How to stop my cats from scratching the door frame?
Monday, July 19th, 2010 at
11:04 pm
I have four (4) indoor cats. They have lots of cat toys and scratching posts and I even permit them to scratch the furniture. (its ugly furniture anyway) But my main concern is that they are scratching on the door frame of my bedroom! It’s a wooden door frame and they are just tearing it up! Is there any way that I can get them to stop scratching at the frame? Help!
Filed under: Cat Scratching Post
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Goooooooood mornin’ m’lady!
Well, there’s the old squirt bottle to chase ‘em away with. Feliway, as previously mentioned, can (strong "can") be halpful, but is very expensive and may not do much (not to mention it is a 1 room thing, so they could stop using it here, but start scratching there). A catnip post is a great idea…just put it right where they usually scratch and it should help.
I have also heard, but not tired, orange oil. Might even be able to accomplish by zesting and orange and then rubbing it on the door frame. Apparently they don’t care for it and should leave it alone. Worth a shot–and helps the room smell citrusy! You can’t lose!
Best luck with the good ol’ kee kats!
HI ………I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2 CATS SO I DECIDED TO BUY MY CATS A CATNIP SCRATCHER AT WALMART………..IT REALLY WORKS…….
CHECK OUT THE LINKS I SEND YOU SO YOU CAN SEE THEM… GOOD LUCK
Vet clinics sell a variety of products that you can spray on the things the cats are scratching, one such product is "Feliway" which is pheromones used to improve behaviour of cats.
sounds like they just need something harder then a scratching post, you could try buying the same wood that your doors made of, leaning it against a wall and spraying some catnip on it or something else to attract them to it more then the door
good luck, hope this helps
A cat needs to scratch, that’s natural behavior and should not be punished at all! Sometimes though, this behavior can interfere with our lifestyle and we don’t want our best sofa or newly fitted carpet being used as a scratching ground. Cats scratch to keep their claws in good shape. Layers of the claws are shed and underneath sits a new and sharp nail which provides the best protection possible for self-defense. Scratching is also a form of territory marking. Every time a cat scratches, it leaves its personal scent behind. Small glands between the toes make that possible. You can watch how a cat stretches itself while scratching. This helps to keep the muscles in its legs, back and paws in good health. The claws act as a sort of anchor, and are buried into the surface of the scratched item.
Most common types of damage are scratched furniture, ripped carpets and shredded wallpaper. You want to eliminate the problem before it occurs. Buy or build a stable, tall scratching-post, right from the start. Here are some tips to do it right:
The post should be at least two feet high, covered with sisal-rope.
Get more than one, especially when you have a multi-cat household.
Place the post close to the furniture or other areas which are most at risk.
While catnip can make a cat attracted to the scratching post, what you really want is to have the cat’s scent on it. Cats scratch to mark their territory. Their scent is left where he scratched because of sweat glands between the pads of his paws; once that scent is left the cat will return to re-mark it again later. So rub your cat down with a towel, and rub the towel all over the scratching post.
If your cat starts scratching the "wrong" object, gently carry your cat to the desired post. If the cat still hasn’t used the post, demonstrate how to use it by scratching the post with your own nails.
Never force your cat. When it starts scratching the post by itself, make sure you use verbal praise with a rewarding treat and affection. The point is to use positive reinforcement, not punishment.
When you have a kitten, start early with the "pawing at post" technique
Invest in what’s called a “cat tree” which acts also as a leisure area for your cat. Different textures and heights make it more interesting, you perhaps want to build it yourself.
Try some repellent like pepper-dust or some commercial products on your furniture to keep your cat off these areas.
Be persistent and don’t give up.
Use cat claw trimmers and only take off a tiny bit at the end of the nail. Some people say to do it every other week. I think it‘s safer to cut off less than you are told, and to do it more often, (like once a week). Never use trimmers that are made for humans or dogs, because you are more likely to hurt her that way. You can ask your vet or groomer to show you the proper way to do it. Here’s a website that shows you how:
http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm