Hello,
I'm thinking of getting a pair of kittens in the new year. I've grown up with cats/kittens and my parents still have them so know what is involved generally but we've just bought new sofas/rugs etc. and I'm worried that the kittens will destroy them. My parents never attempted to train cats properly and have scratched up sofas and carpets (well, to some extent) although they have had the carpets (and cats) for 27 years!
Is it possible to stop kittens ruining nice new sofas?! Does a sharp clap of the hands and a firm "NO!" or some water spray really train them not to? I was thinking of trying that along with having a good scratching post which I'd try to encourage them to use (with treats or something). However, I do know cats are not like dogs and cannot be trained in the same way (or to the same extent!
I'm going to be a stay at home mum for a bit from January so I thought now was a good time to get kittens if we're ever going to. Husband is not keen at all so we haven't had them before. (He didn't want the responsibility - quite funny, given that we have two smallish children who you have to show a little more responsibility towards...)
I'm qutie confident about all the other new-kitten related issues! My cat when I was growing up had kittens (when I was 11) and then there were a few more litters in our home.
Any experience would be gratefully received! Thank you!
Oh yes, I'd be getting kittens from a local rescue home so they'll be moggies.
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The litter tray
Kittens and new sofas/rugs etc.
TryingagainN1mtb · 27/12/2012 14:50
We have 2 cats who we have had since they were 7 weeks old. They are now both 3 and a half. They scratch our sofas, scrap at our rug and carpets and jump on the dining room table. No amount of shouting, loud clapping/noises or the water spray has deterred them from doing exactly what they want!
The water spray does stop them in their tracks but it has not deterred them from doing it in the first place. Little buggers! 
Goodness. You all have a lot of difficulty. Maybe it's just the Siameseness and nothing to do with brains that makes them easy to train. 
Looks like I'm outnumbered by the problem stories, Tryingagain.
Maybe now is the time to invest in some add-on loose covers for the furniture and put any really good rugs in storage.
I have never had a cat that doesn't want to take the furniture to pieces tbh. I've also never had a siamese 
I've grown up with cats and had very few times in my life without at least one. I fostered for a while too.
We have a 14yo cat and I am now at a point where I want to have a nice house, (children notwithstanding!) and our sofas are covered permanently with thick layers of blankets. It's such a shame. They are nice sofas and if I take off the blankets they get scratched to pieces.
I cannot wait to have a cat free house. When I read your thread title my initial reaction was 'You. Are. Bonkers.'
Oh and ours scratches the carpets every day too. And pisses on the bath mat. (we don't leave it on the floor any more)
and distributes the recycling all over the kitchen floor
and knocks over cups and everything else while scavenging for bits of left over food
and sticks her head into cups of cocoa
and crisp packets
Honestly it's more trouble than anything else I can think of. Our entire home is ruled by the sodding cat.
Our cat (2yrs old) has never scratched the furniture, although we have leather sofas if that makes a difference. He does use the tall scratching post on the landing, and we also have some wicker trunks that we store shoes in, which he uses.
He also uses the washing line prop in the garden.
So he does in fact use the furniture, but nothing of value
Oh ours really got excited when I uncovered the leather sofa for a few days. I didn't realise till later that she had had a go at it. I nearly screamed with despair.
Derek I envy you.
Before we had fluffy cat we had my childhood cats. All 4 of them.
They all scratched the furniture more than the bengal does, they wrecked a chaise long and refused to use scratch posts.
We had one stray come to live with us, he was very easy to train. You only had to tell him no once and that was it. Came in when whistled, no trouble at all. I think he was grateful to be away from the dogs in the family who bit him leaving wounds on his little legs. The previous owners had been banned by the rspca from keeping animals at all. When they moved out they came to get him and he ran away and hid from them.
Our cat has wrecked our carpet, but not the sofas or any other furniture! Getting a hard floor next year, so wonder what she will start on then . Just bought a cat nip scented scratch pad. Dh said he would eat his hat if she used it - found her lying on it this morning and scratching!!!
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I have 7 siamese x kittens at the moment and I'm inclined to agree with cozietoesie they're 7 weeks old and so far no carpet of sofa clicking and no curtain climbing either so perhaps it is a breed thing ( they'll be looking for homes soon, if you're near the northeast of England you're welcome to come and have a look
) apologies for shameless kitten pushing!
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