Small Talk: We'll Be Right Back

[susannah]

21 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Oh, he is. My DIL wants him so bad but no way would my hubby give him away. Even thought he gets irritated with the cat because he tends to be clingy. He definitely imprinted on the old man.

Can you post a pic of him?

[peacheslatour]

5 minutes ago, susannah said:

Can you post a pic of him?

Not without my son here. I can text photos and I can post screen caps but I have never learned how to post a link or a pic I took myself.

Close approximation:

[Bruinsfan]

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I guess what I'm saying is we get rats. We've had many cats and all of them have been champion ratters. Except our Nathan. He wants to be friends with them.

Reminds me of when one of my former roommates bought a feeder mouse as a treat for the two housecats in our apartment. The smarter of the two paid no attention to it, and the dumb, loveable one started grooming the poor thing as if it were a kitten.

[peacheslatour]

15 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

Reminds me of when one of my former roommates bought a feeder mouse as a treat for the two housecats in our apartment. The smarter of the two paid no attention to it, and the dumb, loveable one started grooming the poor thing as if it were a kitten.

Back when Peaches (my tortie) was alive, my husband had to take a mouse away from her and put it outside as it was unharmed. The next day, he's reading the paper and he looks up and she's staring intently at the floor. He looks down and there is another/the same mouse. So my DH and Peaches give chase. They're running around the house after this thing and Nathan is sitting there wondering what the heck is going on. The mouse runs under a chair and DH goes to get a flashlight and suddenly Nathan was alive! Red dot! Oh, boy oh, boy!! So they're looking for this mouse and he's getting in everybody's way trying to catch a normal beam of light. As I say, he's not that bright. But, god knows, he tries.

[susannah]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Back when Peaches (my tortie) was alive, my husband had to take a mouse away from her and put it outside as it was unharmed. The next day, he's reading the paper and he looks up and she's staring intently at the floor. He looks down and there is another/the same mouse. So my DH and Peaches give chase. They're running around the house after this thing and Nathan is sitting there wondering what the heck is going on. The mouse runs under a chair and DH goes to get a flashlight and suddenly Nathan was alive! Red dot! Oh, boy oh, boy!! So they're looking for this mouse and he's getting in everybody's way trying to catch a normal beam of light. As I say, he's not that bright. But, god knows, he tries.

He might be very smart, just marches to a really different drummer! He is so sweet.

[madmax]

11 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

We've had many cats and all of them have been champion ratters. Except our Nathan. He wants to be friends with them.

I've had many cats as well and only 2 of them were mousers.  I live almost surrounded by woods and I get a lot of mice.  I had one cat that would run from a mouse and hide.  I had one that would just watch it do whatever it wanted, including eating out of his bowl.

Of course, I had one that would play with the mouse until it died, then leave it for the other cat to toss around the house until the mouse came apart.

My current cat is a superb killer.  Mice, chipmunks, even a rabbit that made its way inside.  He does not discriminate.  He terminates.

[susannah]

1 hour ago, madmax said:

I've had many cats as well and only 2 of them were mousers.  I live almost surrounded by woods and I get a lot of mice.  I had one cat that would run from a mouse and hide.  I had one that would just watch it do whatever it wanted, including eating out of his bowl.

Of course, I had one that would play with the mouse until it died, then leave it for the other cat to toss around the house until the mouse came apart.

My current cat is a superb killer.  Mice, chipmunks, even a rabbit that made its way inside.  He does not discriminate.  He terminates.

Poor chipmunks and rabbit! Mice, etc are vermin. They aren't!

 

[TattleTeeny]

@peacheslatour, I too had a cat named Peaches! Though not one of those “Georgia peaches” like your avatar; she was from Jersey like me.

[proserpina65]

On 5/19/2021 at 6:21 AM, cynicat said:

Positive reinforcement is the key!

I could use some advice, if you have any suggestions.  I have a cat who keeps scratching the leg of the cabinet where I keep my stereo.  She stops when I squirt her, but, as you say, that doesn't keep her from doing it again.  Any thoughts on what I might do to convince her this isn't her scratching post?  Of which she has 2, one of them right next to the cabinet in question - oy vey.

