Cats and carpets

Angelicdevil

Hello,

So, I've had some carpet laid in the living room (amongst other places) and my female cat seems intent on scratching it to pieces. She's not interested in any of the other rooms, just the living room.

It's quite an expensive carpet and I'm at my wits end with it. I come home to bits of carpet loop all over the place.

Has anyone else experienced this and had any success in stopping it? Or does anyone have any ideas of how to stop this?

Thanks

SensibleSarah

I'm assuming you have a scratching post somewhere in the house? Many cats actually prefer to scratch horizontally so you could try introducing a horizontal scratcher in the living room and get some catnip on it to see if that does the trick to redirect it. Is there a specific area of the carpet that gets attention? If so then some tin foil down in the spot as a temporary measure could help as cats generally don't like the feel of it.

elsien

Keep her out of the sitting room when you're out?

TBagpuss

It's difficult when you are not there to stop her - you can try lying in wait with a spray bottle of water during evenings and weekends.

Does she have a scratching post indoors?

There are products called 'soft caps' (I think) are supposed to stop then scratching,but I am not sure whether they are suitable for cats which go outside and may need their claws for climbing etc.

Clipping her claws (if she will let you) may help - I find that it reduces, but doesn't stop, my cats clawing the carpet. I also keep an eye on them whenever I am home, and if I catch them in the act I stop them, and then take them to one of their scratching posts.

I bought some catnip spray and have found that spraying this on the scratching posts helps - when I first spray it they just go nuts rolling and rubbing up against the posts, but afterwards they do seem to use them more.

Angelicdevil

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, I do have a couple of scratching posts, the boy uses them but the carpet scratching girl doesn't.

I might try a horizontal one and some catnip on that and the standard ones.

I do tell her off when I catch her doing it and she stops but then gives me her "screw you" face, so I'm not sure about spraying her with water. I'm too much of a softy!

Slinky

I've had some limited success with spraying Feliway where she scratches. However the whole house has the same carpet, so it just moves her from there to somewhere else. Can't get near her to pick her up and move her to the scratching post when she's doing it, and she hates being picked up anyway. I try and praise her lots when she's scratching on the post but I'm not sure she's understanding the message. Tried a horizontal scratch box with catnip in it which was ignored.

And as for the double sided sellotape stuff to stick on furniture, she loves chewing sellotape......