these issues.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, describes the difficulties of having a new kitten that scratches walls and furniture, expressing frustration with the damage caused.
  • Another participant shares their experience of using a cardboard scratching box with catnip, which successfully redirected their cat's scratching behavior.
  • Several users mention various deterrents, such as using vinegar in water, aluminum foil, and citrus scents to discourage scratching in unwanted areas.
  • One participant notes that their kittens use the scratching post but struggles with them getting on counters, suggesting the use of a squirt bottle as a deterrent.
  • Another participant discusses the idea of crating the kitten when they are not home or at night as a potential solution.
  • One participant expresses a personal opinion in favor of declawing, sharing their past experiences with it, while acknowledging differing views on the practice.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the effectiveness of various methods for managing scratching behavior, with no clear consensus emerging on the best approach. Some participants support the idea of declawing, while others express concerns about it.

Contextual Notes

Participants share a range of personal experiences and solutions based on their interactions with their own pets, reflecting the diverse challenges faced by cat owners.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers within the consultant community who are dealing with similar issues related to kitten behavior and scratching may find the shared experiences and suggestions relevant.

kcjodih
kcjodih
Gold Member
Messages
3,391
CHOW MEIN!!:eek:

As some of you may recall we spent a long 4 months having our new house built with a month and a half being homeless due to delays. Once in and settled we went and got our son a kitten as promised. We already have a 11 year old cat but our 9 year old son has never had a kitten.

It's a great little kitten but it IS a kitten which we have not had to have patience for for many years. It's on top of the table, on top of the counters, knocking things over, attacking the cat (wanting to play) etc. We have tried squirting it with a water bottle and yelling NO, hitting (tapping gently) with a rolled up and taped newspaper etc to no avail but it will come in time I know. However, in this beautiful new house of ours that was JUST finally finished last week after being in here two months the lovely little kitty is choosing to use our door frames and the rounded corners of our walls as it's SCRATCHING POST!!:mad: :eek: :mad:

4 different walls now have HUGE scratches through the paint down to the drywall in lengths of 6 - 12 inches!! I'm talking 8-10 scratches on each of these 4 areas! The other night while lying in bed we heard thud! and then scrattttttttttttttttch. It RAN at the wall and then slid down it. It usually just stands on it's hind legs and scratches!! We've bought a cat scratching post and taken her to it after yelling no at the walls but it's not working. Hubby wants to get her declawed but ishe's only 3.5 months old and I believe ? she has to be 6 months old. I'm calling the vet tomorrow to check but in the meantime I wanted to see if anyone here had any ideas/suggestions of what I could try since as I mentioned hubby keeps threatening to make her into chinese food!:eek: :eek:
 
MMMM - Sweet and Sour Kitty!:yuck:

Have you tried catnip on her scratching post? Actually, what worked best for us wasn't a post, but a big corrugated cardboard box type thingy that came with catnip to sprinkle into it. She (our kitty) loved it so much, she slept on it, and it totally cured her of scratching anything else. She is now 16, and we still have to replace it periodically. We buy them at a local Pet Superstore.
 
EEEK!! Sorry about your walls! No advice~sorry!! Too bad we didn't live closer, my hubby owns a painting company~he could help you fix your walls/trim! Good luck with your kitty!!
 
Okay found this at catscratching.com.

Remember that an important part of scratching is the cat's desire to mark a territory, so a scratching post should be in an area that's used by the family, not hidden in a back corner. After a time you can move the post away to the periphery of the room, but you'll need to do this gradually.

Initially, put the post where your cat goes to scratch. This may be by a sofa, a chair or wherever Kitty has chosen as her territiory, and you may need more than one post to cover her favorite spots. Security is a major factor in making the post appealing to your cat. If it topples or shakes, she won't use it. It should either be secured to the floor or have a base wide enough and heavy enough to keep it stable.

