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Need some advice on Cats
About Chartreaux Cats ^ | 1 December 2015 | Various

Posted on 12/01/2015 8:04:21 AM PST by Vigilanteman

Freepers are such good sources of information (with an ocassional goofball mixed in) that I thought I'd reach out to get a little additional advice.

Recently, my daughter got a major job promotion which includes a transfer to Japan. One problem with the transfer is that they couldn't take their cat whom my son-in-law, she and our two young grandsons adore.

So we offered to take her for the duration of the assignment, probably about one year. She is a wonderful cat, sweet with the boys (doesn't bite or scratch when they get rough with her, just walks away and hides for awhile) and getting accustomed to us. After pouting and hiding for most of the first day with us, she has picked my Mrs. as her favorite person and sleeps at her feet.

We believe she is a Chartreaux cross as the description at the link fits her nearly perfectly, but she is not a purebred as our daughter adopted her from one of those pet store rescue programs, which is not a logical place for a purebred Chartreaux. She is spayed but not declawed; they advise against it for an adult cat as it cause arthritis later in life.

She is clean, litter box trained and very low maintaninence except for wanting to play laser tag and get petted which we all enjoy even if her timing isn't always best.

Only complaint is that we can't seem to get her interested in her scratching pad. She prefers the carpet or, worse yet, one of our reclining chairs. She does stop when we yell at her but, of course, often goes off to pout for awhile. Other than two active little boys who play rough with her at times, we have tried to duplicate her environment at home as nearly as possible, right down to the cat tower, scratching pad and design of the litter box.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: cats; chartreaux; kittyping; scratching
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To: Vigilanteman

Determine if she is a sky or cave cat and then get her either perching carpet covered climbing things or hut like cat cave.

Don’t worry about your furniture. You can get it upholstered when your daughter takes the cat back. Unless a couple hundred bucks is worth crippling and maiming a cat. Declawing should be illegal. It is the equivalent of removing a dogs larynx so he doesn’t bark. No sane person would do so.

Squirt the scratches on the boys with 70% alcohol. Cats are carriers of bacteria which yields easily to alcohol. The boys will learn and avoid scratches if it really bothers them.


121 posted on 12/01/2015 2:53:36 PM PST by anton
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To: Vigilanteman

First catnip where you want her to be.

Second, get a phermone diffuser for the room the chairs are in. Feliway or Comfort Zone. You might have some sticker shock, but they are 90% effective.

Third, double sided pet tape on where she is scratching.

Cats don’t take well to direct correction (yelling, water bottles, etc.). They are creatures of comfort and gently making the scratching item less desirable workks. You can also try foil over the scratching area as well.


122 posted on 12/01/2015 3:27:50 PM PST by EBH ( I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.)
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To: RetSignman
I attached fine sandpaper to a thin board that fit the bottom of her litter box.

How smart is that!!!! Great idea! Did you still have to trim the nails or did this tip work?

123 posted on 12/01/2015 3:33:06 PM PST by mupcat
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To: RetSignman
When I had a cat, I attached fine sandpaper to a thin board that fit the bottom of her litter box, added the litter on top of it and she trimmed her own nails.

Now that's a brilliant idea! I may steal that one.

124 posted on 12/01/2015 3:54:38 PM PST by CAluvdubya (<------- has now left CA for NV, where God and guns have not been outlawed! Cruzin' with Cruz!)
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To: Vigilanteman
Mark your territory - whether the cat happens to be there or not...

LOL! not really... I ain't got much, as I always have a dog around to 'git that cat'... Once the dog knows what the cat ain't 'sposed to do, he will enthusiastically enforce your wishes, even when you are not present. The downside is that the dog enjoys going on tootsie-roll hunts in the litter box - so keep some breath mints handy, and take him to the car wash and spend about 4 bucks before you let him lick your face...

LOL! sommore... no really - without a dog to keep them in line, catnip where you want scratching, capsaicin, or sour apple, where you don't...

or you could just nail dead birds and fish to the scratching post - but most women won't stand for that for very long. I think they're jealous.

125 posted on 12/01/2015 3:56:03 PM PST by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit.)
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To: Vigilanteman

I’ve got a block of wood on my lounge-room floor, my six year old female loves it, uses it several times each day. They NEED something on which to maintain their claws, yes, she does sometimes try to scratch the furniture, but a spoken rebuff is enough to make her stop.
A piece of timber about 4 inches by 4 inches and 18 inches long should do the trick for you. A little rough, not planed smooth...


126 posted on 12/01/2015 4:10:14 PM PST by Fred Nerks (FAIR DINKUM!)
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To: Vigilanteman
get a cheap, mechanized squirt gun for the living room cofcee table. When kitty claws, squirt her. She won't like it and will run away (read as: will stop clawing the recliner). Eventually, the sound of the gun alone, even if the thinv has no water in it, will make kitty stop. Eventually all you will have to do is look at the squirt gun and kitty will behave. This worked very well for my brother and SIL.

Do not declaw the cat... cats need their claws.

127 posted on 12/01/2015 4:51:23 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: Vigilanteman

Suck on a peppermint and lightly breathe in the cats direction.


