Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello everyone I'm a new member and I just wondered if anyone had used Sticky Paws on leather furniture? I have adopted a lovely approximately 5 year old ginger and white tom. He's been with me for just over 5 weeks and is adorable and a big softie. He started to scratch the side of my leather sofa so I got a scratch poll which he just looked at! Once I had applied catnip he started to use it. Good boy! My problem is that he has crazy times when he races around the room with or without a toy. In doing this he makes skid marks on the carpet and then usually jumps on the pouffe and races behind the sofa ready to pounce! He usually works his way around the base of my leather furniture causing scratches because he's so pumped up. He also claws round the bottom stair causing the carpet to fluff up (stairs in lounge). These sessions occur 2 or 3 times a day. I thought that when he started to go out, which was a week ago, this might have diminished but not so far. Any comments or suggestions re this behaviour or the use of Sticky Paws would be really appreciated.

I'd suggest that you get a roll of 2" wide double-sided tape, and cut it into suitable lengths to put on carpet or furniture in the areas he tends to scratch. I've no leather furniture, but do use it on my upholstered suite. It's almost unnoticeable. I've found it very effective with various cats I've had - they hate the sticky feel of it and previously loved to claw round the bottom stair, like yours does. Best of luck with him - hopefully he'll calm down when he's been with you a bit longer.

This is the sort of thing - £2.95 for a 33metre roll....

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p44920? ... ded%20tape

Hi Alice and thanks for your suggestions and comments. I have some double sided tape in my stationery drawer so I have just put several pieces on the bottom stair. I think that putting it on my suite might damage the surface of the leather when removed but I will probably try it in an inconspicuous area. Thanks again

My own experience suggests that preventing superficial scratches on leather furniture is well nigh impossible

But there are products out there which will minimize the damage, and a bit of wear rather than tear on leather is, in my opinion, acceptable to a cat lovers

Kay wrote:My own experience suggests that preventing superficial scratches on leather furniture is well nigh impossible

But there are products out there which will minimize the damage, and a bit of wear rather than tear on leather is, in my opinion, acceptable to a cat lovers

Adds character

Welcome, SuB, by the way, he sounds a great chap, do love gingers

Hi Sticky Paws have you tried using Feliway spray? I've used it on my fabric sofa - worked when I used it but think I may have to use it a few more times. Vivian

Thank you, everybody. He really is adorable and so affectionate! There are superficial scratches which I can live with but unfortunately some are quite deep exposing the leather fibres which is unsightly. It is a cream suite so everything is noticable! I had wondered about trying Feliway. I have read good reviews about the diffuser and the spray but these are mainly when applied to fabric. Anything is worth a try!!

There are lots of different cardboard scratchers (mats/boxes/loungers/beds) constructed using the ends of cardboard which cats apparently love to scratch. This page shows some different ones:
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/search_adv.a ... rce=search

You'd have cardboard pieces to hoover up, but maybe it would help save the sofa?

Some sofa protection ideas that you could DIY (you might have to log into Pinterest to view these):

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/479140847831644696/

Reading this makes me SO glad I have a black sofa! I do sympathise, we live on the one level in a bungalow - in the country. We used to have carpets and a beautiful pinky-grey fabric sofa - nightmare! Now it is all tiles, wood and a leather suite (still hard work when you are married to the messiest man in creation, but better than it was)

Gracie did go through a phase of sharpening her claws on the side of the sofa,the wallpaper near the door and door frame itself. At the time I had an oil-based spray of orange and clove. In desperation I tried it on the surfaces she went for and it worked. She wrinkled her nose, sneezed and gave me a dirty look, but she has never scratched there again. Mind you I did have to re-paint the wall.

Another idea which might work is a cheap Moroccan leather pouffe as a distraction

I had one once that my cats trashed with great enthusiasm - the smell of old goat was clearly irresistible

Re-reading your post, SuB, it sounds like your cat is just having what we call 'the zoomies'. Is there any way you can block his progress around the furniture/stairs, even on a temporary basis? If you can 'break' the habit and distract him, he might give up?

Our's still have the zoomies from time to time but no real harm is done. Also catnip/catmint calms down some cats and fizzes-up others. Gracie is a real catmint junkie she sits by the plant in the front garden and contentedly chomps on it. But it turns Purdy into a raving nut case and she flies around the place.

Thank you all again for links, suggestions and comments. He does use the scratch pole especially just after a snooze or a nice feed. The problem is definitely the loony times. I now try to direct him into the kitchen/dining room where less damage is likely. I have also encouraged him to go out to 'run it off' during the day. He usually has a loony time as I'm preparing for bed and I have preempted this the last couple of evenings and given him some catnip biscuits which seemed to have calmed him. Time will tell! I have put double sided tape on the bottom stair and he has not tried to pluck so we seem to be making progress.