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Ok... so I mislabeled the quote.
It should have said "product label reads" ...

*mehh, I have my moments...

Cats shed (molt) the outer layer of their claws from time to time and if there is some type of covering then the cat will likely find somthing to sharpen their claws on (aka furniture ). You have to deal with the psychology/nature. They will scratch on somthing, it sharpens their claws and manicures them. The cat dose'nt have a problem, it is doing what is suposed to do.

Oh and as far as squirting them, you have to realise that that is a three part equasion, scratching, water and you. If you are not there then there is no squirting and then it is ok ,,,because there is no water and if there is no water then what is the problem? The cat will learn that when no person is there to squirt them then it is ok because they are not being squirted.


I've only come across one cat that had been declawed and instead of scratching me it bit me, I would have prefered the scratch.

Dennis

the best way is...
TRAIN them.

it is in the nature of cats to scratch. they clean, sharpen the claws with that habbit. so, to understand that they need to do it, than people just could give them something what they CAN use...

my 2 cats have an piece from a tree. it is about 3 feet tall and stands just in an corner.

they know what to do with, fist time bring the cat to the wood, and slide their feet on the wood...short time after, you will see they use it.

cats are wild animals, even we hold them in tiny boxed houses, they still need to do what they need to do. also, if there is nothing real for them to do that, they take your favorite piece of furniture.

declawding in many countries is by law forbidden, like europe... no way at all!

i wonder when are somebody decided to cut our fingertips off why we just touch to much things...

give them something and problem will be done.

Punt her across the room

Top Reasons NOT to Declaw a Cat
From Franny Syufy,
Your Guide to Cats.

If you are thinking of declawing a cat, or a veterinarian suggests declawing at the same time as neutering, before you make a decision for non-reversible surgery, please consider these reasons NOT to declaw. Your cat will live his remaining years with the result of your decision, one way or another.

Declawing is NOT Just Nail Trimming
Nor is declawing only the removal of a portion of a claw. Instead, it is the surgical amputation of the first joint of the cat's toes. Whether this procedure is accomplished with a scalpel, a guillotine-type cutter or a laser, it is major surgery, and not to be undertaken lightly.
Declawing Does Nothing to Benefit the Cat
You will sometimes hear the disclaimer, "It's better than putting him to sleep." This is a fallacious argument, and usually offered only to soothe the owner's conscience. Only the cat's owner can make the decision to kill her cat because of scratching problems. He or she can also make the decision to let him keep his toes. Unlike neutering, which does benefit the cat, both healthwise and behavioralwise, declawing simply does nothing positive for the cat.
Declawing Robs a Cat of His Chief Weapon of Defense
A typical counter-argument is, "My cat is indoors-only." Even indoor cats sometimes manage to escape. A declawed cat does not stand a chance against a large dog, a bigger cat, or a predator. Although he still has teeth, by the time he gets in close enough to bite, it may be too late.
Declawing is Painful Surgery
Think of it as 10 amputations (if only the front feet are declawed). Pain meds may help initially, but phantom pain may last for weeks or months, as nerve endings heal. Dr. Nicholas Dodman describes the pain following surgery: "Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain."
Declawing May Lead to Litter Box Problems
Declawed cats often associate the pain when digging in litter with the litter box itself, and will avoid it, choosing softer carpeting instead.
Declawing Sometimes Leads to Biting Problems
When cats lose their ability to give a quick warning scratch, they will often resort to their second line of defense: a good, hard bite. The cat's owner may sometimes find himself the victim, just when he thinks his cat is enjoying a petting session.
Cats Need the Exercise Their Claws and Toes Provide
Watch a cat stretch, whether horizontally on a carpet or vertically with a tall scratching post. He will grab the carpet or sisal with his claws, using the resistance to pull and stretch his muscles. Cats' claws actually play a large and positive role in their amazing muscle tone and agility.
Altered Gait May Lead to Later Joint Problems
Domestic cats are digitigrade, meaning they walk on their toes. Walking with an altered gait because of the lack of the first digit of the toes can affect all the joints of the leg, resulting later in arthritis of the hip and other joints. Jean Hofve, DVM describes this joint deterioration more fully, in her article, "A Rational Look at Declawing."
Cats Need to Be Cats for Their Entire "Nine Lives"
Honestly, if a cat could speak human language, do you really think, given a choice, he'd say, "Sure thing. Cut off part of my toes?" His claws and toes are an integral part of making a cat a cat. Would you honestly want him to be anything less, especially since there are humane alternatives? It's your decision, but please take your cat's needs into serious consideration before making such a drastic and permanent choice.

On a personal note, I believe the practice of declawing a cat is barbaric and should be outlawed! If you are so concerned about your furniture getting damaged from a cat, maybe a cat isn't the best pet for you.

I would agree and strongly urge you not to declaw your cat. I have had cats and you teach and condition them not to scratch the furniture. You supply them with scratching posts the like, use very techniques, describe on this thread, to teach them not to scratch furniture, etc. Also, for heavens sake, talk to a good vet about this, they must have some advice.

If you love animals and you love your cat, you would not mutilate him/her by declawing.

typos:

You supply them with scratching posts they like, and use various techniques, described on this thread,

when my cat used my sofa as something to destroy i tried taping aluminium to it for a while n placed his scratching post near by. it seems to have worked, so far anyway.... fingers ( n claws ) crossed

it's illegal to declaw cats here in Ireland though, so the only advice my vet gave was to keep Charlie's claws trimmed, n she mentioned the water pistol too, but that didn't work for me.

