I need to train my 12 year old, indoor cat to stay off the furniture. I have brand new couches and she just loves to curl up on the top of them to sleep. Problem is she has medium-length hair and she's prone to hairballs....of which she deposited on the couch this AM! She is brushed regularly AND eats high dollar food to prevent against hairballs AND has a nice cozy bed which she does sleep in. My problem is getting her to stay off the couch! I've tried duct tape on the back of the couch when we're gone and at night...and it worked for a few weeks, but I was tired of ripping duct tape out of my hair when I'd have a seat after a long day! I've also tried squirting her with a spray bottle of water when I catch her up there, but I think she has ADD and forgets the second she's dry again! ANY suggestions you have would be GREATLY appreciated!! Hmm, maybe I need to get her a perch...since cats like to be up high. Maybe I answered my own question...but I'd still love to hear from you!!!!
My cat used to do the same thing!! What we have done is buy those plastic carpet runners, turned them upside down so the pointed side faces up and placed them on the couch. When the cat jumps onto the couch, the points are pretty sharp and the cat jumps back down. It has worked for us for several years now...and they are easy to take off at the end of the day. Hope this helps!! Good luck!!
I don't have cats and I've never tried this, but I read somewhere that you can build a pyramid of plastic cups on the couch and when the cat jumps up, it causes the cups to fall making noise and keeps the cat away.
I think you are right in that getting her a perch to have near where the couches are that she can use. She probably likes being near where you are (hence the back of the couch), so having someplace for her in the same room, with a similar view of the surroundings would probably help. We have a little round tower for my cat at the end of the couch after the side table and he likes it there.
There are products you can buy to spray on the furniture to keep them off (the scent is unpleasant to them but supposedly neutral to people... I don't know, I haven't used them).
I would do them in sequence... buy the perch, tower, whatever and then when she starts using the perch immediately implement a method of trying to keep her off the couch - a spray, foil, the tape and keep at it for a few days. There is even a spray you can use to attract the cat to the perch if she doesn't take to it right away. Some suggest using catnip on the perch, but I find that is more stimulating than calming. I can't remember the name of the "atrractant" spray, but maybe someone at PetSmart or PetCo would know what it is.
Good Luck!
when we had a cat I would put foil on the counters to keep her off. Try it I don't know if it will work but its worth a try!! Good Luck
For years I had two long haired cats, and yes the best soluttion is to get them a perch! they love being up high, and love to have their own place to sit. some perches are fairly pricey, so you might check places like craigslist to find something nice thats not several hundred dollars. I think petsmart and other pet stores also have spray you can use to keep your animals off certain pecies of furniture, its a smell they dont like but only they can pick up. i know they have that for dogs, you might check if they have it for cats too.
Would you like another cat? haha Our cat is 11 years old, and as much as she drives me crazy, she pretty much owns the house. She has 4 favorite places to lay in our house...the back of the couch, the back of the loveseat, the back of the oversized chair, and under my daughter's bed (in the basket of fleece pajamas). I have bath towels that match our furniture laying on the backs of the couch/chair/loveseat. Only one towel, and that is where she lays. The cat lived at my mom's house for quite a while, and my mom had the towels all the way across each piece of furniture. Now she only has one on each, and she is trained to lay there. About once a week (or more often if we have visitors or an allergic friend coming over) I will wash the towels (in a separate load) to get the hair/dander out.
