How can I get my kitten to use his scratcher instead of furniture?

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!

You can try putting double-sided sticky tape on the walls where she tends to scratch - most cats don't like the feel of this on their paws, so it helps to discourage scratching in unwanted places like this. It's also important to make sure that Tabby has lots of other things she can scratch and climb, such as cat trees, cat condos, and tall, sturdy scratching posts - these things will help to provide an appropriate outlet for this behavior.

This is such a frustrating battle. Here are a few suggestions that may or may not work. You can try giving him something else to scratch on like a tall scratching post or a piece of wood from outside. The scratching post needs to be tall because they like to stretch while scratching. Feliway also make a product now called feliscratch to help redirect the scratching to the scratching post. You can also apply soft paws to their nails so that even if they try to scratch, they won't do any damage. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend getting different types of scratching posts- vertical and horizontal ones. I would also look for a product called Feliway in a spray, and spray the posts to attract her to them. Also, maybe adding catnip. I would also trim her nails so she is less likely to rip the carpet. There is a product call Soft Paws that are fake nails for cats that will make it harder for her to rip up the carpet. Lastly, get a squirt bottle to spray her with water when she scratches the carpet. She is young yet, but you should be able to train this behavior out of her. Good luck and kisses to Little One!

Hi ! Have you considered to use one of those closed litter boxes ? I find these very useful to prevent litter from being thrown everywhere around the house. In order to make her use a cat tower more you could try feliway scratch, which is a new product which is very useful in getting the cat attention on a different item for scratching and it could be helpful in getting a bit more interest in the tower too as it uses certain pheromones. I think it might have a certain tinge though so as long as you don’t mind using it on the tower itself. If not you could try hiding some catnip toys, remember cats use play to mimic hunting behaviour as well, so they quite often like feathery toys or toys that can be destroyed in smaller pieces or that seem to appear and disappear... hope this helps !

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!

I don't know any cats who respond to "no!", to be honest - mine certainly don't either! ;) In general, cats respond much better to rewards and redirecting them to some other activity than they do to any type of punishment. It's completely normal for kittens to climb and scratch. If he is doing these things in places that you don't want him to, this means that you need to provide him with more things if his own to climb and scratch on. Kitty condos, floor-to-ceiling cat trees, and tall, sturdy scratching posts are all good options that can help with this. Make sure that he has his own things to climb and scratch on in the areas of the house where he likes to spend time, and reward him with treats and petting when he uses them.