You may well have already tried this, as it sounds like you've tried most things, but with our cat we would clap loudly to distract her, then rub catnip on the scratching post while she watched, and attract her to it by tapping the side of it. We've got a kind of box like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/weezypops/124908052/ Rather than a post, which seems to work as she likes to sit and hold it down to scratch. For the first couple of days she ignored it, but with this method, she eventually came and sat on it to eat the catnip, realised what a perfect scratching material it was, and with a bit of praise from us, hasn't looked back!

Thanks for the catnip tip. I had some, tried it, and so far it works! I had a suggestion on another site which said to bring in new things to scratch as my cat is most likely bored with his one scratcher. I think I'll gather some natural materials from the outdoors for interest, and I like the idea of the box scratcher. I also was given the suggestion to take a wet, warm washcloth, and rub his cheeks with it, then distribute his scent around to various objects, espcecially the ones he likes to scratch. That way he won't have to "mark" his territory anymore. I haven't tried this, but it might be an option. Also, I found that by distracting him when I notice he's about to scratch the furniture or the wall by tossing a toy or calling his name nicely (not yelling at him), was a good way to help him forget that he wanted to scratch in the first place. (Again this was suggested by another, not my own idea).

Trying different things is definitely a good idea - we have a scratching post, which she pretty much ignores, and the box, which she loves. I read somewhere that different cats like different sorts of surfaces to scratch, so a bit of trial and error can help. I also read something that says that more woody textured scratching posts (the box is a rough cardboard) can be better, because if the post is too much like a fabric your furniture is made of, the cat can get confused as she doesn't understand why it's okay to scratch one thing that feels a certain way but not another.

Cats have a naturaly tendency to scratch. It is part of their makeup. I did not want to declaw my cat either. I did some research on the net and found an alternative that works great. It is called soft paws. Your vet can put them on your pet for you or you can do it yourself. They cost about $20 depending on what site you go to. They are caps that you put on the nails. They are kind of rubbery. This is what you do: 1. Clip the nails just before the quick (pink part of the nail) 2. Place a small amount of the adhesive in the softpaw. 3. Slip it on the nail. It will dry very quickly. These covers for the nails last as long as the natural shedding of the nails. Once they shed just clip the nails and replace the softpaws. They last from 4 to 6 weeks before you need to replace them. They also do not fall off at the same time. I get the colored ones so I can tell when my kitty has lost one. Since I am a Mary Kay consultant she is a Mary Kay kitty with pink nails. It is very funny when people come over the house. They think I painted her nails pink. Now if they really thought about it....would a cat really allow anyone to paint their nails? I think not. They are just too good for that. Do some research on the internet about these softpaws. They have saved my furniture, rugs and walls. And being kicked out of the house by my husband who was addiment about having her declawed. It is the perfect answer for us. Your cat may not let you put the nails on at first but give it a little time. They will try to bite them off at first but this also will go away. Just play with your kitty right after applying them and she will not even notice they are there. If you still cannot put these on your cat try the vet. These things are terrific and I will always use them. They come in many different colors so pink your favorite....your cat won't care. Although these do not stop your cat from scratching, when they do there is no harm to the item being scratched. These soft paws are exactly that...soft. Be careful with rugs though. Sometimes when the soft paws are ready to shed off they can get caught on the strings of the rugs getting your cat stuck. Keep an eye on any loosening soft paws and remove them as necessary.