How do you stop a cat from clawing everything?
I have tried everything. I have 14 year old cat that has changed her behaviors all the sudden. Nothing in our house has changed and the other cat is fine. In addition to meowing constantly and peeing everywhere, she all the sudden is clawing everything, including our expensive leather bar stools, pool table, and pool table cover. I have set her up with clawing toys and boards. I have tried to file her nails and that was definitely not successful. I’ve also put sprays and aluminum down but she is not deterred. Either I may have to declaw her or I may have to get rid of her. Please help!
Tagged with: aluminum • bar stools • google • leather bar • nails • pool table • script type • text javascript • toys
Filed under: Old World Bar Stools
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
You need to take your cat to the vet. Something is wrong with her. Besides, you can not declaw a cat that old. My vet won’t even declaw if they’re over 18 months old because of complications that he’s run in to.
I sincerely hope you will not find a vet who will agree to declaw an elderly cat! It sounds to me as if something has upset her, or perhaps she is suffering from some sort of dementia. What does your vet say?
I think the best approach is to buy Soft Paws for your cat. These are lightweight vinyl caps that you apply over your cat’s own claws. They have rounded edges, so your cat’s scratching doesn’t damage your home and furnishings.
Personally, I would never declaw a cat. It’s comparable to cutting your finger tops away to prevent the nails from growing.
Good luck!
You’ve "tried everything", but you don’t mention taking her to the vet for a checkup. ANYTIME a cat SUDDENLY changes it’s behavior, it’s a "sign" of something being WRONG…….either stress, or illness. She NEEDS a checkup…….and at this age, a complete blood "workup" is advisable. She may be developing an "age-related" illness, that will show up in the blood test.
Cats HIDE their illnesses so well, that unless you’re very observant ( behavior changes ), you won’t know they’re sick until they’re REALLY SICK……and it could be too late for treatment.
SO……my advice……take her to the vet for a blood workup, urinalysis, fecal test, etc……and see if there’s something physically wrong with her. If everything comes up negative, that’s great…..only have to be concerned with her emotional well-being. But, if you find out that she IS ill, maybe you’ve caught it in time to treat, and she can live a number more years with you.
IF it’s an emotional ( stress ) problem, you can get some Feliway ( calming hormone ) infusers for your rooms, and some Rescue Remedy to put in the cats’ water dish. Both of these are said to help with a cat’s stressing out……
As for your pool table / cover……..get a sheet of plywood and cover it…….For the stools, you can make some heavy-duty covers for them with canvas ( tent material ). Check out your local fabric store and find some heavy, attractive, material…….
Hope everything works out and you get her some help SOON. Good luck……
Not meaning to alarm you, but, she may be acting out in pain. The displaced urination may be a bladder or kidney infection. It seems to me that a vet appointment for blood and urine analysis is the next step for you to take. Good luck and seriously, a simple antibiotic may be the cure for this. No REAL vet will ever declaw a 14 year old cat. If yours would, get another one.
Something is definitely upsetting her. The clawing may be her trying to get your attention, or she may be trying to comfort herself. Her meowing and urinating are your big clues. At 14 it is a real possibility she is dealing with bladder or kidney stones. Maybe even a urinary track infection. Take her to your Vet asap, its not a problem you will be able to solve without their help. If it is one of those 2 things, your options for treatment are very good as they are both extremely common situations, especially for older kitties.
You need to talk to your vet about the behavior problems. Your cat might be sick, sometimes cats act funny when they are sick, or perhaps she is upset about something. I would start with your vet, get some professional advice. Whatever you do, dont declaw this animal. Being elderly she will not do well at all. declawing is very cruel, it is an actual amputation of the bones in her feet and will probably make her very mean and unhappy. I cant imagine getting rid of her either. She has been with you a long time and is a member of the family. Call your vet and once you have eliminated an illness, there are lots of books that deal with these issues. Please visit my blog for more info.
Please do not declaw your cat. You cat is 72 in cat years. That would be like cutting the finger tips off of a 72 year old person. Please take you cat to the vet and talk to them about it. She may have some kind of health problem.
There are tons alternatives to declawing.