Encourage Kitty to use her post with clever enticements. Feed her and play with her by the post. Rub dried catnip leaves or powder into it. Make all the asssociations with the post pleasurable. Reward her with a favorite treat when she uses it. Have her chase a string or a toy around the post or attach toys to it, which will result in her digging her claws into it. Eventually she will learn to love it and regard it as her own. It's also a good idea to put a post where Kitty sleeps. Cats like to scratch when they awaken, especially in the morning and the middle of the night. If space permits, a scratching post in every room of the house is a cat's delight. The most important place is the area of the house in which you and Kitty spend the most time. I have many sisal posts in my house, yet often in the morning my cats line up to use the one in the living room.

If at first Kitty is reluctant to give up her old scratching areas, there are means you can use to discourage her. Covering the area with aluminum foil or double-sided tape is a great deterrent. These surfaces don't have a texture that feels good to scratch.

Remember too that Kitty has marked her favorite spots with her scent as well as her claws. You may need to remove her scent from the areas you want to distract her away from. You will find pet odor removers in pet stores and many supermarkets as well.

Cats have an aversion to citrus odors. Use lemon-scented sprays or a potpourri of lemon and orange peels to make her former scratching sites less agreeable to her.

If Kitty still persists in scratching the furniture, try squirting her with a water gun or a spray bottle set on stream. Another option is a loud whistle or other noise-maker. You must employ these deterrents while she is scratching for them to be effective. The point is to establish an aversion to the spot you don't want her to scratch.

For myself, I just locked my little one in the bathroom with her scratching post, litter box, and food. After about a week she got the idea, afterwards if she ever reverted as soon as she misbehaved I would give her a tap on the nose with a firm no and then put her back in the bathroom for about a half a day.
 
Shockingly, our kittens actually do use the scratching post:thumbup: What drives me nuts is they keep getting on the counters:grumpy: I'm going to buy a squirt bottle to squirt them with water when they do it.
For getting up on top of the couch, my mil recommended putting saran wrap on it; they don't like the feel so they won't go up there.
 
you need to put a little vinegar in the water it repels them better.
Our house cat used to love the shower she would get in with him (he was the only one who didn't like her)

Have you tried crating it when you are gone or at night?
 
ChefBeckyD I am so happy to hear about the cardboard scratching. I just bought one yesterday, and fell in love with the store PETSMART. OMG! I spent $50! But $20 was on cat litter, since my cat was not going in her box, happy to report she is going in it now, thanks to moving her box and gettign Cat Attract litter.
 
Cat Attract Litter?? Is that the name of it? My little one has decided she doesn't like the litter box anymore. My dh "stepped in it" yesterday after church and was about to take her to the pound on the spot. EEK!!! Does anyone else have any ideas??
 
ChefBeckyD said:
It's similar to what I have - not that brand, but very close!
Click to expand...

They are VERY popular and you can buy refills for them...amazing how paper bags and cardboard keep cats happy! LOL!
 
Personally I would get the cat declawed! I know a lot of people think it is not right, but I had two cats I had it done on (only the front) and it was great. They healed very fast and did fine w/it.

My cat now was too sick when I got her to get them done, now she is too fat. I swear she heard the vet say if she weights too much, we can't do it:)! (Yes, she is pictured at left - Her name is Mia. I had to have another Siamese!)

As an alternative to declawing I have used Soft Paws (Alternatives to Declawing, Nail Caps for Cats) on my cat. They are soft covers you super glue on the cats paws. The cat will lick them a lot at first, but they get used to them. I've actually let my cats fall off since she is getting better about scratching and my furniture is very old! If I had new I would make sure she had them on all the time! I do trim her nails once a week though so she's not destructive. The material of my couch is strong.

Good luck!
 
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janetupnorth said:
They are VERY popular and you can buy refills for them...amazing how paper bags and cardboard keep cats happy! LOL!
Click to expand...

boxes from PC! my cat can hardly wait for me to empty a box so she can jump in and sit! Hmmm, actually my 3 yr old is about the same!:D Yep - paper bags and cardboard keep the boy happy too!:thumbup:
 
Since we're sharing about kitties...here is mine...she's 13, adopted at age 11 from the shelter...
Outforastroll.jpg
 
Cat in a boxhttp://icanhascheezburger.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/1283471271467187505lbbox15lb.jpg
 
We are hvaing problems with our cat too. She is five months old. And I cannot wait for 6 months to have her declawed. I have begged my son to give her away but I cannot talk him into it. We have a male cat before and I think I would have preferred a male this time. My inlaws have the two males siblings to our cat and they are not having the trouble we are.

