Carpet Scratching!

[Catnap]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets caught out for shouting at them for scratching the carpet only to then realise it is the PAH scratch mat . Willow always looks SO offended and she doesn't accept an apology gracefully!

[chrisleitz]

I use Sticky Paws on the bottom stair, which is the one part they ruined in our last house.  Now in a new house and with a new carpet, I put the stuff on straight away.  They all tried but gave up quickly.  The Ginko tree in the garden starts to look a bit worse for wear though

Sticky Paws isn't cheap. lakelands used to sell it.  You could try double sided sticky tape.  Good luck.

[Catjane]

A good, cheap way to stop them uprooting your pile is to pay a visit to a carpet shop!  No, no ... not for a replacement carpet, but for those sample squares that they often sell off cheap.  Get their own cat smell onto it, or maybe some catnip, and job's a good 'un!  Well, it's worked for my friend's cat, Tigger.  To the extent that not only does Tigger only ever scratch his 'mats', he only ever sits on them too - never on the carpet itself!  Bless him

Oh, and they make good playmats too!  For 'fighting' and playing 'sticky carpet' and the like! (sticky carpet = stick and one mat - stick under mat and wiggle!)  Plus, if they get too skanky you can simply throw them in the washing machine, although they sometimes come out a bit wilted (not Wilton) looking!  The mats that is, not the cats!

[Sarah (seldom_use)]

 

Thats cats for you 

[tab]

I've tried everything apart from the spray bottle.
I've considered doing that but I'm unsure, I think I would feel too bad, plus she loves water 

I have that problem with Amber. When she first moved in she was a bit of a nightmare for being places Id rather she wasnt....she still is but Ive given up    Anyway I used to spray her and shed stop, lick her side then come running up to me wanting to play with the bottle. If I didnt carry on spraying her she went back to whatever she had been doing in the first place.
Drove me mad 
love
Tab

[Sarah (seldom_use)]

Tilly is a serial scratcher! 

My living room carpet is missing a corner now 
She just doesn't like the scratch posts etc, I've tried everything apart from the spray bottle.
I've considered doing that but I'm unsure, I think I would feel too bad, plus she loves water 

[Team Svartalfheims]

I'm lucky that Bilbo only ever scratches carpet if it because he wants to be on the other side of the door so he doesn't scratch very often. Tigger never ever scratches unless it's on sisal. I confused the poor girl though by putting down a gorgeous big rug I've had for years as it's sisal so she thinks it's a huge scratch mat and wondered why I told her off for scratching it *sigh* I've given off telling her off for it, I'll just have to buy a new rug in a few years lol. Miss Boopy has no idea what a carpet is so we'll have to see what she does lol.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Jaffa scratches the carpet a bit but has never caused much visible damage so I didn't worry about it too much.  Whenever he walked into the living room from a sleep in the bedroom he'd have a stretch and a bit of a scratch.  However, since I got a new scratch post and placed it near where he used to scratch he just walks up to it and scratches that instead of the carpet.

[Mark]

Mine seem to like scratching stair carpet! - maybe they are lazy and horizontal scratching is easier then vertical  - they "hug" a step and scratch - Willow is becoming a real nuisance with it. The problem is, I don't see her do it most of the time as my living area is in the basement - I will have to start clipping to see if it helps

[JackSpratt]

It does get confusing though as I have to look and see where shes scratching before I shout 

Hehe! We have that problem too!

[carl (billy and baggys dad)]

Hmmm ... thanks all, some good ideas there.

Sticky Paws sounds interesting, I'll have a Google for it ... 

[Team Svartalfheims]

Thre's some stuff called sticky paws or soemthign that you can stick to the carpet and cats apparently hate the sticky feeling on their paws. I'm going to try and get some to try with Biblo to stop him shredding the carpet outside the bedroom door when Miss Boopy gets home (he'll be shut out of room).

[tab]

Mogs is a carpet scratcher and never uses a post. I think she doesnt like stretching unless its on a chair    Anyway I bought a scratch mat from PAH and she uses that a lot. It does get confusing though as I have to look and see where shes scratching before I shout  
love
Tab

[CurlyCatz]

water bottle is a good idea but i guess you have to be there often to implement it.

My sebastian has shredded a corner of their carpet to the point where even the back of carpet is in tatters..i am blaming him not being able to get out into his run for it and hopefully this wont be a new life long thing, however i cant do anytihng about getting this flippin run up any quicker   

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

I tried this: a spray bottle of water.  Every time they do this you spray and then pick them up and put their paws up on teh scratch post and then treat them after for being good boys.

Some may disagree with this, but worked well for me.

[carl (billy and baggys dad)]

Both of our puddies, Billy and Baggy, have recently started scratching the carpets all around the house.

We've tried putting scratching posts in various places, but still no good. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop it?

Ta for any help!