This is exactly the kind of news story that got our last cat declawed. That didn’t stop him from being a superb climber and hunter (sometimes bringing home squirrels almost as big as himself), but it did save him from an untimely death had he shredded another one of Mom’s antique lampshades.
Got my feral boys a cheap scratching post at Goodwill once, and they laid waste to it. And never once acknowledged who had supplied it in the first place.
We made a scratching post from the inner cardboard tube from a roll of carpet, wrapped in 150’ of sisal rope secured with carpenter’s glue. It’s secured to the bottom of a shelf, has a solid wooden foot on the floor, and is positioned beside the t.v. cabinet. The little cat climbs all 7 feet of it to get to the top of the cabinet, while the bigger cat uses the furniture to go to the cabinet top and scratches the very top of the post. Best investment of time and materials we ever did.
I made a scratching post for my two (only Sebastian uses it) out of carpet remnant, a piece of vertical wood that is screwed onto to pieces of board (for stabilization) and right up against the end of the sofa. It gives the illusion of scratching the sofa while keeping it safe. It’s tall enough to give a good stretch. I also have a commercial scratching pad that Vlad primarily uses.
Unfortunately for 2 of my Bengals, they were declawed by their previous owner (one of them was Tiger who passed in May). Poor Tiger had so much trouble walking jumping or doing anything sometimes due to the procedure. I lived in the same house with these 2 Bengals while house sitting for years and was told I had to declaw mine. Well a few choice words and pointing out Tiger’s predicament and then I brought home the claw caps for cats. They glue on over top of their claws and shed off when the claw grows out. Then you retrim the claw and replace. I did that until I moved away with my Bengal but eventually ended up with the other 2 because he they weren’t a status symbol anymore to someone else. Anyway claw caps can work great if you need them or like I do now, 3 large scratching posts and trim everyone’s nails every few weeks. All 4 cats know when it is coming and try to hide but I am gentle and give lots of affection to a good boy and good girls after it’s done.
SunflowerGirl100 over 7 years ago
The way to protect a new lamp is to announce it’s a new and very expensive cat toy and then they wouldn’t go near it.
awgiedawgie Premium Member over 7 years ago
This is exactly the kind of news story that got our last cat declawed. That didn’t stop him from being a superb climber and hunter (sometimes bringing home squirrels almost as big as himself), but it did save him from an untimely death had he shredded another one of Mom’s antique lampshades.
Charliegirl Premium Member over 7 years ago
Someone’s in trouble now!
orinoco womble over 7 years ago
Citrus oil. Cats hate it. Rub a bit on whatever you want to protect, or spray it on a cloth and pin it on soft furnishings.
Gent over 7 years ago
Lampy…! NOOOOOO! What have you done to poor Lampy, you horrid creatures!!!
dadoctah over 7 years ago
Got my feral boys a cheap scratching post at Goodwill once, and they laid waste to it. And never once acknowledged who had supplied it in the first place.
Say What Now‽ Premium Member over 7 years ago
My wife and I have to get a new couch…er, scratching post.
Nuliajuk over 7 years ago
We made a scratching post from the inner cardboard tube from a roll of carpet, wrapped in 150’ of sisal rope secured with carpenter’s glue. It’s secured to the bottom of a shelf, has a solid wooden foot on the floor, and is positioned beside the t.v. cabinet. The little cat climbs all 7 feet of it to get to the top of the cabinet, while the bigger cat uses the furniture to go to the cabinet top and scratches the very top of the post. Best investment of time and materials we ever did.
Zev over 7 years ago
I’m grateful my girl is a corrugated scratch pad aficionado.
metagalaxy1970 over 7 years ago
I made a scratching post for my two (only Sebastian uses it) out of carpet remnant, a piece of vertical wood that is screwed onto to pieces of board (for stabilization) and right up against the end of the sofa. It gives the illusion of scratching the sofa while keeping it safe. It’s tall enough to give a good stretch. I also have a commercial scratching pad that Vlad primarily uses.
miscreant over 7 years ago
Unfortunately for 2 of my Bengals, they were declawed by their previous owner (one of them was Tiger who passed in May). Poor Tiger had so much trouble walking jumping or doing anything sometimes due to the procedure. I lived in the same house with these 2 Bengals while house sitting for years and was told I had to declaw mine. Well a few choice words and pointing out Tiger’s predicament and then I brought home the claw caps for cats. They glue on over top of their claws and shed off when the claw grows out. Then you retrim the claw and replace. I did that until I moved away with my Bengal but eventually ended up with the other 2 because he they weren’t a status symbol anymore to someone else. Anyway claw caps can work great if you need them or like I do now, 3 large scratching posts and trim everyone’s nails every few weeks. All 4 cats know when it is coming and try to hide but I am gentle and give lots of affection to a good boy and good girls after it’s done.