How do I fix my bathroom door frame due to my cats scratching on it?
by Kimzy
+5
I have 2 inside cats who aren't declawed. And they are using the bathroom door frame to keep their paws sharp. The frame of my bathroom door looks terrible. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to fix it, and how to deter them away from scratching on this? ( sorry, but I will not declaw them, for fear of them getting outside. They do need to survive on their own.
Thank you for your help.
Either replace the frame or use wood filler. I understand - I had 5 indoor cats over the years and woudl not declaw either. They are all gone now but I still have a wicker hamper that they clawed on the sides. Just can't seem to part with it.
I agree that you should NEVER declaw cats. It's equivalent to cutting off your fingers at the first knuckle. Awful thing to do!
Do you have a few scratching posts around? I know my cats really love to stretch when they scratch, so those floor posts tend to be too short. I'd put a wall mounted one just outside the bathroom for them to use, rather than the door frame... I've personally nailed an outdoor rug from IKEA to the wall and my cats loved it! They'd use it to scratch and climb.
For the frame, I can't tell how deep the scratches are, but if they're not all that deep you can try sanding down the rough edges and then painting. You could probably patch with a bit of wood filler or drywall mud if it's deep and then paint afterward.
Good luck!
Hi Kimzy,
Firstly get rid of the culprits that caused the problem or else the problem will never go away. You have to get rid of the paint or nothing will stick to the frame. I would then use a wood filler applied in light coats to keep sanding to a minimum. Apply it as smoothly as possible to keep sanding dust to a minimum.
Fill with wood filler, sand smooth, then paint. You can get clear plastic corner and molding guards that can be tacked or glued on to protect the wood.
We put TAPE on their favorite scratching spots which they hated lol. Then bought SCRATCHING POSTS and put them near by. It worked.
Fill the claw marks with wood filler and let it dry. Sand and paint.
Thank you for not declawing your cats it is like pulling your kids finger nails off.
If you aren't able to teach them not to claw your door frame perhaps a piece of duct tape over the framing would help. Easier to replace a torn up piece of tape then framing.
You could, as a temp measure, cover the scratches with old carpet that the could use as a scratching post. or maybe cover the door frame with Plastic?