(Part 2) Best cat scratching pads according to redditors

Our cat hardly goes for the post. Far prefers the cardboard scratchers. Must be a texture thing. Hasn't scratched the carpet since we switched to cardboard.

Cheap, don't last long, but good to start.

More expensive, but last much, much longer. The cardboard is much tougher

We have one of these. The cat likes to shred the top scratching surface and the bunny likes shredding the bottom.

Edit: the one we have is something similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CGN5PS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Y-m2BbMXRKWSK

No, my cats won't use a scratching post either. But those cardboard trays, those they love. Though over the years I have all but eliminated anything they can scratch except the trays. But they do seem more than willing to use them. You put catnip on the tray and within a few minutes they are sharpening their claws on it.

But I won't get mine declawed. Not only is it mean to them but if they ever get out they might not be able to escape from dogs or mean people if they were clawless.

You need a decoy laptop.

https://www.amazon.com/Necoichi-Cat-Headed-Scratcher-Birch-Regular/dp/B012QQAX9S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=34JBYCKCD0LPY&keywords=cat+head+scratcher&qid=1567467717&s=gateway&sprefix=cat+head+sc%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1

Well I always suggest glass enclosures to prevent the possibility of bar chewing. Try rubbing a small lemon wedge on the inside of the bars. She most likely will stop. Also, here are some boredom breakers that may help:

Foraging-Activity

Sleep-Play-Cheese

Wooden-Colorful-Accessory

Carrot-Play-Patch

Play-Climb-KitThe holes in this are big enough for a small Syrian

Rosewood-Boredom-Breaker-Corrugated-Tunnel

Boredom-Breaker-Woven-Rollers-Cube/

Rosewood-Animals-Activity

Boredom breaker There is wire in here so make sure to supervise

Scratching-Corrugated-Cardboardremove the outside just to be sure of the colored cardboard and stuff some seeds inside the holes.

Basically what Bumholay said below. I also googled a few pages about it and bought a book: Clicker Training for Dogs and What Clicker Training Teaches Us About the Animal Mind.

Basically, get them used to the clicker meaning "treat." Click, give treat. Repeat 20-30 times with a small treat so they understand what the click means.

Then start teaching. Say "sit" or give the hand signal. If the dog sits, click and give a treat. If the dog poops/pees in the proper place, click (while they are doing the deed) and give a treat.

Make sure you give a treat EVERY TIME you click and always click for proper behavior. After the dog has the behavior down, you can lay off the treats and focus on other behaviors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2G4MWK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mfELDbNKCCZ1F

This one is brown but is the same thing otherwise.

Wouldn't be harmful at all if you have a cat who tolerates it. It is a viable option to declawing with some stipulations.

1. If you've got a cat who tolerates a nail file (and I've never had one), you're good. File @ regular intervals to protect your furniture.
   
   
2. If you choose to clip your cat's claws (again, if your cat will submit to this), you must be very aware of [the quick] (http://www.cat-world.com.au/how-to-trim-your-cats-claws)
   
   You can clip your cat's claws too short, cutting into the blood supply for the claw/knuckle and causing pain and possible infection.
   
   My own solution is to provide my cat with plenty of scratching opportunities that are not my furniture.
   
   [namely a few of these around the house] (http://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Pet-CS11300-Alpine-Scratcher/dp/B000084EES/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1330661463&sr=8-3)
   
   Works well in my experience.

Amazon, can't find exact link edit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012QQAX9S/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_F368ybR49YGF5

Here is something similar!

Suck UK Cat Scratch Pad https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZFSFOO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lVBRBb6JQ6XXY

I can't remember where my roommate got it :( but here is a similar one and another really cute one that I found online! (http://www.amazon.com/Large-Cardboard-Cat-Scratcher-Sofa/dp/B00W0FRMTU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451414075&sr=8-1&keywords=couch+cat+scratcher) (http://www.amazon.com/CLASSY-KITTY-Cat-Couch-30/dp/B007PBYWWO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1451413938&sr=8-7&keywords=couch+cat+scratcher)

Hi!

I love cats too!