[cynicat]

16 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I could use some advice, if you have any suggestions.  I have a cat who keeps scratching the leg of the cabinet where I keep my stereo.  She stops when I squirt her, but, as you say, that doesn't keep her from doing it again.  Any thoughts on what I might do to convince her this isn't her scratching post?  Of which she has 2, one of them right next to the cabinet in question - oy vey.

I have a couple of thoughts to start with. Are the scratching posts horizontal, vertical, or both?  They have preferences for that, and also texture.  Try different ones: carpet, sisal, and the one that I've had the most success with is corrugated cardboard.  I have yet to find a cat that didn't like this:  PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge

In addition, you may want to wrap the cabinet leg with Sticky Paws (you can get this in tons of places) while you're trying to get her to change behaviors.

A great resource to keep on hand is the American Association of Feline Practitioners website.  There is great information for cat owners at https://www.catfriendly.com 

https://catfriendly.com/cat-care-at-home/living-clawed-cat/ - this is specific to the issue you have.

Let me know if anything helps!  If not, I can pull out a bazillion more resources, but these should get you started.  Don't do too many things at once.

[proserpina65]

7 minutes ago, cynicat said:

I have a couple of thoughts to start with. Are the scratching posts horizontal, vertical, or both?  They have preferences for that, and also texture.  Try different ones: carpet, sisal, and the one that I've had the most success with is corrugated cardboard.  I have yet to find a cat that didn't like this:  PetFusion Ultimate Cat Scratcher Lounge

In addition, you may want to wrap the cabinet leg with Sticky Paws (you can get this in tons of places) while you're trying to get her to change behaviors.

A great resource to keep on hand is the American Association of Feline Practitioners website.  There is great information for cat owners at https://www.catfriendly.com 

https://catfriendly.com/cat-care-at-home/living-clawed-cat/ - this is specific to the issue you have.

Let me know if anything helps!  If not, I can pull out a bazillion more resources, but these should get you started.  Don't do too many things at once.

Thanks for the ideas.  I have some of the sticky paws tape, so I'll definitely try that.

[eel21788]

On 5/19/2021 at 11:09 AM, peacheslatour said:

Not without my son here. I can text photos and I can post screen caps but I have never learned how to post a link or a pic I took myself.

Close approximation:

This picture is the spitting image of my guy, Agent DiNozzo. The black nose against the gray face is what melted my heart. If you want to know more about his current escapades, go to the Young Sheldon season 4 episode 17 board.

[eel21788]

18 hours ago, madmax said:

Of course, I had one that would play with the mouse until it died

Agent DiNozzo loves the playing with it part but doesn't want it to die. If it stops moving, he pokes at it to get it going again, so he can chase it some more. I usually have to capture it semi-live and escort it outside, so it can at least have a peaceful passing (and I don't have to listen to the squealing).

Edited May 20, 2021 by eel21788

[eel21788]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I could use some advice, if you have any suggestions.  I have a cat who keeps scratching the leg of the cabinet where I keep my stereo.  She stops when I squirt her, but, as you say, that doesn't keep her from doing it again.  Any thoughts on what I might do to convince her this isn't her scratching post?  Of which she has 2, one of them right next to the cabinet in question - oy vey.

As someone said above, texture and angel are both important. (The cat I had as a kid thought the stereo speakers were the ideal scratching post). Is the scratcher that is next to the cabinet the same texture as the cabinet leg? If not, replace it with one that has a similar surface. If so, you might want to try laying it on its side. I had one who liked horizontal surfaces, so leaving the scratcher on its side next to the bed stopped him from using the padded rails on my waterbed. You could also try wrapping the cabinet leg with something she does like to scratch, such as a strip of carpeting. Then she could keep using her favorite spot without doing any damage.

 

P.S. Don't forget to give her treats when she does it right.

Edited May 20, 2021 by eel21788

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, cynicat said:

A great resource to keep on hand is the American Association of Feline Practitioners website.  There is great information for cat owners at https://www.catfriendly.com 

Nobody "owns" a cat, otherwise good advice.

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

Nobody "owns" a cat, otherwise good advice

Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

Edited May 20, 2021 by dleighg

[TattleTeeny]

There are also catnip sprays that you can add to scratchers to make them more appealing than other things. 

[eel21788]

6 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

Unless you live in Boulder, CO. Then dogs have "guardians." That is actually the legal terminology here. 

[peacheslatour]

22 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

Unless you live in Boulder, CO. Then dogs have "guardians." That is actually the legal terminology here. 

