Some of you may recall me starting a cat thread last summer, asking how to transport my feline friend across the country. We made it through many yowls and escape attempts, and for a while things were OK. However, the cat now has a serious habit that I cannot break, and it might end up costing me a lot of money.
For some reason, my cat has started ripping out the carpet at a border with a wall. I tried to dissuade it by yelling, hissing, and squirting with a water gun, but she went right back at it while I wasn’t watching. She now knows not to do it while I’m around but I see evidence when I wake up in the morning. I thought I solved it by putting a strip of duct tape, looped sticky-side out, on top of her scratching spot; however, after a week she found a new spot and is now tearing at that. I can’t keep putting duct tape at every exposed carpet edge, but if she rips enough carpet that the apartment management notices, I will be out a very large (by grad student income standards) deposit.
On a related note, in the ~two years since I adopted her, I’ve been unable to train her to use a scratching post. I’ve tried leaving treats at the top, setting her next to it, and once even taking her paw and scratching it, but she always prefers the carpet. It’s never been an issue because she’d always take a couple swipes and move on, leaving no detectable damage. Now she’s ruining the floor and I have no idea what to do about it.
Can someone please advise me on what to do with this incredibly annoying kitty?
Try one of those cardboard scratchers that lay flat - some cats prefer to scratch on the ground, others upright. Two of my cats like the upright posts, one likes the ground, and one alternates.
So if you put the scratcher over the edges of the carpet - buy a couple and put them in different spots (I just buy the cardboard refills, pretty cheap) - and encourage her to use those. She may decide that’s just the thing she needed. Good luck!
There are definitely some cats who prefer lateral scratching. You could also get yourself some carpet remnants and put those down over the areas she seems to like. If you can get your hands on some berber, kitties seem to really like that kind of carpet and she might just decide she likes the remnants better. If you still have a scratching post around that she doesn’t use, lay it down so it’s a slanted surface and see if she takes to it that way. Whether you get the cardboard scratchers or remnants, use catnip, praise, and treats to encourage her to prefer those.
I second the idea of placing some carpet scraps in the areas she already scratches. Ask some homeowner friends/family/coworkers, they likely have leftovers from renovations sitting around their attics.
I also suggest keeping your cats claws trimmed. It’s what I do when I leave my cat with my parents when I travel, and it really goes a long way towards him not destroying their furniture.
I’ve tried the claw covers. They’re a pain in the ass to put on, and I have to put them on often because she rips at them with her teeth. She’s successfully pulled out a large part of a claw before, requiring a trip to the vet. Not something I want to try again.
I’ll try the orange peels tomorrow. Thanks for that tip. Carpet scraps might be an issue; most of my peers are in grad school so we don’t have homes to remodel. I’ll see what I can come up with.
I also tried training my cat again. The most frustrating experience in recent memory. I laid the scratching post down flat but no matter how many treats I set on it, or how many times I scratched it with my hand, the stupid cat just kept her eyes on the treats and refused to do anything productive. How am I supposed to reward her for correct behavior that she refuses to exhibit?
Taping down tinfoil would probably work as well. It isn’t the most attractive decorating. If orange peels don’t work, try sprinkling cayenne pepper down.
Try rubbing catnip into the surfaces you want her to scratch, and keep her nails well-trimmed.
The suggestion of putting down something that smells unpleasant too cats, but pleasant to humans, on the places you want her stay away from is good, too.
But you might want to start putting away $5.00 a week to make up for the loss of the security deposit when you move.
Cheapest (yet ugliest) solution to this: Rip off a 3 foot strip of aluminum foil and cover that spot with it. Put something heavy on it so it won’t be moved off of the spot. Adding orange peels can’t hurt either.
You’ll have to remove the foil when company comes over, but put it back when they leave. After about a year, your cat should forget about that corner of the carpet.
Note: my cat is sitting near me as I type this and is giving me the most hateful look…
For carpet remnants, go to a local floor covering store. They usually have the samples of old carpets (maybe 18" x 24") for a buck or two. Buy a bunch of them and put them on the carpet where the cat scratches.
I also second the suggestion of the cardboard scratch mats. At PetCo/PetSmart refills are around $7 for two mats. Put them down where scratching occurs, rub some catnip on them.
Might not even help. My little guy has no front claws and absolutely loves to rip up carpets at seams. He uses his teeth. The worst places for it were at closed doors between two carpeted rooms. He hated being left out, and would shred the carpet. We fixed it temporarily by putting down a heavy clear plastic bath mat, cut to fit the doorway. Eventually, we just had the hallway floor redone in hardwood so there wouldn’t be a seam there to tempt him.
I guess removing the carpet isn’t an option for you, since it’s a rental, but I think the suggestion of putting down carpet scraps is a very good one.