How to keep a kitten off my couch?

[Stayseeliz]

We rescued a stray kitten earlier this week and I've given in and said we could keep even though I am NOT a cat person. She got on my sectional this afternoon and took a nap and now she thinks she owns the couch. I do NOT want her on the couch AT ALL. How do I make this happen? Thanks!

[LaxMom]

Uuuuummmm, you don't? Cats aren't known for minding. I honestly don't think I've ever met a cat that had any regard for their humans' wishes about where to sleep.

 

As far as they're concerned, we work for them.

[Stayseeliz]

So am I doomed to a torn up couch and cat hair everywhere? I can't handle that. The couch is the ONE nice thing I own and I don't want it torn up!

[gardenmom5]

snap toys that are triggered by motion - when she jumps up on the couch, they snap.

 

I've a friend who found a motion activiated monkey playing cymbals. she just leaves it on the couch. (we picked it up to move it :glare::glare::glare:, and it would go off. every time there was the least little movement it would go off. :glare: for at least a minute or two.)

[Mommyof4ks]

Can you get a crate or keep the kitten in the laundry room when it sleeps?

[Shannon in TN]

I've "trained" a cat to stay off the counters with a spray bottle. I imagine the same principle might work with a couch. Every time the kitten scratches or jumps on the couch, spray her with water. If you put a touch of vinegar in the water, the aroma is super-strong on their sinuses and gives it that extra punch, but not so much that it causes injury.

 

But then, this only works when you're there to catch her in the act. :tongue_smilie:

[Reflections]

I know that you said you gave in to keeping the kitten, but I also hear you say you are not a cat person and therefore I "hear" that you are not happy about having the cat at all. While she is still cute you need to make a firm decision about whether you are going to keep her or not. If not then, while she is still cute, you need to find her a loving home pronto. If you are going to keep her you need to know some stuff: cats tend to be stubborn, especially the females. Cut her nails but do not declaw; she will learn to bite instead of scratch and declawing can cause nerve damage that will make her bite (see the theme?) Set up her spot so that she'll leave the couch alone. A box with a blanket, or a small dog bed somewhere off the floor (cats like to be elevated to survey "their country and holdings") - they even make cat beds that are attached to window sills and cats love them. My cats loved my baby's bouncy chair.

 

But to answer the most direct question: Foil and a squirt bottle. Put foil on the couch. Just tear off a few sheets of it and lay it on the parts she lays on. She'll jump up and hate the sound and the feel. When you see her do it, squirt her with the water. And most importantly provide her with a twine based scratching post, not a carpet covered one, to give her something to do with her claws. At a kitten stage catnip won't work on her - so don't bother with rubbing it on the post, she needs to be older AND some cats are immune and some cats are silly on catnip and some are - well, some cats are mean drunks.

 

I have cats (lots of rescues) and they don't claw any of my couches or my general furniture at all - and the couches are leather and the one downstairs is plush.

 

And get her fixed as soon as your vet says it's okay. Trust me you don't want a female in heat which happens at around 5/6 months.

 

Probably more info than you wanted, but when I hear, "I am not a cat person", I hear; I don't know much about cats please help me understand this alien..

[Starr]

Fold up a cozy fleece or wool small blanket and see if she makes it her bed. No matter what you do you will have some cat hair to deal with somewhere. If it is really going to upset you maybe you should rehome the kitten while she's little, cute and someone will want her. Pets aren't for everyone.

[GailV]

I've "trained" a cat to stay off the counters with a spray bottle. I imagine the same principle might work with a couch. Every time the kitten scratches or jumps on the couch, spray her with water. If you put a touch of vinegar in the water, the aroma is super-strong on their sinuses and gives it that extra punch, but not so much that it causes injury.

 

But then, this only works when you're there to catch her in the act. :tongue_smilie:

 

We've never used the vinegar -- the squirt bottle has been enough. It works great. Except when you're using it because the cat comes into your bedroom at 4:30am and meows to wake you up, so you keep the bottle next to your bed so that you can grab it and squirt him except you're half asleep and grab it BACKWARDS and squirt yourself in the face -- then it isn't that great.

