# Stop doing that to the couch! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305 "2007-06-17T00:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/1 "2007-06-17T00:11:37Z")
The couch likes you! The couch is your friend. It let’s you sleep on top of it does it not?? Not many friends will let you do that. Whereas that scratching post over there hates you. I know. It told me. It says you’'re too furry and you couldn’t scratch your way out of paper bag. Are you going to put up with that? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/2 "2007-06-17T00:13:01Z")
But when I claw the couch you pay attention to me! ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/3 "2007-06-17T00:17:32Z")
:eek: My cat is a Doper??? No wonder he claws the sofa, he’s pissed off I’m on the the computer. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/4 "2007-06-17T00:32:14Z")
Not to get all serious or anything but is your scratcher all carpeted? Because some cats like sisal rope a lot better… ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/5 "2007-06-17T00:37:55Z")
Yes to sisal. We have a sisal covered pole and our kitty shows no interest at all in clawing anything else. Well. Except my hand now and then when pet-the-kitty time has abruptly expired. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/6 "2007-06-17T00:48:32Z")
Easy homemade sisal scratching post: Piece of PVC pipe Piece of 1x1 scrap wood that will fit into pipe Sisal cord - available at craft stores Glue Wood for base - should be large and heavy enough that cat can’t tip post over. Optional: dried catnip Make sure your 1x1 or other scrap wood will fit into PVC pipe; round off edges if necessary. The wood should be slightly shorter than the PVC. Screw the wood firmly into the center of the base wood. A section at a time, spread glue on PVC pipe and wind sisal cord tightly around pipe. You can incorporate dried catnip into the glue at this stage if you wish. Keep the cord pushed down on the pipe so no pipe shows through. Completely cover pipe with sisal at allow to dry for at least 24 hours. Slide pipe over wood 1x1. Introduce cat. You can also do this with heavy duty cardboard tubes but they will wear out much more quickly. On the left hand side of [this](http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2264657300092851307BzRLuj) you can see a sisal post I made for the cat suite. It shows plenty of wear. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/7 "2007-06-17T00:57:42Z")
[QUOTE=Beware of Doug] Well. Except my hand now and then when pet-the-kitty time has abruptly expired. [/QUOTE] Yeah, and there’s just no advance warning. It’s just petme-petme-petme GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FOOL. I don’t even own cats and I know this! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/8 "2007-06-17T00:57:42Z")
You can also make a good cat-scratch-thing with a whole bunch of layers of corrugated cardboard stacked together, presented edge-on. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/9 "2007-06-17T01:12:08Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] You can also make a good cat-scratch-thing with a whole bunch of layers of corrugated cardboard stacked together, presented edge-on. [/QUOTE] My cat like those, too, but they make so much of a mess I don’t use them much. Fickle beasts! Now that they have their own couch in the suite, they never scratch it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/10 "2007-06-17T01:16:55Z")
Of course not. You wouldn’t expect them to destroy _their own_ furniture, would you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/11 "2007-06-17T01:20:49Z")
It explains a lot about my psyche when I originally thought this was about a dog. My second thought was about the art of couch fucking. [http://www.mymasturbation.com/male/couch.htmq](http://www.mymasturbation.com/male/couch.htmq) NSFW link subtly changed. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/12 "2007-06-17T02:10:34Z")
[QUOTE=kayT] Not to get all serious or anything but is your scratcher all carpeted? Because some cats like sisal rope a lot better… [/QUOTE] Interesting idea. But the scratching post is made of pretty much the same stuff as the couch. But cats are perverse. Then I think, everyone here knows that. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/13 "2007-06-17T03:44:50Z")
[QUOTE=betenoir] . But the scratching post is made of pretty much the same stuff as the couch. [/QUOTE] well, duhh…if I am supposed to scratch on that little fabric-covered post, but there is another ,bigger, better, and more inviting fabric-covered post–which one would you use? And there are humans who sit on that big post and scritch my chin, too. See… it’s obviously the best scratching post in the house. Gee, I wonder why they bought two of them, anyway? (it’s probably too late now…but get a kitty-post that looks and feels _different_ from the furniture. The sisal rope ones work well for us) ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/14 "2007-06-17T21:10:54Z")
Just looking at the title I knew what this thread would be about. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/15 "2007-06-17T22:55:07Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] well, duhh…if I am supposed to scratch on that little fabric-covered post, but there is another ,bigger, better, and more inviting fabric-covered post–which one would you use?QUOTE] Well don’t go “duh” at me. They have two carpet covered choices and they choise the wrong one. The one as I was making was the vicous little predator I give home to care when I point to their food dish. They just look at my finger. And now the little murderer is sat overl likcining her paws. I shouugh have raises fish. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/16 "2007-06-18T00:45:20Z")
:: holding cat up to screen so she can see the OP :: _See! See! Read that!_ ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/17 "2007-06-18T01:04:39Z")
I managed to extinguish this behavior with the use of sticky sheets of sticky stuff. Available at PetsMart and the like. It’s like dual-sided contact paper - you stick it on your couch and the cat doesn’t like the (slightly) sticky feel on his paws. After a few tries, he gives up. Ours liked the back quarter of the couch, so I just left the sticky stuff up for a while, since no one saw it anyway behind the end table. It’s been on there nearly a year, and just this week I noticed it looked awfully dusty and I took it off. Seems he hasn’t noticed the sticky stuff is gone, 'cause he’s still avoiding the couch. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/18 "2007-06-18T17:43:24Z")
[Here](http://www.gocomics.com/closetohome/2007/06/18/) is a relevant comic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/19 "2007-06-18T18:10:40Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] :: holding cat up to screen so she can see the OP :: _See! See! Read that!_ [/QUOTE] You win the thread!!! 🙂 🙂🙂 Thanks for making my day. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305/20 "2007-06-18T18:15:38Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] I don’t even own cats and I know this! [/QUOTE] _Nobody_ owns cats, dear… 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-doing-that-to-the-couch/408305.md?page=2)