I just brought my cat to my apartment last week after not being able to have her with me for 2 years! She's still technically not supposed to be here but I love having her here and we're going to try to keep her as long as possible (basically not getting caught for however long we can)

This is the only thing she really needs since she doesn't have anything to scratch up. Those in stores are like $10+...just for them to destroy! Anyway, I keep catching her trying to claw up my boyfriend's couch so I know she needs something to claw at!


For the first part, something cool for kittens/cats. This mane is adorable! /u/Lyd_Euh has one and it's so cute!

Thanks for the contest! Can we see your kitten? 😊

This may seem expensive, but I'll be damned if my cats don't love it.

Have you tried using the door knob hanging cat scratchers?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006B4HYF8/ref=pd_aw_fbt_199_img_2/143-6507161-8825846?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K28AGFX4QQGGHVH4AX3N

That's why you get a scratchboard made specifically to lay in front of the couch edge.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Craft-Sisal-Hanging-Scratching/dp/B006B4HYF8/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?keywords=cat+scratch&pd_rd_i=B006B4HYF8&pd_rd_r=7838be1f-62f7-49a9-9877-8d36d4edc9a9&pd_rd_w=GS7wb&pd_rd_wg=8WE7n&pf_rd_p=a6d018ad-f20b-46c9-8920-433972c7d9b7&pf_rd_r=PRQTKXY7RZ4MMCNFZEZN&qid=1570642176

Something you want: The Wildwood Tarot

Something you need: A cat scratcher lounge thing, because my couch is looking pretty sad

Something to wear: Gloves for my poor frozen hands

Something to read: Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, by Jeff VanderMeer

Something to watch: Season 1 of Hana Yori Dango

Something to listen to: Sonic Highways by the Foo Fighters

I can't decide between two of the items, so here's two riddle haiku (riddle-ku?).

First: Fingers hide in sleeves / But the cold makes them clumsy / Wrap them up in wool

Second: Evoking nature / Divining secret meanings / Tell me my fortune

My cats love this thing. It's one of those food dispensing balls that they bat around, I call it the cat piñata. One cat even refuses to eat out of her food plate if there's still food in this ball. You'd think she'd prefer to get her food the lazy way, but nope...

One of my other cats loves this little beaver guy. She tosses it up in the air and tries to catch it. It's her absolute favorite toy, she carries it all over the house.

Her sister loves this one. I don't know what it is with them and beavers but they both love their beaver toys more than anything else I've given them. I think it's the crunchiness that attracts her to this one, she likes to carry it around and then plop on top of it and rub herself on it. I don't know.

Their mom loves the toy that comes with this scratching mat. The scratching mat itself is actually pretty great too, they love it and sometimes use is as a sleeping pad.

Get this thing
https://www.amazon.com/FATCAT-Scratch-Reversible-Cardboard-Included/dp/B001CGN5PS/ref=sr_1_37?crid=3A0TQR3360NSL&keywords=cat+s

Or one like it. They are made of cardboard and cats prefer scratching them to anything else. There are various styles of them.

Not freshly-trained cashiers, but like... folks who had worked as cashiers (or in other positions) and got "promoted" to trainer after a brief training session on how to train. I'm not sure exactly how it works, it might actually depend on the individual store, but by no means are they professional trainers. If they are, they're few and far between.

I would suggest training her yourself! It's the best way to bond with your dog and there are lots of resources out there for people who want to do it. I would start by reading Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot the Dog! to get a good idea of what positive reinforcement training is and why it works more effectively than correction-based techniques. Clicker training is my favorite way to apply positive reinforcement methods; this would be a good first resource. Both of those I linked to can be found for cheap on thriftbooks, which ships anywhere in the US for free. :)

Definitely second giving her a nice box to hide in. Check out Fort Bravo. They like a small opening to squeeze into. I put some foam padding inside and crinkly paper on top of that and he's used it for years.

Scratching post or cardboard scratching ramp is a must.

Have you offered her catnip? What about a laser pointer?

Do you slow blink with her? Try initiating it from a distance and see if she responds.


If she's sharing space with you and playing, you are doing the right things. Just keep at it.

How about a picture of the lady in question?

Edit: Jackson Galaxy has some advice about cats waking you up at night

You will probably not even need treats! As i said, cats(at least mine) will try and touch the spinning arrow because they think it's a toy(or alive). You could buy one of these

But if that doesn't work, you could make her paw touch it, and thengive her a treat every time. She will get it after 3-4 times.

