How do I get my cat to start using the cat tree?
Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at
11:50 am
I recently bought my cat a cat tree since he’s been using my table leg as his post and the spray bottle method wasn’t working. I put the tree right next to the table leg in hopes of moving him over gradually… but it’s taking him forever. He occasionally scratches at it but is there anything else I can do to make him use it more quickly?
Filed under: Cat Trees
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This is going to sound a bit strange, but is it just this one table leg (wood?) that he goes after?
If so, you have it good. Leave the cat tree near the table where you have it, and rub it down good with catnip.
Then get some aluminum foil and wrap it around the table leg. Cats hate the feel of aluminum foil. The table won’t be pretty for a few weeks, but it should work.
I do know whereof I speak– I bought a new chair last year and the cats fell in love with it — not to sit on, but to scratch! They scratched on the front, and up the back, on the corners. Clipping their nails helped, but then when the nails started growing, the urge to scratch was still there.
I ended up putting clear plastic tape, like the kind you use for mailing boxes, on every corner of the new chair, AND covering it with a heavy piece of fabric (denim).
They are finally discouraged, but I keep an eye out — they use the tree, but still like furniture when they think I am not looking!
maybe put food on top?
cat nip
every time you see him scratching at your table you need to go over and move his paws to the scratch post and move them in the motion like he is scratching. its a lot of work and will take a little while for him to catch on but he will gradually move to the post.
Cat nip would work… ha, the spray bottle works great for me
Get a bag of treaties - take her frontpaws and scratch the cat tree. Then give her a treat or two. Cats are very smart and she will soon run to the tree and scratch when she see’s you. But you have to give her a treat everytime.
You could put a little catnip on the tree. This will attract him to it.
We rubbed the wood and sissal parts of the tree with catnip. Her food is on the top flat level so the puppy can’t get it. Our kitten took to it quite quickly. Whenever we see her scratching on something appropriate (a scratching post or the tree), we give her lots of praise by saying, "Good girl."