your cats are outside cats I take it? how do you keep them around? I'd like to get a cat, but I am not all that certain I want to take up the task of litterbox cleaning and chasing them away from using my brand new wood furniture as scratching posts.
Actually, my cat is mostly an indoor cat. I let her out when I'm at home and she usually stayed in the yard. She used to go across the street.
Keep them around by feeding them! Hehehe. Seriesly, I got my cat secondhand when she was 6 and she was an all-indoor cat so I didn't have any problem keeping her around. My sister keeps her adopted stray around by feeding him.
Guess you could always get one of those Littermaid things to scoop litter for you.
I suppose that cats have their favorite scratching surfaces. Mine never scratches wood, she likes clawing carpet and uses a carpeted scratching post or a little floor mat.