Cats don't seem to like my wallpaper!

[Allergictoironing]

Boycat was on the back of the sofa a couple of nights ago, hunting some tiny flying insect. The insect paused for a moment on the wall an Boycat whapped it with his paw and slightly scratching the wallpaper in the process. Next thing I know, he's scratching at the tiny scrape on the wall and elongating it. I chased him off, and thought that was that.

Yesterday evening I catch him scratching at it again, followed by Girlcat taking her turn with her teeth and pulling little bits off. I now have an area a few inches wide and well over a foot long where they've managed to completely remove a strip of wallpaper!

I luckily have a dado rail so they can't tear it away all the way down to the floor, but I can easily see them widening it until they've cleared all along the back of the sofa. Can't really move the sofa due to the shape of the room and size of the sofa, how on earth can I make them stop? I know it's a fun new game for them and they may be bored, but I've tried so many ways to keep them entertained & they just aren't interested.

[Fluffycloudland77]

no idea but once they get an idea in their heads you're toast.

[Allergictoironing]

They have a massive tree with loads of scratching posts, which they use enthusiastically on a frequent basis. They also have a large rug which is sort of matting which they sometimes scratch, which I put down with scratching in mind.

I don't think it's the lack of scratching things in this case, it's as Fluffy says above they have got it in their minds that tearing chunks off the wallpaper is A Fun Thing To Do. Girlcat doesn't scratch it at all, she tries to grab any loose bits with her teeth to tear it off!

[TroysMammy]

Years ago my mother had pepper dust to stop her horrible Siamese scratching where he wasn't supposed to. After a while just the threat of the words pepper dust and a puff puff noise would stop the little bastard in his tracks.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Spray loads of citrus deterrent spray all around the area?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Don't use pepper dust, I've read about cats rubbing it into their eyes and getting into all sorts of trouble.

[TroysMammy]

This was in the '80's my parents had the little swine.

I would use a water pistol or get the wall plastered and painted.

[Allergictoironing]

Troys they are ex-ferals and still incredibly nervous, I think a water pistol may give them a heart attack!

[bikerlou]

Once they've started that game they will never stop. Try painting the wall instead.

[Allergictoironing]

I just found them having the most amazing game of toss, catch & kill with a shred of wallpaper .

Ah well, I was thinking about redecorating the living room at some point. May as well let them completely wreck it, then start again with paint instead this time - I've lived here 8 years now & it's the same wallpaper from the previous owners.

[treaclesoda]

I had never had wallpaper until a couple of years ago, when I splashed out and bought some expensive wallpaper for my hallway, to 'make a feature of it'.

I had never had a cat until about one year ago.

You can see where this is going, can't you?...

[Floralnomad]

My mum used to have wall paper , her Ragdoll wrecked every room in the house by peeling it off , she ended up having the house replastered so that it could just be painted . Then he started on the carpets , so she now only has carpet on the stairs . He has scratch posts and toys all over the house ,he's just a git .

[Vinorosso74]

One Xmas eve when I was 7 our 3 month old kitten climbed the dining room wall where there was a corner, slid down taking shreds of wallpaper off. My parents were not amused and spent time trying to stick it back before we had family over on Xmas day. I thought it was hilarious.
That wallpaper was horrible and think the cat agreed. My dad redecorated a few months later.

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

Maybe your wallpaper is not to their taste?

You should have this thread moved to Home Decoration.

[Allergictoironing]

KingJoffrey the way Girlcat was chewing at it suggests it's very much to her "taste" .

[RubbishMantra]

If you're thinking of re-decorating anyway, let them do the graft of stripping the wallpaper? Cheaper than hiring one of those steamer thingies.

Urgh, that reminds me, when my parents were newly married (1960s?) they couldn't afford a place of their own, so rented a room off a semi-blind old lady.

At meal times, her Persian cats would wait under the table. My father would shake pepper in their poor little cat-faces, and thought it was hilarious.

I don't have much to do with the parentals.