I like that better than the pets being "property".

Edited May 20, 2021 by peacheslatour

[friendperidot]

eel21788, several years ago, I adopted a Cocker Spaniel from an organization here in Tulsa, OK. I was looking for a specific kind of Cocker, I wanted a black female, preferably a small one. There were none available for rescue at that time here. But one organization I applied with helped with the transport of dogs that were found as strays and owner surrenders from Oxford Mississippi, apparently that's a real problem there, and all over the southern states. But this organization rescued dogs from Oxford and transported them to Boulder for adoption. The people in Tulsa helped with transfers, when a van would come through, they'd help feed, water and walk the animals and occasionally pull one off. That's how I got my Magic. They knew I was looking for a small, black, female Cocker Spaniel. I was the perfect owner for her, she was terrified of the world, I don't know what she had been through in Mississippi, but it must have been bad. I just let her be her. The last few years of her life she was blind and deaf, but in her own way, she loved me and trusted me as much as she could ever trust anyone. 

I'm a dog lover in a thread of cat lovers, sigh, oh well. I'm allergic to cats, have been all my life and choose breathing over cats, so I've never been around them much and don't much care for them. 

[peacheslatour]

44 minutes ago, friendperidot said:

eel21788, several years ago, I adopted a Cocker Spaniel from an organization here in Tulsa, OK. I was looking for a specific kind of Cocker, I wanted a black female, preferably a small one. There were none available for rescue at that time here. But one organization I applied with helped with the transport of dogs that were found as strays and owner surrenders from Oxford Mississippi, apparently that's a real problem there, and all over the southern states. But this organization rescued dogs from Oxford and transported them to Boulder for adoption. The people in Tulsa helped with transfers, when a van would come through, they'd help feed, water and walk the animals and occasionally pull one off. That's how I got my Magic. They knew I was looking for a small, black, female Cocker Spaniel. I was the perfect owner for her, she was terrified of the world, I don't know what she had been through in Mississippi, but it must have been bad. I just let her be her. The last few years of her life she was blind and deaf, but in her own way, she loved me and trusted me as much as she could ever trust anyone. 

I'm a dog lover in a thread of cat lovers, sigh, oh well. I'm allergic to cats, have been all my life and choose breathing over cats, so I've never been around them much and don't much care for them. 

My grandfather raised Cockers and Beagles and had special heated kennels for them on his farm. The only one that was allowed in the house was a little black female called Sandy. She was a lovely, sweet baby girl all her life. The dogs were ostensibly for hunting but Sandy was a house dog end of story. My god she was spoiled rotten but she never once misbehaved.

Edited May 20, 2021 by peacheslatour

[susannah]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

Dogs have owners; cats have staff.

Exactly exactly exactly!

[SoMuchTV]

59 minutes ago, friendperidot said:

I'm a dog lover in a thread of cat lovers, sigh, oh well. I'm allergic to cats, have been all my life and choose breathing over cats, so I've never been around them much and don't much care for them. 

Head over to the Everything Else/Pets thread, and you definitely won’t be the only dog lover.

 I’m not sure how to paste a link to the main thread but this should get you close:
 

 

[madmax]

21 hours ago, susannah said:

Poor chipmunks and rabbit! Mice, etc are vermin. They aren't!

 

I totally agree with you, which is why when I was around when he was chasing them, I would shoo him away and gently catch those and take them outside.  Including the chipmunk that he chased into the bathroom when my son was showering, so the chipmunk jumped into the shower with my son and tried to climb his leg. 😄

Unfortunately, we couldn't save them all.

[susannah]

14 minutes ago, madmax said:

I totally agree with you, which is why when I was around when he was chasing them, I would shoo him away and gently catch those and take them outside.  Including the chipmunk that he chased into the bathroom when my son was showering, so the chipmunk jumped into the shower with my son and tried to climb his leg. 😄

Unfortunately, we couldn't save them all.

Well having a chipmunk jump into the shower with me and try to climb up my leg would be a bit scary! Hope your son was okay!

[madmax]

2 minutes ago, susannah said:

Well having a chipmunk jump into the shower with me and try to climb up my leg would be a bit scary! Hope your son was okay!

He actually was pretty chill about it.  He finished his shower with the chipmunk cowering in the corner, got dressed, then called his dad to take it outside. 

