bad kitty scratching furniture...Help!

Ok guys....Hunter really is outdoing himself now!! Over the past week he has decided that at about 4:30am he will scratch on the bedroom furniture. This is wood furniture. (he has a scratching post).
He doesn't do this AT ANYOTHER TIME! Just in the morning and it starts at 4:30ish (I know because it wakes me up).
We have tried...
Spraying him with the squirt gun, yelling at him, closing the bedroom door.
(when we close the bedroom door....he scratches at that). I've also blocked part of the furniture with a suitcase and my gym bag.

My guess is that this is his attempt to make us get up and somehow we have reinforced this behavior of his. Now though, I am not sure what to do to make it stop.
Any suggestions at alll that I haven't tried????

 

maybe put a blanket over the piece of furniture before you go to bed. my kitties dont scratch if there is a throw on the chair. there are products that repel...found at petsmart. feliway might help. plug it in just before bedtime in your bedroon. it helps with scratching behavior, or at least is supposed to help.

thats all i can think of right now.... :wink:

 

We've draped throws and blankets over places where the kitties want to scratch and it has worked well.

Sometimes I've tossed something light but something that makes a little noise (tossed it near the area not at her) and that has chased her away from the scratching area...like a small magazine. I've even loped a small pillow near her, not at her, and that has worked, too.

My kitty Mittens claws things to get attention, too. I have been scolding her for 8 years and she still doesn't get it. She does stop when she gets yelled at.

Good luck.

 

Hi there, found this article for u.

ALUMINIUM FOILD
can sometimes train them to stay off very specifiic pieces of furniture or locations by covering it with aluminium foil. In most cases, a month of leaving the foil on when you leave the house will be effective.

WAKE UP CALL
Cats are notorious for waking their owners up at oh-dark-thirty. If you wish to stop this, there are several steps to take.
The cat may simply be hungry and demanding its food. By feeding it when it wakes you up at an ungodly hour, you are simply reinforcing its behavior. If this is why it's waking you up, you can handle this either by filling the bowl just before you go to sleep so it will not be empty in the morning, or by ignoring the cat's wakeups and feeding it at the exact same time convenient to you every morning. The cat will adjust fairly quickly to the second.

If it is trying to play, there are again several tactics you can try. If you make a practice of tiring it out with play just before bedtime, you can reduce its calls for play at dawn. What works in some cases is to hiss gently at the cat. You can also try shutting it out of the bedroom. If it pounds on the door, put it in a bathroom until you wake up.

In persistent cases, try the vacuum cleaner, eater of noisy kitties. Go to bed, leaving him out in the hall. Position the vacuum cleaner next to the door, inside it. Plug the vacuum in, and arrange things so you can switch the vacuum on from your bed (eg, wire a switch into an extension cord). Wait for the scratching and wailing at the door. Turn the vacuum cleaner on. If cat comes back, turn it on again. The cat will eventually decide to stop bothering you in the morning.

By the way did you get Hunter the right scratching post? The problem is that cats are individuals and different cats prefer different kinds of scratching posts.

You may need to experiment with several types of scratching posts until you find the one that your cat likes best. The post's location is also significant - the right post in the wrong place may not be attractive enough. Here are some things to consider when setting a scratching post for your cat:

Stability - Scratching puts a lot of pressure of the scratched object and if it's not sturdy enough it will probably wobble or even topple over. The rule here is to find a scratching post that is as stable as any heavy furniture and as unmovable as a wall-to-wall carpet.

Size - When you cats scratches the post, she is also performing a full body stretch. To do that, most cats need a scratching surface that is least 28-30 inches long. Very small cats may do with surfaces that are smaller, but the rule is the longer, the better.

Vertical or Horizontal - This really a matter of the cat's personal taste. Some cats prefer vertical scratching posts while other go for horizontal ones. You may have to experiment with both kinds until you find out what your cat likes best.

Texture - The scratching post should be covered with some rough material that your cat can use as a good nail file. Cats also take a visual cue from a surface and if it looked a bit scratched it may be more attractive. Here too, different cats have different preferences. Sisal, rope and carpets are usually welcome. Some cats prefer cardboard or rough fabrics. Again, you may need to experiment to discover your cat's particular taste.

Location - even if you find the ideal scratching post for your cat, she may choose not to use it if it's not located in the right place. Consider the situations when your cat scratches. It's usually when she gets up from a nice nap, to have a good stretch, or when she greets you as you get into the house, as a way to release pent-up excitement. If she can't find a suitable scratching post nearby, chances are she'll go for the furniture or carpet. So, don't hide the post in the basement - place it in a prominent area of your house, clearly visible to your cat. If you live in a large house, your cat may require more than one scratching post.

Scratching Post Training
Once you provide your cat with the right post for her, you need to make sure that she uses the post and avoids your furniture. Kittens learn scratching behavior when they are several months old, so don't be surprised if your ten week old kitten still doesn't use the post. With time, Kitty will discover the joys of clawing and you need to make sure that she knows where is the best place for it.

Whether training a kitten or an adult cat, don't make the common mistake of trying to put the cat's paws on the scratching post for her. Cats don't like to be handled this way and you risk creating a negative association with the post.

Instead, get the cat interested in the post by playing interactive games around it. Make the cat chase a toy around and on the post. During the chase the cat will probably try to claw at the toy and will probably discover the pleasant surface. When she does she may actually begin to scratch the post as a way to relieve the pent-up excitement caused by the game. When this happens, give plenty of praise in a pleasant quiet tone. Be patient - this may take a few sessions and you want your cat to be relaxed and playful.

If your cat has already discovered the charms of your furniture, you need to make them less appealing; at least until you're sure that the cat is using only the scratching post. You can cover the furniture with aluminum foil or better still with Sticky Paws - a special transparent product that prevents the cat from scratching the covered surface. You can also try a using a special repellant spray on your furniture for the same purpose, but bear in mind that some cats are not affected by the spray.

Remember you can only use these preventive measures after you have provided your cat with an appropriate scratching post and made sure that she knows where it is and how to use it.

By the way I got these informations from http://www.thecatsite.com/

Hope this is informative.

 

There is also a catnip scented spray that you can buy to spray on the scratch post to help attract them to it.

 

OMG! Copper starts at about 4:30 too! Even on my days off! If he can't wake me up, he wakes up the dogs and they all get into it. And usually he has food in his bowl. He plucks on his horizontal scratching post and kinda makes a chortle noise to wake us up. I LOVE the vacuum cleaner idea...he he he.

 

Sounds just like my Pumpkin. :mrgreen: How about applying double sided sticy tape or applying fresh garlic and onion rub? Just a thought. :-&

 

There are a couple of theories I have as to why Hunter is doing this scratching. He doesn't do it at ANY other time. He uses the appropriate scratching areas at all other times.

I wake atleast two or three times a night (I drink massive amounts of water)....when I wake up, Hunter usually follows me to the bathroom and he gets lots and lots of petting (call me weird). Then he follows me to the bedroom and we both get back into the bed (he curls up around my neck).
Perhaps he is doing this scratching stuff to wake me up so he can get attention.

What I did last night, was I didn't pet him when I went to the bathroom, I ignored him and then I shut him out of the bedroom. He scratched on the door, but I can ignore that. I can't ignore him scratching my Dresser and my nightstand.
So, we'll test this out for a bit and hopefully he will get the picture. He is such a headstrong, defiant little bugger though.
Bionca...thanks for your help...definately stuff for me to think about with the scratching post though!

Thanks you guys...and have a great great weekend!