HEEEEELLPPP needed please

[tak1ngchances]

I'm a regular lurker on the litter tray section. That's because I would love a cat but I don't have one. We had a cat when I was a kid who I loved more than anything. Her name was Purdy and she was a tortie. But I digress.

We have recently (as in less than 2 days ago) completed renovations on our house. It was 6 months of pain and torture and now everything is pristine and immaculate. We have brand new creamy beige carpets throughout.

Is it then crazy foolish that I have decided to take care of a friend's beautiful tom while she is on holidays? He is a lilac british shorthair housecat, around 2 years old. He's absolutely massive and a big fool. LOVE HIM. He will be coming to stay for over a month in October but we're having a trial weekend next weekend to check we're not allergic etc.

I need your hints, tips HELP to stop him using our new carpet as a scratching-post/poopy tray. I don't mind moulting or anything. PLEASE HELP or DH will bring him to the cattery while my back is turned. He does love cats too but he loves our shiny new house more.

Thanks in advance

that should have been . I am as big a fool as the cat

Is he known to scratch furniture?

Not in his own house. he scratches his scratching post which they are bringing with him. They are also bringing:

• Litter tray & litter
• Basket
• Blanket
• Teddy
• Food
• Toys

He is very spoilt!

I've always been of the view that you can't stop cats scratching but happiness can reign if you all agree on a place to scratch - eg either a piece of furniture or a piece of carpet (carpet samples from a local shop are good) loosely tacked to the floor in a good place or held firmly in place by eg an edge of a chest or similar. (I've never found that scratching posts work to be honest.)

They're pretty easy to train to it. Firm NOs if scratching in the wrong place and lots of praise if scratching in the right place. (You can give them the idea by taking them over to it (if they're handleable) and doing a quick 10 second scratch of the place by taking their paws in yours.)

What does he scratch at his home? Id there something they can send over to you with him?

Ah good - he will use a scratching post. Keep an eye on him though. New places sometimes mean experimentation in the cat world.

I would be tempted to have more than 1 litter tray tbh. Is your house quite big? Even if it's not it would be good to have 2 or 3 strategically placed litter trays. Maybe a feliway diffuser to help him settle in? (it's a sort of plug-in that gives out mummy-cat comfort hormones!). Maybe some catnip, get the cat high and he'll love you forever .

And I'm sorry tak1ngchances . That's not spoilt. My old boy would have that lot plus a few other things including his electric blanket!

We're in a flat. There is a little cloakroom I was going to put the litter tray in. I thought at night time he could sleep in the kitchen as it has a link (wipe clean) floor. Although I know cats are nocturnal so is that cruel? We have lots of carpet left over so I like the idea of putting some down for him to mess around on

Not link. MAN I hate apple. Lino

Check with his current owner where he likes to sleep. (The cloakroom sounds OK for his litter tray - they should preferably be in a place which is quiet and off the beaten track.)

You might also find that he's not that nocturnal. Cats will often adapt to the routines of their humans so that they sleep at night when the humans are sleeping. (Unless a mouse trickles past their nose of course! Few could resist that.)

Have a further word with your friend and find out a bit more about his behaviour at home?

Yes I will. I really hope this works out, I could then maybe persuade DH to get us a cat of our own