apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You know, my girls did a number on my furniture until I got them something very similar to this. It's what I recommend to anyone with cats now. They still occasionally go for my couch, but the one is doing it deliberately to make me mad and the other is trying (and failing) to climb the couch.

Our cat completely ignores the upright carpet and cardboard and constantly goes for the most expensive piece of furniture - the couch. We've tried lacing both with catnip, but catnip has never interested her in the slightest bit. Any advice?

I'm going to have to try this, thanks. ChristopherB, have you tried rubbing mint/peppermint scents on the upright carpet or cardboard? I read somewhere that cat nip is in the mint family, and some cats just prefer mint. For instance, does your cat get close to you during or after you're brushing your teeth? If so, that might be something to try. Other than that, I've actually resorted to using the double-sided furniture sticky tape they sell at the pet shop to keep the cats from scratching the sofa arms, etc. It works instantly, though not the most aesthetically pleasing thing.

ChristopherB, is the upright carpet thing very sturdy? A lot of cats won't scratch it if it moves when they do. Also, what part of the couch does she scratch? If it's upright, then stick with an upright scratcher, if it's horizontal, go with a horizontal one. The goal is to figure out what she likes by observing what she does and try to make the scratcher more appealing than the couch. I had some luck with a book called "Outwitting Cats" although I can't remember who wrote it. The above is advice from there.

If all else fails, that sticky tape works wonders as long as you aren't constantly sticking yourself to it. Good luck!