[Katy M]

Am I the only one who thinks Doug and Flo should start dating. they both think and breathe insurance 24/7.  Sure, it's different companies, but it could totally be a Romeo and Juliet thing.  They don't even have to worry about having kids because they have Limu Emu.

4 hours ago, eel21788 said:

P.S. Don't forget to give her treats when she does it right.

I give my cats treats when she's bad to get her to stop.  After 3 years, I'm beginning to think this is not a good strategy.

[susannah]

13 minutes ago, Katy M said:

Am I the only one who thinks Doug and Flo should start dating. they both think and breathe insurance 24/7.  Sure, it's different companies, but it could totally be a Romeo and Juliet thing.  They don't even have to worry about having kids because they have Limu Emu.

I give my cats treats when she's bad to get her to stop.  After 3 years, I'm beginning to think this is not a good strategy.

😀 Probably works for the cat though!

 

[Katy M]

1 minute ago, susannah said:

😀 Probably works for the cat though!

 

Oh, definitely.  But sometimes I'm mean.  She's doing something bad.  I shake the treat bag so she'll come over and stop what she's doing. But, then I don't give her a treat.  I will admit that there are genuine reasons that she's plotting my murder

[susannah]

1 minute ago, Katy M said:

Oh, definitely.  But sometimes I'm mean.  She's doing something bad.  I shake the treat bag so she'll come over and stop what she's doing. But, then I don't give her a treat.  I will admit that there are genuine reasons that she's plotting my murder

What is she doing that is bad? Don't worry, if she murdered you, she would never get any treats! You're safe.

[Gramto6]

29 minutes ago, susannah said:

What is she doing that is bad? Don't worry, if she murdered you, she would never get any treats! You're safe.

Yeah but she might feast on your body for days!!! JK

[susannah]

10 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Yeah but she might feast on your body for days!!! JK

 

30 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Yeah but she might feast on your body for days!!! JK

YIKES!

[janie jones]

19 hours ago, friendperidot said:

I'm a dog lover in a thread of cat lovers, sigh, oh well. I'm allergic to cats, have been all my life and choose breathing over cats, so I've never been around them much and don't much care for them. 

I don't like cats. I'm not allergic; I just don't like them. I find their mannerisms and weird flexible bodies off-putting. If a cat tries to interact with me, I'll pet it or whatever, but if they never did, I wouldn't miss them.

I use period underwear, so I can probably answer any questions you might have. I use them for tampon backup and for overnights. I'd have to switch them out partway through the day if I only used them. A lot of companies that make reusable period products (cups, underwear, cloth pads) also sell waterproof pouches to keep used stuff in, but even if I didn't just prefer tampons in general, I wouldn't want to be carrying dirty underwear around all day and I wouldn't want to be changing my underwear in a public bathroom.

As someone mentioned in the other thread, you rinse them out before washing them. I'll either take them off in the shower and rinse them in there, or just rinse them in the sink. I don't see what's so scandalous about putting them in with your other laundry. Just because an item was saturated with something once doesn't mean you can't put it with your other laundry once the item has been rinsed (other than maybe something like oil). I do a better job rinsing than Vincent Vega, so there isn't any blood left on the underwear by the time it gets to the wash.

[eel21788]

16 hours ago, Katy M said:

I give my cats treats when she's bad to get her to stop.  After 3 years, I'm beginning to think this is not a good strategy.

I made the mistake of keeping the cat treats on the same shelf as my meds. If he was in the room when I took my meds, I gave him a treat. Now he thinks he needs a treat whenever he hears me pick up a pill bottle, and he comes running from wherever he is in the house. He thinks he should be getting treats every six hours like clockwork. It does have its advantages though: if I forget to take my meds on time, he reminds me he is overdue for a treat.

[dleighg]

I used to grind my coffee beans just before I fed the cats. Thus they thought it was a "sign." (now they have an automatic feeder so I don't get awakened if I oversleep- which to them means 5:30am). I had a friend come by for lunch and I made some coffee. WOOSH came the cats a-running. They are very simple creatures.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, janie jones said:

I use period underwear, so I can probably answer any questions you might have. I use them for tampon backup and for overnights.

I think I'm going to get some for overnights; I'd heard about them awhile back, and have been contemplating it since I started seeing the commercial. 