I need to take a pic and post. She has taken into sleeping in my stockpot I got for Panorama that is sitting out on my counter. It is cute even if it does drive me crazy!
 
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pampchefrhondab said:
Personally I would get the cat declawed! I know a lot of people think it is not right, but I had two cats I had it done on (only the front) and it was great. They healed very fast and did fine w/it.

My cat now was too sick when I got her to get them done, now she is too fat. I swear she heard the vet say if she weights too much, we can't do it:)! (Yes, she is pictured at left - Her name is Mia. I had to have another Siamese!)

As an alternative to declawing I have used Soft Paws (Alternatives to Declawing, Nail Caps for Cats) on my cat. They are soft covers you super glue on the cats paws. The cat will lick them a lot at first, but they get used to them. I've actually let my cats fall off since she is getting better about scratching and my furniture is very old! If I had new I would make sure she had them on all the time! I do trim her nails once a week though so she's not destructive. The material of my couch is strong.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Declawing seems to be a popular debate around people...I never realized it until I saw the Soft Claws at work. I was rolling on the floor laughing when I first saw them - they are even sold in Halloween colors currently!!!!

Then I realized how much declawing was a debate with people and how many but these. Personally all my cats have been declawed...my current cat "came that way". She is outside most of the summer during the day, in at night and does just fine...she can still scale a tree without front claws (she has rear ones).

The soft claws if you use them do not interfere with nail extraction and retraction and will last about 4-6 weeks.

They don't fit well unless your cat is over 3 weeks old...and come in various sizes.
 
I vote for de-clawing...
 
What we did, was take aluminum foil, wad it up, then un wad it so it is bumpy. then attach it with painters tape to the area where kitty is scatching. the foil is lumpy and sharp, it will hurt the cats paw (but not cut or damage the paw). after a few attempts of my cat scratching, he finally gave up because it hurt. after a few days or weeks when you take the foil down the cat will associate scratching the area to pain. if that doesn't work you and get a bitter apple spray at the vet and apply that to repel the cat. If none of these work, than you will probably either have to live with it or have the cat declawed, which is what I would do, but if you declaw the cat, she will alway have to be an indoor cat. Also, DON"T put vinegar in with the water, if it gets into the his eyes, it will burn very badly. This was told to me by my cats vet, she also said it is ok to swat with a rolled up newspaper, cause it doesn't hurt, its more the noise that scares them than anything, she said the vinegar actually causes alot of pain.
 
pampchefrhondab said:
Personally I would get the cat declawed! I know a lot of people think it is not right, but I had two cats I had it done on (only the front) and it was great. They healed very fast and did fine w/it.

My cat now was too sick when I got her to get them done, now she is too fat. I swear she heard the vet say if she weights too much, we can't do it:)! (Yes, she is pictured at left - Her name is Mia. I had to have another Siamese!)

As an alternative to declawing I have used Soft Paws (Alternatives to Declawing, Nail Caps for Cats) on my cat. They are soft covers you super glue on the cats paws. The cat will lick them a lot at first, but they get used to them. I've actually let my cats fall off since she is getting better about scratching and my furniture is very old! If I had new I would make sure she had them on all the time! I do trim her nails once a week though so she's not destructive. The material of my couch is strong.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

hey, my cat is about 25 lbs, way overweight but we have tried everyhting to get him to lose weight, Nothing works. He is declawed. They did it with him being so overweight and everything. We didn't want to but when my son was about 9 months old he scratched him right across the face -barely missed his eye so off he went to the vets.
 
I have never heard of soft claws. Where yo you get them? Major pet stores or would Walmart have them. I could do that until we declaw. There is only one vet around here that even does it. My FIL is paying to have to cat fixed and the vet he goes to does not declaw, so, we have to talk him into taking it to the other vet so they can fix and declaw at the same time. We will pay the difference for the declawing. My husband was against declawing until she started clawing everything including the new couch and chair we just paid for!
 