Here is a list of items you can use to stop a cat from scratching:
A bottle/can with something noisy in it (like pennies)
Air (I use a balloon pump)
Aluminum foil
Anything citrus smelling (spray/rub in on whatever they’re starching)
Double sided tape (or Packaging tape upside down if it’s on a flat surface)
Dumb Cat Anti-Marking & Cat Spray Remover (Spray-Petco-This one is for urine)
Four Paws Cat and Kitten Repellent (Spray-Petco)
Four Paws Keep Off Indoor and Outdoor Dog and Cat Repellent (Spray-Petco)
Fresh Kitty Furniture Protectors
Gingerroot
Pet Botanics Bitter End Training Aid (Spray-Petco)
Pet Organics No Scratch! for Cats (Spray-Petco)
Pet Organics No-Mark for Cats (Spray-Petco-This one is for urine)
Pet Organics No-Stay Furniture Spray for Cats (Spray-Petsmart)
Scratching post
Simple Solution Indoor/Outdoor Repellent for Dogs and Cats (Spray-Petco)
Softpaws
Spray that stops them (there all different kinds)
Spray that stops them (there all different kinds-just go to petco.com type in “scratch spray”)
Trim their nails back once a week
Water bottle spray
Also you can try to rub some catnip on the scratching posts. They also sell catnip spray. Also it might not be big enough. A scratching post needs to be as tall as the cat (about 32”).
You should read the websites listed below. To see what declawing really is. It’s not a simple surgery of removing the “claw”. It’s an amputation of 10 digits.
Please do not get your cat declawed. Most of the problems with declawing has nothing to do with the actual surgery. Declawing is the worst thing you could ever do for your cat-other than not getting I fixed. Most cats that do have problems are not visible. Most of it has to do with their back muscles. Cats need their claws in order to stretch properly. That would be like a human not being able to stretch when they wake up in the morning. Imagine how stiff you would be. That results in back problems their whole life. And because cats are VERY good at hiding pain/sickness you can’t really tell.
Also you should know that when a veterinarian declaws a cat without trying everything else possible they are breaking the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) guidelines: Declawing of domestic cats should be considered only after attempts have been made to prevent the cat from using its claws destructively or when its clawing presents a zoonotic risk for its owner(s).
Also people think it’s better if they get it done laser. NOT TRUE. Watch this video. It’s long, but worth it. The part about laser is 10:44 into the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaEx-qe2wBw
All of the stuff below is from research & the websites listed below. Not written by me.
A few quick facts:
The Cat’s Claws:
Unlike most mammals who walk on the soles of the paws or feet, cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. Their back, shoulder, paw & leg joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments & nerves are naturally designed to support & distribute the cat’s weight across its toes as it walks, runs & climbs. The claws are used for balance, exercising & stretching the muscles in their legs, back, shoulders & paws. They stretch these muscles by digging their claws into a surface & pulling back against their own clawhold-similar to isometric exercising for humans. This is the only way a cat can exercise, stretch & tone the muscles of its back & shoulders. The toes help the foot meet the ground at a precise angle to keep the leg, shoulder & back muscles & joints in proper alignment. Removal of the last digits of the toes drastically alters the conformation of their feet & causes the feet to meet the ground at an unnatural angle that can cause back pain similar to that in humans caused by wearing improper shoes.
The cat’s claw is not a nail as is a human fingernail, it is part of the last bone in the cat’s toe.
Declawing is not a “simple”, single surgery but 10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint of each toe.
"Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat’s "toes". – Christianne Schelling, DVM.
“Fifty percent of the cats had one or more complications immediately after surgery…. 19.8% developed complications after release.”
Many vets deliberately misinform & mislead clients into believing that declawing removes only the claws.
Many cats also suffer a loss of balance because they can no longer achieve a secure foothold on their amputated stumps.
"Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems."
Psychological & Behavioral Complications:
Cats who were lively & friendly become withdrawn & introverted after being declawed.
In some cases, when declawed cats use the litterbox after surgery, their feet are so tender they associate their new pain with the box…permanently, resulting in a life-long adversion to using the litter box.
Other declawed cats that can no longer mark with their claws, they mark with urine.
Others, deprived of their primary means of defense, become nervous, fearful, and/or aggressive, often resorting to their only remaining means of defense, their teeth.
Many declawed cats become so traumatized by this painful mutilation that they end up spending their maladjusted lives perched on top of doors & refrigerators, out of reach of real & imaginary predators against whom they no longer have any adequate defense.
Unlike routine recoveries, including recovery from neutering surgeries, which are fairly peaceful, declawing surgery results in cats bouncing off the walls of the recovery cage because of excruciating pain.
A declawed cat frequently resorts to biting when confronted with even minor threats. Balance is affected by the inability to grasp with their claws.
Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical & psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis & irritable bowel syndrome
Some veterinarians are now promoting laser declawing as a "guilt-free" procedure. While laser declawing can reduce the bleeding & perhaps diminish, to some extent, the agonizing pain, the procedure is the no different, only the means of amputation.
A cat relies on its claws as its primary means of defense. Removing the claws makes a cat feel defenseless. The constant state of stress caused by a feeling of defenselessness may make some declawed cats more prone to disease. Stress leads to a myriad of physical and psychological disorders including supression of the immune system, cystitis and irritable bowel syndrome.