Pet Damage

[Janice]

What is the worse damage your pet did to your house?

We have had several cats. One continued to tear holes in screens so he could get out.

Other males sprayed on furniture, so they live their remaining years outside.

[webke]

Never really had any damage, the worst was one year we could not get the cat to stop sleeping in the christmas tree, and the next year we had to buy all new ornaments.

[Aslkahuna]

My dog is extraordinarily well behaved in the house but used to tear the yard up and the skirting on my unit until we relented and let him inside at night. He is definitely spoiled since he has a three bedroom dog house to sleep in and a decent yard he has full run of.

Steve

[Skywatch_NC]

Never really had any damage, the worst was one year we could not get the cat to stop sleeping in the christmas tree, and the next year we had to buy all new ornaments.

I can't imagine a cat trying to keep his/her balance while asleep in a Christmas tree...let alone pine needles doing damage to the eyes.

[cajungal]

No real damage to the house. My Yorkie used to tear up her newspaper when she was a puppy. (She was paper trained.) And she tore up our laundry basket. She also used to put her water bowl in her mouth and go dump her water on the living room floor. I laugh about it now and cry at the same time. I miss Lacey so much. We are getting another Yorkie puppy close to Christmas. And we will be dealing with the puppy stage soon. Been 13 years since we had a puppy in the house.

[Persepone]

DAMAGE CONTROL...

We once had to live in a temporary rental when we were moving and our landlord wanted us to declaw our cat. We were not willing to do that--but we did find a product called "soft paws" that are like fake acrylic nails for your cat. They have rounded points so the cat can "scratch" furniture, but it won't harm the furniture. But if the cat does get outside has has to climb a tree or something in emergency, the cat can do so (although this tends to loosen the fake nail covers and you have to reglue them).

And yes, you can get them off without harming the cat or they will grow off or fall off all by themselves over time...

Ordinarily I probably would not have done this because it sounds like it would be mean to the cat--but our cat really did not mind them--and it sure beat the alternatives... So if you get in a bind like the one we were in (we really needed the job that moved us having exhausted unemployment benefits) do find Soft Paws. Veterinarians sell them.

The one drawback to the Soft Paws is that it makes your cat useless as a hunter. And our rental came with a resident mouse. The mouse quickly determined that the cat could not catch it, and after a while seemed to make friends with the cat! The mouse was equally unafraid of us and would come right up on the coffee table when we were sitting on the sofa and go nose to nose with the cat! Go figure! And the cat would sort of smile at us and spread the claws with soft paws on them and then go back and study the mouse...

[coriolis]

The worst damage from our dogs has been a few "accidents" on the carpeting. It takes repeated shampooing to get it all out of the carpet and padding below.

[Sally Ann]

I have lived with basenji dogs for years. They can be masters of destruction if bored. It's the only breed I know of whose owners run for a camera to document damage - bragging rights and yes, one regional club holds a monthly contest and gives out awards.

So, I've had my share of shredded pillows, gnawed furniture etc. Because these critters can also hold a grudge, I've also had my special bed dog mad at me because I left her home and took her housemate to a dog show. When I got home, I discovered she had been in my closet, selected the one garment I cherished most in this world - a vintage robe - and chewed the seat out of it. That evening she jumped on the bed, caught my eye, held it with a glare, and piddled on my pillow.

She never, ever, did any of these things again. She certainly made her feelings clear, though.

[HurricaneGirl]

Ratt is pretty good. Aside from a few ruined screens in our old apartment, he doesn't scratch the furniture or spray in the house. He does like to claw on my bass amp. I guess he enjoys the feel of the material. The only really annoying thing he does is when he gets on my car in the morning and licks it. Kitty paw prints all over my clean car this morning

[george_r_1961]

I had a cat for 20 years and she NEVER damaged anything in our house. Not as much as a claw mark. She knew she wasnt allowed on the furniture; every now and then id come home and find her looking at me innocently. I would then look around and the only evidence I would see that she was on the couch was the imprint of a cat and a few hairs. Eventually as she got older we relented and she was a allowed to park herself wherever she wanted.

[Kim_in_MN]

I had a cat for 20 years and she NEVER damaged anything in our house. Not as much as a claw mark. She knew she wasnt allowed on the furniture; every now and then id come home and find her looking at me innocently. I would then look around and the only evidence I would see that she was on the couch was the imprint of a cat and a few hairs. Eventually as she got older we relented and she was a allowed to park herself wherever she wanted.

My Golden Retriever is not allowed on the furniture either. Our couch is in front of the picture window in the living room; when I drive up the dog is always sitting on the couch looking out the window; by the time I get in the house she is at the opposite end of the house, with an "I'm innocent" look on her face . Now that she is mostly an indoor dog, I don't really care too much (I hate that couch anyway) but when we lived on a farm there was no WAY I wanted her on the furniture!

Kim