I have 3 cats who are fond of scratching. One of them is also a chronic vomitter. By the way – they’re all female and spayed; 2 are mother and daughter. I’m in the market for new furniture and don’t want it to get destroyed by my feline housemates. I intend to buy more scratching posts, but am especially interested in an indoor invisible fence. The products I’ve seen are advertised for dogs – but are they safe for cats as well? Don’t even tell me about the sprays because those don’t work unless I use it on the cats directly (not the recommended use). I’ve also gotten into the habit of cutting their claws weekly, so I’m testing that strategy. Declawing is an absolute last resort.
Hi Leslie…the invisible fence products for canines produces a zap which may be a little too strong for a cat. Consider using in conjunction with the weekly nail trimmings double-sided sticky tape on your furnishings and other places you would like to discourage clawing habits. Cats dislike having their paws stuck to the tape and after a few attempts will eventually avoid these unpleasant areas. Also consider placing different types of scratching posts such as either vertical and horizontal scratchers near places that the cats would like to claw. Some cats prefer one over the other or both as a personal preference. Some people find that rubbing catnip on the posts encourages the cats to scratch the posts rather than the furnishings/carpeting as well.
I dont suggest using the dog fence for your cats. The voltage of the dog fence is created for dogs to be able to withstand. Cats are much weaker than a dog and can not handle as much. I strongley suggest declawing your cat. I had the same problem and its much better now that we got her declawed. I dont know anything about the vomit problem
No, a dog collar would probably kill a cat—way too much
electricity! Keep a sqirt bottle handy and whenever your cats
start to sharpen their claws where they’re not supposed to,
squirt them and say “NO!” They’ll learn very quickly.
well maybe i dont know i dont like cats
you would have to ask the manufacturer about that, I don’t think you can use it on a cat. I just love cats, and its obvious you do to. I know the “spray” bottle discipline, it worked for me! Neither one of my cats eat the plants,claw,chew, or really any bad habits. Boy, maybe I just lucky! I also have a dog, and they all get along better then my family!!LOL The cat that is up-chucking – this is a “food” allergy, have the cats “stool” cultured and sensitized and you’ll find out why, food, internal problems,etc. Don’t spend the money trying all different kinds of food. If you cats are “indoors” , declawing them will not be a problem for them, but you can never let them go out. Good Luck and lets us know how things worked out…
NO! Dogs collars are made for dogs and their specific weights and body make. Cats and dogs are different and the shock collars can hurt cats not to mention completely tick them off. Have you tried Soft Paws? Those silicone caps you glue to their nails so they can’t harm anything? I would try those and see if they help. You do have to watch it though because they can and usually will get them off until they get used to them. You just have to stay diligent with it. Good luck.
i think the cat would just get spooked and might run away. I know someone who used one on a dog, the dog crossed the line and was to afraid to go back. Plus cats are good at getting rid of collars. scratching can be territorial or just for entertainment, the treatment depends on the cause.
yes, the squirt bottle idea is very good. it worked well for my cats.
no, that will proubally kill them
i can’t believe you would seriously consider that yes they can harm them and for the money you’d be putting into it your may as well just declaw them. i can’t believe you would say declawing is a last resort but you don’t mind shocking the hell out of them. how would you like someone to use a taser on you everytime you did something they didn’t want you to do? and if your cat vomits a lot you should be taking her to the vet to see if something is wrong with her.
NO. The shock generated by the invisible fence collar, or even the shock collars for barking will either kill or severely injure a cat. It has to do with mass. The small/toy dogs have more mass (10+ lbs) have more weight than the large breed cats which on average don’t exceed 15lbs. Your average cat weighs less than 10 lbs.
Also, it will not train a cat not to jump or scratch your furniture. Cats do not respond to shock discipline as dogs do. The shock will teach them to fear the collar, not to stop what they are doing.
What you do is keep a spray bottle filled with water in every room. When the cat does something you don’t like, spray them with the water. Shouting Hey! works the same way. This works because it surprises the cats, and cats don’t like to be surprised (they also in general don’t like water :P).
For the furniture, I tried using the plastic double-sided tape sold for the purpose of keeping cats from scratching. It helped stop the cat from scratching in that area, but she started scratching other places as well.
Also, place the scratching posts in way of what they like to scratch (usually the corners of furniture). If you keep up with the spray bottle, eventually they will get into the habit of leaving the furniture alone.
If you ever have any questions about cat behavior, or products safe for cats, call your veterinarian, they are the ultimate authority on pet health.
What are u crazy??? It’s very hard to stop a cat from scratching. Lots of scratching posts help but they still love the furniture. I’ve also tried water sprays but they just end up doing it when I’m not looking! The only thing I can suggest if you really want new furniture is get a sofa cover, keep it on all day, if you want to show off your new furniture when you have company take off the slip cover. This is what I do. I’d rather they scratch up a $50 slip cover than a $1000 sofa!!
Please don’t declaw!! Its inhumane!!
umm lets see i don’t think so
you should never use anything made for a dog on a cat and vice versa…
NO!!!! cat’s are smaller than the smallest dog, and they would not respond well to shock therapy. Cat’s don’t live in big groups so they are not used to being disaplined…if you do this your cats will get nervous and probably urinate everywhere from fear..
I have had cats all my life and they hardly ever scratch…buy a HUGE scrathing post that won’t fall if the cats jump on it..and cut their nails…buy an animal nail clipper and just cut the tips(NEVER THE REDS)<-those are blood vessels and you will cause your cat ALOT of pain. also if you just physically move the cats or verbally reprand them whenever they are on furniture it works too
No………..