 

Also, the kids can't decide the squirt bottle is for squirt gun fights that include the cat. She needs to learn that the squirt bottle has a specific meaning, like getting onto something forbidden or clawing the wrong thing.

 

I'd provide something else for her to sleep on -- it should be up off the ground and cushy. A fleece blanket on a chair is a popular spot in our house. Bonus points if it gets sun.

 

Our cats like those scratching boards that are made from corrugated cardboard. They stand on them and rip them up.

[Shannon in TN]

We've never used the vinegar -- the squirt bottle has been enough. It works great. Except when you're using it because the cat comes into your bedroom at 4:30am and meows to wake you up, so you keep the bottle next to your bed so that you can grab it and squirt him except you're half asleep and grab it BACKWARDS and squirt yourself in the face -- then it isn't that great.

 

:lol: I can totally see that happening to me! :D.

[KungFuPanda]

We rescued a stray kitten earlier this week and I've given in and said we could keep even though I am NOT a cat person. She got on my sectional this afternoon and took a nap and now she thinks she owns the couch. I do NOT want her on the couch AT ALL. How do I make this happen? Thanks!

 

 

:smilielol5::smilielol5:

[SonshineLearner]

Give into the cat being on your couch... Patiently bring it to the scratching post each and every time it scratches. During training, keep it in the restroom or laundry room when you're gone. (Easier to KEEP from scratching than to correct it) Ask... me how.... I know!! :) Our childhood cat was attended to each time... our two family cats... not enough. I'm wondering if I'll ever have a couch again.

If I had it to do again, I'd secure foil around all potential spots while training. I'd also cover the couch with blankets or something, and when visitors come over... Swoosh... just remove the blankets. I've decided I'm not a cat person :) But... I still have one for say... 15+ more years :)

[swellmomma]

Best way to keep the cat off the couch is to hold it in your lap...problem solved :tongue_smilie:

[Stayseeliz]

Thanks for the tips. The hair I can deal with but I don't think I can handle her tearing up my year old sectional. She's using her claws to climb up the side of the couch and I can see her ripping it to shreds. It freaks me out! I could handle her being on the couch if she doesn't tear it up. It's literally the one decent piece of furniture that I own.

[clarkacademy]

Squirt bottle full of water! Worked like a charm on mine. After a while I just sat the empty bottle on the couch and they would evil eye it as they walked by :lol: Have no tolerance at all for having my home torn up.

[astrid]

Uuuuummmm, you don't? Cats aren't known for minding. I honestly don't think I've ever met a cat that had any regard for their humans' wishes about where to sleep.

 

As far as they're concerned, we work for them.

 

I have a little sign on my fridge that says, "Dogs have owners. Cats have staff." :001_smile:

 

astrid

[Trish]

So am I doomed to a torn up couch and cat hair everywhere? I can't handle that. The couch is the ONE nice thing I own and I don't want it torn up!

 

Slip cover?

[Blessedchaos]

I've "trained" a cat to stay off the counters with a spray bottle. I imagine the same principle might work with a couch. Every time the kitten scratches or jumps on the couch, spray her with water. If you put a touch of vinegar in the water, the aroma is super-strong on their sinuses and gives it that extra punch, but not so much that it causes injury.

 

But then, this only works when you're there to catch her in the act. :tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree:

 

I have trained all of our cats to stay off of tables and counters with a spray bottle. The key is to try to get them every time you see them jump onto the undesired area and try to make it appear as if it doesn't come from you (put it to your side or just out of sight). It has worked with every cat we have owned. However, your kitty will want to be where you are and if she is a snuggler, asking her to stay off the couch may be quite a struggle.