Just one example
Catit Style Scratcher with Catnip, Butterfly Chaise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032GEEDS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qlpoDbS4YVQC3

They have bunches of types for cheap

Another
2 Pack Cat Scratcher Cardboard with Catnip, Recycle Corrugated Scratching Pad Reversible Replacement Scratcher Pad Lounge Sofa Bed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M71QGTP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ympoDb3XD5WNB

Just look for "cardboard cat scratcher"

They make corner guards for couches. My cat used to do this, but we had to put him to sleep before I found these.


https://www.amazon.com/HAND-Furniture-Protector-Protecting-Upholstered/dp/B07HQ2PPZQ/ref=sr_1_7?crid=OVG2WCFYVUBR&keywords=couch+scratch+protector+from+cats&qid=1570651667&sprefix=couch+scr%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-7

For the couch scratching, you can use a spray like this one on your furniture. It is supposed to keep the cat from being on the place you spray. I've never personally tried it though. I would normally recommend double sided tape on your furniture where the cat scratches. That gets them to stop because they don't like how it feels. But I have no idea if the tape would damage the leather (I doubt it, but not sure) so I would try something like this which is a cat training tape. It is basically double-sided tape, but it specifically says it won't harm your furniture. I have done that and had a lot of success with it personally.

We used a combination of double sided tape and squirt guns.

We put double sided tape on surfaces our cat wanted to scratch but we didn't want her to, cats generally don't like the sticky surface so they learn that it feels weird. You have to deal with double sided taped surfaces for a while but it's nice that the cat can't sneakily scratch things. We also provided the cat with acceptable things to scratch; scratching post, or this thing our cat loves it.


And Squirt gun for when she went up on the table or the counter. We would just shoot her with the water gun, she hates water and would jump off quickly. We also do have a location up high the cat is allowed to walk on, they like being up high so they can see everything.

I also trained the cat to sit on command, that required a good amount of patience and about a half pound of sliced turkey.

These are cheap looking but this is the type she likes to play on.

http://www.petco.com/product/105853/Star-Chaser-Turbo-Scratcher-Cat-Toy.aspx?cm_mmc=CSEMShopzilla-_-Cat-_-Bergan-_-1086561&mr:referralID=cd581db9-f24a-11e0-9aae-001b2166c62d

She sleeps on/stalks shit from this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009YUIZE/ref=asc_df_B0009YUIZE1734224?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=shopzilla_rev_333-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B0009YUIZE

Here are some of my cats favorite toys and furniture. He also loves wiffle golf balls and laser pointers. His bed is actually an old Serta neck support pillow we don't use anymore. A good scratching post built into a tree is also a good choice for his room. Hope this helps!

SmartyKat Skitter Critters Cat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FK4744?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Cat Dancer Products Rainbow Cat... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VPFC8C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Play King Cat Scratching Pad Toy... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K3YMPA0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

SmartyKat Scratch Scroll Cat Scratcher Carpet and Sisal Cat Furniture - Assorted colors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J4RETG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_w8XuDbGC4TE3G

SmartyKat Crackle Chute Collapsible Cat and Dog Tunnel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001B41TOK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_taYuDbQBWJA5F

Kitty City Pop-up Cat Cube, Cat Toys https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHUXS3O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa__-aYuDbWPJ6PNP


Edited to add two more links

We have this one we got when our little girl was only 8 weeks (2 now) and she still uses it. It's perfect little size for kittens and a bit more interesting as it's for play as well, can learn to scratch as she plays.

SmartyKat Scratch Scroll Cat Scratcher Carpet and Sisal Cat Furniture - Assorted colors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J4RETG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.1OADbMFP63KE

Double-sided sticky tape on the blinds where she can reach (temporary). Rub delicious foods or catnip on the scratching post, and scatter treats on and around them. You should have MULTIPLE posts out for them- tall ones, "loungers", wide ones. What kind of scratching posts do you have right now? We have a mixture of the cardboard ones and rope and one of these carpet ones and our cat prefers the rope and mostly ignores the cardboard, but other people swear by the other kinds, so I think some cats just have a preference. This cat house is my cat's FAVORITE thing to claw on, but she also likes her lounger which can be easily mounted to the wall instead of we wanted to switch things up.