128 posted on 12/01/2015 4:52:22 PM PST by dangerdoc ((this space for rent))
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To: DJ MacWoW

129 posted on 12/01/2015 4:58:26 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: Rodamala

Excellent advice...that works for naughty dogs also. Comes the time they only need to see the bottle and off they run. Then comes the time they associate the act of scratching itself with the coming shower, and stop altogether.
I had a dog that would insist on jumping onto the outdoor table. A few squirts and he stopped.


130 posted on 12/01/2015 5:04:12 PM PST by Fred Nerks (FAIR DINKUM!)
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To: Vigilanteman

It’s usually easy to trim a cat’s claws with a human style nail trimmer if you can see well enough at close distances to aim it short of nipping the vein. This in turn will encourage the cat to scratch, in order to regain the points on its claws. Test various products to see if you can find one the cat prefers. Oh, and remember the gainful attitude towards cats is that, while dogs have masters, cats have staff. You can train a cat but you have to put much more effort into pleasing it first.


131 posted on 12/01/2015 5:09:15 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Vigilanteman

Declawing is traumatic (like us getting amputated down a finger joint). But the claws can be trimmed or there are little caps to slip over each claw. Your vet can help. Another option is to pick one room, the cat room, filled with furniture of little value. And visit the cat. Use the cat’s room for your napping, reading, watching TV. This way you can still love the cat and protect your better furniture. I am a part time animal sitter so I get to see a lot of what works and what does not work.


132 posted on 12/01/2015 7:41:12 PM PST by SisterK (its a spiritual war)
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To: mykroar; Vigilanteman
Not to worry, you’ll be trained before long...Best. Post. Yet.
133 posted on 12/01/2015 7:49:41 PM PST by SisterK (its a spiritual war)
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To: Rodamala

Did you add perfume to the squirt gun with which you squirted the SIL and brother? My ex-brother-in-law would not have taken being squirted, not for a minute!


134 posted on 12/01/2015 9:56:15 PM PST by MHGinTN (Is it really all relative, Mister Einstein?)
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To: Vigilanteman; Drumbo

Well thank yew fer askin cause I need to know too. LOL

Darn cat has somewhere on the order of 3 different scratching posts but wants to shred good furniture. Won’t play with toys, either. Leaves papers & books looking like we have a teething puppy.

Our girl is ~5 y.o. so maybe too late to change her patterns. She’s never had a sense of humor, the least playful cat I’ve ever met. (3 y.o. when we took her in.) She seeks attention (for instance, by deliberately biting shower curtains when we’ve in the BR or book corners while we’re reading) even tho she anticipates a negative reaction.


135 posted on 12/02/2015 2:44:14 AM PST by Titan Magroyne (What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.)
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To: Vigilanteman
Get a large cage for the cat, large enough for a sleeping pad, a feed bowl and water dish, and an appropriately sized litter box, with a little room left for moving around.
They sell a cage that is great for cats that is about 5 foot tall, 3 foot long and about 2 foot deep, that can sit on a wheeled platform, that has shelves inside it for the cat to jump around in.
After the first few days or even weeks, the cat should not be allowed out, without being on a leash that's long enough, that if it darts for the door, you can catch the leash.
Once the cat becomes relaxed after a little period of time, you can leave the door of the cage open, but always feed and water the cat inside the cage.
This cage is its "safe spot".
Later on, if a friend brings over another pet, you can simply lock the cat inside its cage, and it will feel safe.
Trust me, even after a few months, and even if you allow the cat free roam of your home, both the cat and you will grow to love the cat's cage.
But always feed and water the cat inside the cage.
Get a pooper scooper, and clean the litter box often.
If you get a good quality litter, you can sift out the clumps and still keep a fresh litter box for a long period of time, IF you clean the litter often.
Get a "complete diet" cat food, and an "indoor diet" cat food will high be appreciated by all others who live in the house.
Don't get a "seafood" cat food very often, because of the strong oder it gives the litter.

Remember, you can't "OWN" a cat.
They agree to "live WITH you", and they are NOT as trainable as a dog.
136 posted on 12/02/2015 3:16:45 AM PST by Yosemitest (It's SIMPLE ! ... Fight, ... or Die !)
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To: mupcat

[Did you still have to trim the nails or did this tip work?]

No. I knew I had to something because her claws kept getting caught in the carpet and because she was once feral and there are some things, even though domesticated, you just can’t do.


137 posted on 12/02/2015 5:15:50 AM PST by RetSignman (Obama is the walking, talking middle finger in the face of America)
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To: CAluvdubya

[I may steal that one.]

You’re welcome to it.


138 posted on 12/02/2015 5:55:48 AM PST by RetSignman (Obama is the walking, talking middle finger in the face of America)
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To: Vigilanteman

I have a cat tree that has heavy duty ruff rope tied around the limb. My cats have enjoyed scratching at that a lot. I have to get some more and recircle it and secure it as they have scratched the rope clean off from the tree limb.


139 posted on 12/02/2015 7:42:39 AM PST by Bellflower (It's not that there isn't any evidence of God, it's that everything is evidence of God.)
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To: Fred Nerks

I got a spray bottle not long ago for naughty cats. Each cat has a different personality; some take a few more squirts to get the message, some less. Now I just have to show it, and for the blind two, shake it so they hear what it is.

I love it. Saves fuss, muss and howling.

:-)


140 posted on 12/02/2015 7:45:43 PM PST by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue Ht the testing point. CSLewis)
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