 

If it is ripping up your couch you are worried about though, I don't think training the cat to not go on it is going to do much. Cats typically sharpen their claws on the side of the couch from the floor. The same spray bottle trick can apply here, but also place a scratching post next to the couch and if you see the kitten go to the couch to scratch place her at the scratching post and put her little paws up and "teach" her how to use it. Also keep her claws trimmed well (usually about once a week) - when done from kittenhood they don't mind it. We were having trouble with our female for a little while with the couch scratching but as soon as I put a post next to it she stopped.

[black_midori]

Get the kitty used to having her claws clipped, pronto! It is way easier to teach them that when they are young, imo. We've had our most recent cat now for less than a year & he turned out to be HUGE (really ginormous!) but he still just sprawls out on a chair and lets me grab his paws & snip all of his "toenails". I just use my old baby nail clippers, although they do have special ones for cats if you prefer.

 

That has helped me with the clawing & scratching things the most (although he fortunately hasn't really been bad about that). Whenever I play fight with him and I wince, the next day I catch him while he's napping & trim the claws! :) Seems to keep him from scratching on the furniture (although he LOVES clawing the carpet - I should definitely have NOT gone with a carpet scratching post...).

[raceNzanesmom]

Uuuuummmm, you don't? Cats aren't known for minding. I honestly don't think I've ever met a cat that had any regard for their humans' wishes about where to sleep.

 

As far as they're concerned, we work for them.

 

:iagree:

 

I've never had a problem with ours scratching furniture. We have two of those cardboard pads and she destroys them. She's never scratched the furniture and we've had her a year and a half. She has clawed the carpet at the door in my ds's room, but that's because she accidentally got locked in there. For the hair, feed quality food, brush the kitty often, and buy a good hair remover for the couch.

[mommytime]

We rescued a stray kitten earlier this week and I've given in and said we could keep even though I am NOT a cat person. She got on my sectional this afternoon and took a nap and now she thinks she owns the couch. I do NOT want her on the couch AT ALL. How do I make this happen? Thanks!

 

I haven't read all the replies, but there is kitty caps. They're little fingernail covers you glue on kitty's nails so she can't scratch. Obviously, only for indoor kitties. My SIL is using them for her three cats, and so far, so good. One cat ripped them off but apparently she rips off her toenails routinely.:confused::confused: I'm going to be trying them, too. I'm afraid for my couches and accidental scratches on the kids. She bought hers at amazon, but there are also websites devoted to them, like kittycaps.com. HTH!

[SonshineLearner]

Just curious if anyone who has a cat that scratches the couch... and then they train it not to?? I'd love a new couch, but would be appalled if my cat scratched it all up!! :)

[Jeannie in NJ]

to answer Nafiesmom and the op, I have 8 cats and they had completley torn up my previous couchs so when we got new couchs I got a spray bottle. I got one that has a stream, I got it at the hardware store. Everytime, they would start to scratch, I would spray them and re-direct them to the nearby scratching post. Now I just have to show them the bottle if they even look like they want to scratch the couch. Now this may sound silly but when we are gone, I leave the water bottle near the sofa and I guess it must deter them lol since our new sofas have not been scratched at all and from all appearances even when we are gone, they do not scratch ( I have seen no evidence of scratching). ANd these were the cats that had totally torn up the previous sofas .

[KS_]

I agree with the spray bottle - just be diligent in training and make sure you have a separate, comfy place for the cat that's her own (we've made a way for our current cat to get up on top of the wardrobe in our room where she has a bed, along with a cat tower in the front room with a bed). I've also always had big scratching posts made out of a carpet that the cats liked. My last 2 cats did not get on any furniture, except my bed, and none of my cats was ever allowed on the counters. I'd also start training the kitten to accept having her claws clipped, which can be done with regular people clippers. At least that way she'll do less damage during the training. And kittens do benefit from having lots of cat toys to keep them busy :)

[mo2]

Spray bottle. Be sure to set it so that a stream of water comes out, not just a fine spray. Aim carefully....cats are fast!