I'm guessing it's this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VIYAR4/

EDIT: Product name is "Petlinks System Dream Curl Curvy Two-Surface Scratcher"

he has one its a couch like this yet he still goes back to that corner even though he loves this couch. he is really dumb and may just want attention. and again he isn't affected by catnip. we may have figured out a solution. I've stapled cardboard onto the corner. it may discourage or encourage. either way its not the wood he is scratching. ill up date this to let you know if this solution works

This approach may take some time, but my cat eventually learned that if I am in the bedroom with the light off and fan on (its an oscillating one that makes a fairly strong humming sound), I am down for the night and it'll be at least a few hours before I come back. After a few weeks of this routine, he gave up on screaming outside my door. The bedroom is off-limits to him at all times, as well. If I'm in there with the light on, he will meow at me, because he knows I'm likely to come back soon.

Mine's a door-rattler, too - he can fit his paw in the crack under the bedroom door and wrap it around the door. To protect the bottom of the door from his claws, I put some rubber weatherstripping on it. For the floor, consider getting a protective film to put down where she usually scratches. Hardware stores sell them to use during painting / construction, and many of them are affordable and tear-resistant.

It may be inconvenient, but do your best to cat-proof the house so you can ignore her acting out with minimal collateral damage. Keep anything fragile in drawers or cabinets unless you're actively using it. Consider making the bedroom a no-cat zone and putting as many valuables as possible in there. Don't leave food or drinks unattended - if you have to step away, stick them in the fridge or a cabinet while you're gone.

Also consider an electronic toy that moves around or something more interactive that will keep her engaged at night or while you're busy without the need for a human to facilitate playtime. Here are a few ideas::

https://www.amazon.com/SmartyKat-Feather-Whirl-Electronic-Motion/dp/B00KQGRIKI/

https://www.amazon.com/Catit-Design-Senses-Circuit-Original/dp/B001LWRFW2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WP7F8YC

https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Tracks-Track-Interactive-Petstages/dp/B00DT2WL26

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714D3FDT?psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DJ6XW

https://www.amazon.com/Hex-480-3030-Nano-Assorted-Styles/dp/B01B45AMIO/

Also, if she ignores the scratching post but loves to tear the crap out of your floor, she may prefer a horizontal scratcher. One wasted $30 scratching post later, I figured that out about my cat. Something like these would be worth a try:

https://www.amazon.com/Bergan-Turbo-Scratcher-Colors-vary/dp/B000IYSAIW - doubles as a toy

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YQ5KJM/ - this one is nice because you can lay it flat on the floor, prop it up at an angle with the cardboard flap, or hang it from a doorknob to see which works best. Also comes with catnip to sprinkle inside it. These have corrugated cardboard surfaces and don't last as long as carpet or sisal rope, but my cat seems more satisfied with something he can actually destroy. He'll jump on it, attack it with his claws, then roll around in the bits he tore off. You will vacuum a lot of cardboard flakes off the floor as it starts to wear out, but for me it's worth the trouble. If you don't like the mess, you can buy this one to test whether horizontal, inclined, or hung against the wall works best, then invest in a similar style of scratcher made from more durable material. That was my plan, but he just loves this stuff so much I order one as an add-on every month when I buy litter.

We adopted two kittens from a litter of seven, born to a barn cat, who had no human contact until about 8-weeks old.

The male came around quickly. The female, however, would just hiss and run away.

Here are a few things that have helped:

I got my tablet, sat on the floor with a "husband pillow" and played YouTube videos of cats meowing. She came over to investigate the sound and sat on my lap. It was like magic. I can't explain it. My hypothesis is that the sound reminded her of being with the rest of her litter and maybe she thought I was her momma?

Try to avoid making direct eye contact. I guess it's a sign of aggression. When you do reach out to pet her, bring your hand from the side or behind. Reaching toward her head from the front or above can be perceived as an act of aggression.

Next step: get her to sit on the couch with us.
We have a large cardboard lounger she likes to sit on. This one. So I bought a smaller one that would fit on the couch between us. Then we bribed her with treats to get her on there with us.

The couch/lounger thing has taken a while, but now she jumps up there on her own, waiting for us to join her on the couch for dinner and TV.

She still doesn't like to be picked up or held. Next on my to-do list is to get her to sit on my lap.