My kitten is destroying carpet. How do I get her to use posts?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is not something that you can necessarily teach her. She will eventually use it. The one thing you can do though is to keep taking her to it and perhaps show her how to play by simulating playing with it. She may pick up on it but otherwise it will happen with time. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Cats scratching your furniture can be the worst! You can consider putting nail caps on your cats while training them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYGODXH/ref=asc_df_B01MYGODXH5167683/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=395033&creativeASIN=B01MYGODXH&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198073792559&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=740752911514439939&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007368&hvtargid=pla-318807050319 Purchase several different types of scratching posts and have some that are vertically oriented like your couch. Place them where your cats mostly sleep so when they wake up and want to scratch it is there. Also place them front and center in your house so they can do it where you mostly relax. Place one near the couch. Get your cat interested in the scratching posts by sprinkling them with catnip or spraying them with honeysuckle. Learn more about catnip and honeysuckle. Get your cat even more interested in the post(s) by using a wand toy. Start by playing with the wand toy a few feet away from the post. Once your cat is playing along, sweep the toy so that its end drapes over the post. Often, when cats "discover" their post this way, especially when it's covered in a great scratch-worthy material like sisal fabric, they will come back to it again and again. Make the couch an unattractive place for scratching. You can accomplish this by using one or more of the following techniques: Tuck a sheet around the scratched area of the couch tightly so your cat can't get under it to scratch the couch. Use double-sided tape or aluminum foil on the couch. Spray the couch with a citrus-scented spray because cats have a natural aversion to citrus odors. Consider adding the product Feliway to your anti-scratching arsenal. Feliway is a product that mimics the feline facial pheromone that makes cats feel calmer. If your cat is scratching your couch because she is feeling stressed, Feliway can help. Spray the sofa and any areas that your cat normally hangs out. Continue to play with your cat near the scratching post, and reward her with praise and treats when she uses it. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_7?url=search-alias%3Dpets&field-keywords=feliway+spray&sprefix=feliway%2Cpets%2C137&crid=KU58Z21UQBZV I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Getting appropriate toys and scratching posts/mats can help tremendously is giving your little guy something GOOD to scratch. You can also use human nail clippers for a kitten this size to help blunt the tips. (Added bonus, he will tolerate it better when its time for the vet to examine his feet or trim his nails!) As he grows, you’ll have to graduate to a veterinary nail clipper. Best wishes to you and Oliver!

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. She is very young still, so managing her scratching and biting will be crucial in this stages of life before she gets bigger and her scratching could become more damaging. Here are some tips you can follow to decrease the incidence of scratching. Hope this helps and best of luck. Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal behavior that aids cats in the marking of their territories in the form of scratch marks. Scent glands in their paws leave olfactory clues for other cats to alert them to their presence. Cats also find it pleasurable as a means of exercise and stretching. Scratching also allows cats to keep their claws healthy and shortened. Unlike dogs, a cats’ claws do not exfoliate evenly from the end; rather they peel off in layers like an onion. What is inappropriate scratching? Inappropriate scratching is ultimately determined by the owner, but is generally directed at furniture, screens, carpets and rugs and other items that the cats finds suitable. What can I do to prevent this? The easiest way to prevent severe damage is to trim your cats nails every 2-4 weeks. It is best to begin this process when the cat is very young, as they will become more accustomed to this procedure. However, older cats can learn to tolerate it as well. Another excellent method is to provide them with a suitable scratching substrate. As with nail trimming, this is also best started at an early age before the scratching behavior begins, but older cats will also generally accept such items as carpet or sisal fiber scratching posts or corrugated cardboard. For more options, you can visit your local pet store or make your own from their preferred scratching material and a supporting board of wood. My cat is ignoring the scratching post. How do I get him/her to use it? Place the item in the areas that your cat(s) enjoys scratching. You can entice the cat to use the item by rubbing or sprinkling with catnip. If your cat insists on using the wrong scratching surface, guide your cat to the correct site. Once at the post, you can start petting and scratching your cat while placing their feet on the surface for encouragement and stimulation of the natural kneading motion. Remember to reward your cat for its good behavior!

This can be a tough problem - I can sympathize! There are a few things you can do to help. First, make sure that you are providing really good, attractive scratching posts in the areas that your cat wants to scratch - many of the small, carpet-covered ones in pet stores aren't very good. A good scratching post should be at least 3-4 feet tall so that the cat can stretch all the way out when scratching. It should also be heavy and solid - if the post feels flimsy or tips over when the cat scratches, he won't want to use it. Finally, most cats prefer rough coverings like sisal rope or something similar rather than carpet. I would try to get several really good scratching posts and ideally also a few cat trees/climbing structures so that you can have at least one in every room where Pepper spends time. To help discourage scratching on furniture and door faces, you can use double-sided scotch tape over these areas - the tape sticks to their paws when they try to scratch, so they normally choose to go elsewhere. If you would like more specific suggestions for your situation, feel free to consult with me - I'd be glad to try and help out.

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry you are having such problems with Tinker. Unfortunately behavioral problems are not easily solved especially in a forum like this. To solve them, we as professionals need a thorough history of Tinker including past and present, and we often times need to witness these behaviors and learn the triggers that are causing the unwanted behaviors. If she was raised away from her litter or not is very important. Kittens raised like that miss out on all of the socialization skills learned from their mother and other litter mates. They learn how to behave, how to play, etc. So that is very important. I would advise talking to your veterinarian and describe in detail what is going on. Your vet can gather a thorough history, do a physical exam, observe some behavior during the exam, and then offer some solutions or tests to perform to make sure that Tinker is healthy. They may advise some blood tests, etc to assess her overall health and they can direct you on what things need to be done to make sure her preventive health care is done properly. Behavior modification is key with any behavioral problems. Drug therapy is possible but she is still a very young kitten and that is probably not advised. You may need to work with some trainers/behaviorists in your area which are experienced in raising young kittens. I will provide a link here to add to your reading material to see if you can put into practice anything discussed in the paper. https://catfriendly.com/ https://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/life-stage-guidelines I hope this aids in pointing you into the right direction. Good luck with Tinker.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Coco is adorable! Coco is just a kitten. Puppies and kittens sadly bite a lot. I would discourage play with your hands and only use toys. Also if she is sitting on your lap and you are petting her watch for signs that she is becoming annoyed with what you are doing (tail starts to flick, ears turning, turning her head towards your hand) and stop petting her. Most cats only like to be scratched or pet on their head and not past their shoulder blades. When she allows you to pet her without biting offer her treats. Refrain from chasing her, picking her up suddenly, rough housing with her as that can agitate cats then they become anticipatory for only negative interactions with you. When she is around you and not biting offer treats. Again she is very young and will likely grow out of a significant amount of this biting behavior. I wish you all the best!