[Mergath]

The only way to keep her off the couch is to get something she likes better. Most cats love those giant climbing trees with several platforms and sleeping nooks.

 

As for spraying the kitten, there's a fifty-fifty chance that she'll avoid YOU, not the couch. So I'd use that only as a last resort.

[Ellie]

Cat hair everywhere, yes; torn-up sofa, no. I've had cats for over 30 years and have not had torn-up furniture (although there have been a couple of snagged threads).

[Ellie]

I've "trained" a cat to stay off the counters with a spray bottle. I imagine the same principle might work with a couch. Every time the kitten scratches or jumps on the couch, spray her with water. If you put a touch of vinegar in the water, the aroma is super-strong on their sinuses and gives it that extra punch, but not so much that it causes injury.

 

But then, this only works when you're there to catch her in the act. :tongue_smilie:

ITA, although we don't use vinegar. The spray is usually enough. My cats have never been afraid of me because of the squirt bottle.

 

And yeah, you have to catch 'em in the act. Good luck with that. :lol:

[Wendi]

Cats generally like to be "on" something. If you lay a clean item of clothing on your bed, the cat will come along and lay right in the middle of the clothes. I swear, if you put a piece of paper in a room the size of a gymnasium, the cat will find and lay on the piece of paper. They also like to get in things like boxes. So I suggest you experiment with things you can place on the couch that the kitty will sleep on. A folded fleece blanket, a small round pet bed, a shallow box, etc. I've seen special pet blankets at the store that claim to attract pet hair to keep it off your furniture. That may help keep kitty in one spot on the couch, and keep her hair a bit contained. Also a non-couch option, like one of those cat condos, a cat bed on a chair near a window, etc. She may just be using her paws to climb because she's too little to jump onto the couch; when she gets bigger, she'll probably just jump up.

 

If you just want her to stay off, besides the spray bottle, another thing to try is noise. We trained our cat to stay off the kitchen counter with one of those Boggle games. We'd pick it up and shake it; he didn't like the noise. We just left the game there on the counter to deter him when we were away.

 

When are you going to post a picture of your new baby? :D

 

Wendi

[Mergath]

I swear, if you put a piece of paper in a room the size of a gymnasium, the cat will find and lay on the piece of paper.

 

:lol:

[Rhonda in TX]

With our kitten, I found redirection the best thing to do. Just pick her up and move her when she's doing something you don't like. Get a pillow for her to sleep on and a scratching post. If she's on the couch, pick her up and move her to the pillow. If she's sharpening her claws on something, move her to the scratching post. I know the scratching post thing works. I'm not so sure about the pillow (we allow our cats on furniture, other than tables and countertops), but it's worth a try.

 

I will say that our kitten destroyed our leather couch, but that was only because they can't retract their claws at first, and she scratched it up just by walking on it. She didn't sharpen her claws on it. It's a good thing I love her so much... :)

[Jann in TX]

Until she is large enough to jump up all of the way she needs to be deterred from climbing the sides (what seems to be the main issue here).

 

You do not want 'poke' holes in the sides of your nice sofa--- I don't blame you!

 

We had a kitten once who did this-- new sofa too. What worked best for us was placing end-tables (we used TV tray tables) against the sides so she could not climb up that way. I put towels or a slip cover on the sofa to protect it until she was able to jump up all the way (with sides blocked she tried to climb the front!).

 

Once she was bigger and always jumped I removed the towels and all was well (as long as we had a lint roller handy!).

 

We used foil and best yet-- DOUBLE SIDED TAPE-- to deter her from jumping on counters.

 

The kitten loved to climb the sofa FOR ADVENTURE-- getting her a 'cat tree' really helped that issue. She also LOVED the window seat (attaches to window sills).

 

My current cat prefers my computer desk-- especially if I am working at it!

[Teachin'Mine]

To keep cat off couch? Pick up said couch, open door, and deposit near curb. No need to repeat! :D