I hate pads, but I can't count on waking up in time to change tampons overnight, so I wear a pad as well then as back-up.  It's reusable, since I'm creating enough waste with the tampons, but it's still a pad; I'm sure I'd like the period panties much better just for the lack of bulk.  (And I don't have any squeamishness about washing them, so that doesn't bother me.)  Thanks to you and @TattleTeeny for the review.

[Suzn]

On 5/20/2021 at 8:11 PM, Katy M said:

Am I the only one who thinks Doug and Flo should start dating. they both think and breathe insurance 24/7.  Sure, it's different companies, but it could totally be a Romeo and Juliet thing.  They don't even have to worry about having kids because they have Limu Emu.

I give my cats treats when she's bad to get her to stop.  After 3 years, I'm beginning to think this is not a good strategy.

I don't know if your avatar is your kitty, but I notice it is a brown tabby.  I have a brown tabby and have come to believe that they have a particular personality.  To put it nicely, they are imps (or demons, as the case may be), affectionate and demanding attention.  Loki comes marching to me to demand lap time and when he has his fill, leaves quickly.

I'll add that I am a dog person and a cat person.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Suzn

[Katy M]

20 minutes ago, Suzn said:

I don't know if your avatar is your kitty, but I notice it is a brown tabby.  I have a brown tabby and have come to believe that they have a particular personality.  To put it nicely, they are imps (or demons, as the case may be), affectionate and demanding attention.  Loki comes marching to me to demand lap time and when he has his fill, leaves quickly.

I'll add that I am a dog person and a cat person.

yes, that is my cat, and yes she is totally possessed by something.

[Suzn]

7 minutes ago, Katy M said:

yes, that is my cat, and yes she is totally possessed by something.

Yes, that is a brown tabby for you!

[Prevailing Wind]

My cats don't get food treats. They're on diet kibble, so they don't need more calories. They get primo catnip for a treat.

I caught Bosco once playing with a vole. I picked him up & brought him inside and when I went back to check on the vole, it had died. It was definitely alive when Bosco & I left, but his lil heart probably couldn't take the drama. Stella, on the other hand, LOVES to catch chippies, squirrels, and cicadas and bring them into the house. Still alive. And then lets them go. I get the cicadas away from her with a Kleenex & toss 'em back outside. The one squirrel she brought me saw the front door open and headed for it and then flew off our porch & ran to the property line & through the chain link fence.  Chipmunks...not too bright. One did laps around the living room about 3 times before he noticed the door was open.  Others have hidden behind bookshelves.  I close all the doors to the rooms (and then discovered the doors are cut so high for air return & shag rug, the chippie fits under them.), block the exit on one end, start taking the books off the shelves and stand them up, slightly open with their spines on the top. I make a raceway with the books leading from the bookshelf to the open door, so there's nowhere else the chippie could run to but OUT. I start to move the shelf slowly away from the wall and the poor things start running and finally saves itself by getting out the door. Then I have to make sure he gets away cleanly beofre Stella catches him again.  I praise her a lot for bringing me such fun presents.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, AnnA said:

Easter isn't a gift giving holiday except candy for children.

(From one of the threads)

I never got an Easter gift as a kid (I did decorate eggs and then hunt for them when I was little, but after I grew out of it Easter became basically a non-holiday since we only ever observed the secular bunny rabbit version), but then one year my family and that of a cousin I'd never met happened to both be at my great aunt and uncle's house on Easter because of a funeral.  He was younger, so the adults put on an egg hunt and I joined in but let him find most of them.  After that, he got a chocolate bunny, as was his family's tradition.  I was quite irritated this had never been my family tradition, so the next year my mom gave me a chocolate bunny.  Which she continues to do 40 years later, as a very tasty joking nod to my What?!  I was supposed to be getting a big hunk of chocolate all these years? revelation.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Bastet

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, Bastet said:

(From one of the threads)

I never got an Easter gift as a kid (I did decorate eggs and then hunt for them when I was little, but after I grew out of it Easter became basically a non-holiday since we only ever observed the secular bunny rabbit version), but then one year my family and that of a cousin I'd never met happened to both be at my great aunt and uncle's house on Easter because of a funeral.  He was younger, so the adults put on an egg hunt and I joined in but let him find most of them.  After that, he got a chocolate bunny, as was his family's tradition.  I was quite irritated this had never been my family tradition, so the next year my mom gave me a chocolate bunny.  Which she continues to do 40 years later, as a very tasty joking nod to my What?!  I was supposed to be getting a big hunk of chocolate all these years? revelation.