I am in Chattanooga and I know Petco and petsmart carry them but i haven't seen them at walmart.
 
We tried everything...Sticky Paws (double stick tape for cats) worked for a bit, but then they decided to use other things. anyway, when our house was remodeled 5 years ago and we got all new furniture, we had both of them declawed. We debated and debated. My husband even went to the vet's office to discuss it with them. It's done with a laser now and is much less painful and cruelty free than it used to be. Our cats were 5 and 3 when we had it done. The younger one still "scratches" on the corner of the couch, but she can't hurt anything since there aren't any claws.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #24
Thank you everyone! We ARE going the declawing route as she IS an indoor cat (too many foxes and coyotes here!) however we have been told we have to wait until she is 6 months old - so wait and stress we are! 6 months is January 4th so I can't WAIT to see how the Christmas tree/kitty thing goes :eek:

With the advice above, I went to the petstore today (after also calling the vet to confirm) and bought a spray that I sprayed on the damaged corner walls PLUS window sills that I saw her this morning standing on her hind legs using the lower ledge as her scratching post as well :mad: :eek: I also got catnip to rub into her scratching post (they didn't have spray) and I did both of these 1/2 hour ago. Now I wait and watch....

Thanks again everyone! If this doesn't work I'll try the tinfoil and painters tape or the double sided tape..or maybe even the goofy mittens LOL
 
kcjodih said:
I also got catnip to rub into her scratching post (they didn't have spray) and I did both of these 1/2 hour ago. Now I wait and watch....
Click to expand...


She probably will not react to the catnip. Some cats never do and most won't when they are young. My adult cats love the stuff.:love:
 
jrstephens said:
I have never heard of soft claws. Where yo you get them? Major pet stores or would Walmart have them. I could do that until we declaw. There is only one vet around here that even does it. My FIL is paying to have to cat fixed and the vet he goes to does not declaw, so, we have to talk him into taking it to the other vet so they can fix and declaw at the same time. We will pay the difference for the declawing. My husband was against declawing until she started clawing everything including the new couch and chair we just paid for!
Click to expand...

I ordered them on-line. The hot pink - they went great w/her collar!
 
Drs Foster and Smith catalog/online have them. Purple/white, red, clear, purple, blue and pink. Them cats be stylin'!
 
grayby said:
Drs Foster and Smith catalog/online have them. Purple/white, red, clear, purple, blue and pink. Them cats be stylin'!
Click to expand...

Yup! ...and Halloween colors right now too! :)

Got to love them! ;)
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the significance of the phrase "New Kitten - Hubby Wants to Make Her Into"?

This phrase typically reflects a playful or humorous sentiment regarding a new pet, particularly a kitten, and the husband's desire to train or influence the kitten's behavior or personality in a certain way. It often highlights the dynamics of pet ownership and the fun involved in raising a new animal.

How can I help my husband train our new kitten?

Training a new kitten can be a fun and rewarding experience. Start by establishing a routine for feeding, litter box training, and playtime. Use positive reinforcement techniques, such as treats and praise, to encourage desired behaviors. Consistency is key, so make sure both you and your husband are on the same page with training methods.

What are some common behaviors to train a new kitten?

Common behaviors to train a new kitten include using the litter box, scratching on appropriate surfaces, and responding to commands like "sit" or "come." Additionally, teaching your kitten to play gently and not to bite or scratch during playtime can be beneficial for both the pet and the owners.

Are there any specific products from Pampered Chef that can help with kitten care?

While Pampered Chef primarily focuses on kitchen tools and cooking products, some items can be useful for pet owners, such as food storage containers for pet food or bowls that can be used for feeding. However, for specific pet care needs, it’s best to look for products designed specifically for animals.

What should we consider before getting a new kitten?

Before getting a new kitten, consider factors such as your lifestyle, the time you can dedicate to training and socializing the kitten, and any allergies or sensitivities in your household. Additionally, think about the long-term commitment of pet ownership, including veterinary care, food, and supplies.

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