I saw this video from VideoJug and I thought you would like it: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-stop-your-cat-scratching-your-furniture This is great way to teach you what to do...

I think we brought up declawing, (it should be illegal everywhere).

You have a cat, it will scratch somthing, so give it somthing to do its scratching on. It has taken to the couch but can be trained to use a post. My ex roomate trained a cat to fetch, they can be trained , dogs may be easier but cats can be trained.


Dennis

water pistol filled with hot sauce.

Toss it outside and leave it there..

I will gladly send you my 2. They do not do much scratching of furniture, but they do love bringing presents. DO you have a clue as to the critters one can find in the desert?

Easy question,easy answer.Get rid of the cat or declaw her.I am just responding to your question without reading all the posts.I had a cat ruining my expensive leather furniture.Putting up scratching trees didn't help so did nothing else.Once starting ruining our wallpaper thruout, the decision was made to give her away.She was becoming a liability and moneydrain.We are glad we did .We got another cat which never bothered with destruction and wasa content sleeping on the sofa most of the time,curled up.What a difference.

We had one bring in a wood pecker, It surprises the heck out of me the sise of their kohunas are.

Dennis

Also when no one is in the room, make sure the cat is out and shut the door so you are almost always in the room to deal with the situation. We don't allow our cats in the kitchen for hygienne and safety sakes, and we always close the door when we are not in there.

everytime she does something bad, spray her with a lite mist of water, she will hate it and after a few times will stop....just fill up a spray bottle but make sure it mists instead of sprays directly....

riding

Guys, you always have excellent advice!

Declawing is out of the question. I will never mutilate her. Never. I started with the water mist over the weekend, it seems to be working. We need to be constant though.

I sort of of made a scratching pole with some old carpet, glue and a some PVC... she looks at it like a creature from outer space.

We got her from a shelter when she was 5 weeks old... she was kept in a cage, by herself, but there were other kitties there all of them in cages. No kids around. She's been neurtered (sp ?), so no risk of little ones around here... but she has been pampered since she got here, by my daughter specially.

Now that she has grown a bit, she is not as bad as she was during the first few weeks, only the scratching.

And she is NOT a hunter, I have to admit, leaving in a house with a large patio, in Central America... well, I was hoping she would keep Mickey Mouse and the Mouseketeers at bay...

We started leaving her in the laundry area specially at night, because she was fond of sleeping on the dining table... she found out that she could climb the window to my boy's room... and she does... he kicks her out, and she ends up, guess where? Short of boarding up my son's window, I am going to have to leave her outside, which I really don't want to do, she'll turn into an alleycat.

I guess I have a lot to learn about cats... I'm going to a specialized pet store to see what I can find interms of repellents or something...

Another thing... she never rubs herself against our legs or jump in our laps... only when I pass by her she starts meowing, aand I stop and put my finger out and she archs her back to my finger, back and forth... really strange....

My girl thinks she is a doll, and actually carries her like a baby...spoiled kitty!

I'll keep looking...

And no, I won't microwave my Cookie from Hell... or electrocute her...

I have to admit, you guys are purrty creative devising murdering ways to get rid of a cat (I wonder if it works with an ex too )

About the scratching post:

It has to be a tall one preferably a regular cat tree, Because of this:

Cats like to stretch their under belly muscles while they sharpen their claws and if the post is too short to do that, then they won't use it.

I got this advice from my vet and it worked like a charm

Declawing simply isn't needed. It's a human excuse to not knowing how to handle a situation. Cats need their claws for more than just fighting. They aid in balance & traction, as well as social interaction.



Ok, then you simply have a young cat. She's perfectly normal & learning to adjust. The scratching thing is just her normal way of shedding her claws & claiming her new family. You will have to work with her, that's all. Try dragging a long bit of string around to get her wound up and then dragging it across the new carpet gadget. This will encourage her to direct her actions on it. You will need to establish a standard set of rules & punishments & make sure everyone, ever younger house members follow them.
Things will simply take a little while to address(mind you she is young & sometimes it takes up to a yr to establish new behavior patterns)



Ok, let me explain something to you. You've taken an animal in & made her feel like family. By isolating her at night, you have sent confused signals to her now. She does not understand what this means. It's a contradiction in signals to her. You have to break the habits she's trying to form, not shove her out of your home. If you know she gets on the table at night, either assign her to sleep with your daughter at night or make rounds at night with a flyswatter & slap the table loudly while she's sleeping on it. This will shatter her idea of it being a safe zone. A can full of pennies makes a wonderful reprogramming tool, too.
Just shake the hell out of it & watch her lose her mind trying to escape the sound!! I have both my cats trained to a key sound. When they hear it, they stop whatever they are doing & head for cover. It's like a *Ksssssttt KKKSttttt kkssstt sound. Kind of like the hissing sound cats make.



Ok, she is a young cat who's not been exposed to other cats. It will take her a little bit to establish normal behavior traits. Try to be patient. That back arching means the same thing as hello or any form of attention. The rubbing you speak of is something she has to be older to start doing. It's a marking of territory behavior. There are glands in the cheeks of cats that emit the same calming hormone as the diffuser I suggested. It sends the signal that things are familiar & all is well. Once her glands develop further, you will see this trait begin.



I claim no knowledge of how to properly remove an ex, any signs of a struggle or how to hide a body.






Let me know if you need any more help.