We always gave our son a chocolate bunny for Easter, as did my parents with me. I thought everyone did.

[AnnA]

I got an Easter basket with easter eggs, a chocolate bunny and jelly beans.

Edited May 24, 2021 by AnnA

[dleighg]

 

7 minutes ago, AnnA said:

I got an Easter basket with easter eggs, a chocolate bunny and jelly beans.

when my kids were little they got basically that-- a basket with some candy. I'll never forget one easter we spent at my inlaws, along with my SIL and her kids (all kids were about 6 and under). HER idea of Easter was a MASSIVE amount of candy + TOYS + GAMES + CLOTHES. More or less Christmas. My kids were never terribly "acquisitive" and did not mention it, but it felt very awkward to my husband and me!

Like, why was the Easter Bunny so unfair!

Edited May 24, 2021 by dleighg

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, AnnA said:

I got an Easter basket with easter eggs, a chocolate bunny and jelly beans.

Same. And some of those little foil wrapped chocolate eggs.

[AnnA]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Same. And some of those little foil wrapped chocolate eggs.

Yeah!  I love those little chocolate eggs.

[madmax]

13 minutes ago, dleighg said:

 

when my kids were little they got basically that-- a basket with some candy. I'll never forget one easter we spent at my inlaws, along with my SIL and her kids (all kids were about 6 and under). HER idea of Easter was a MASSIVE amount of candy + TOYS + GAMES + CLOTHES. More or less Christmas. My kids were never terribly "acquisitive" and did not mention it, but it felt very awkward to my husband and me!

Like, why was the Easter Bunny so unfair!

My SIL did that, too, but she'd also make a smaller basket for my kids with games & toys and candy, just not as big as the baskets for her kids.  They're all very close in age.

this year, my boys got chocolate.  Matter of fact, my youngest son just got his because he wasn't home for Easter.  😄

[Bastet]

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

We always gave our son a chocolate bunny for Easter, as did my parents with me. I thought everyone did.

Nope, although I have no idea how odd my parents were in not doing so.

It's clear why my dad wouldn't have grown up with that tradition (assuming chocolate bunnies even existed back then, I have no idea), as my dirt poor grandparents could have never afforded to buy all their umpteen kids chocolate.  My grandma was quite Baptist, so I'm sure to her it was just a religious holiday, but my grandpa put his foot down early on that no one, adult or child, would be dragged to church against their will, so I doubt the religious holiday was something anyone else signed up for, and the secular version was by financial limitation not really a thing.

I have no idea what my mom's non-religious parents did about the Easter Bunny version; there must have been an egg hunt since we did that when I was a kid and that had to come from somewhere, but I guess candy wasn't part of it.  I'll have to ask.  (I was going to say I'll ask this Easter, then had a vague memory of my chocolate bunny, and looked it up to see, yep, already happened last month.  Clearly Easter is not A Thing in my family.)

[peacheslatour]

Quote

but my grandpa put his foot down early on that no one, adult or child, would be dragged to church against their will, 

Go grandpa!

[proserpina65]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:42 PM, eel21788 said:

As someone said above, texture and angel are both important. (The cat I had as a kid thought the stereo speakers were the ideal scratching post). Is the scratcher that is next to the cabinet the same texture as the cabinet leg? If not, replace it with one that has a similar surface. If so, you might want to try laying it on its side. I had one who liked horizontal surfaces, so leaving the scratcher on its side next to the bed stopped him from using the padded rails on my waterbed. You could also try wrapping the cabinet leg with something she does like to scratch, such as a strip of carpeting. Then she could keep using her favorite spot without doing any damage.

 

P.S. Don't forget to give her treats when she does it right.

Oh, she loves the scratching post, particularly sitting on top of it surveying her domain. :-)

I'll have to figure out how to make some of these suggestions work, because they definitely sound doable.

On 5/20/2021 at 6:00 PM, friendperidot said:

I'm a dog lover in a thread of cat lovers, sigh, oh well. I'm allergic to cats, have been all my life and choose breathing over cats,

I appreciate all pet lovers.  Breathing is pretty important, too.