Cats and carpets!

busybusy10 · 2022-02-01T18:46:15+00:00

Hi I desperately want to change my stair and landing carpet but one of my cats uses the carpets as a scratching post😬 I don't want to spend money on new carpets for him to do it again. Any suggestions or tips in different flooring that might stop him or not do much damage. Many thanks

MayThePawsBeWithYou · 01/02/2022 18:49

Does puss have scra4cring posts and sisal type carpet offcuts he can use

purpleme12 · 01/02/2022 18:51

Can you somehow staple down an offcut of carpet on top of the new carpet, (on the part that he scratches)?

Original poster

busybusy10 · 01/02/2022 18:51

Hi yes scratching posts but not any offcuts. I will try that. He mainly does it in the morning to get me up to feed him.

Thank you

OP posts:

dazzlerdo · 01/02/2022 18:52

I am in the exact same position. Wanting a new stair carpet but don't want my cat ruining it.
Mine has scratching posts but prefers the stairs carpet instead

MayThePawsBeWithYou · 01/02/2022 18:54

What about a doormat outside your bedroom door

Original poster

busybusy10 · 01/02/2022 18:55

Hi

@purpleme12 he does it at the top and bottom of the stairs and also at the doors ifp shut. I keep the doors open to stop that. Am tempted to pull the carpet and and just paint the stairs!

OP posts:

OakBedroom · 01/02/2022 18:55

I’m watching too!

CarriesHandbag · 01/02/2022 19:03

We had the same problem with our cat. She scratched every carpet in every room. The carpet was only two years old but looked about twenty after her scratching. I bought a party pack of water pistols, filled them up and left one in a saucer in each room (they leak otherwise). When she scratched, we squirted her once.. It took three different times with single squirts for her to stop. Our new carpet has been down for four months now and she still hasn't scratched it, though she did leave me a mouse for the first time ever the other day.

minipie · 01/02/2022 19:22

We have a flatweave carpet and Dcat scratches it but only very occasionally.

She much prefers the coir doormat (she is a horizontal scratcher) so we have several.

The flatweave carpet is quite tightly woven so I think it’s harder for her to get her claws into iyswim. But it is a bit slippery in socks.

Original poster

busybusy10 · 01/02/2022 19:55

Hi

Thanks for the ideas. I can cope with leaving doors open so they don't do it at the doorway but the carpet up the stairs looks bad. He will claw the carpet and run up and down with the other cats until I get up. They aren't stupid!

The kids have some water guns in the garden so will give that a go!

Will look at flatweave carpet.

Thanks again!

OP posts:

MayThePawsBeWithYou · 01/02/2022 21:47

Can you put a cheap runner rug over the new carpet and let them scratch that instead

CorsicaDreaming · 01/02/2022 22:14

@CarriesHandbag

We had the same problem with our cat. She scratched every carpet in every room. The carpet was only two years old but looked about twenty after her scratching. I bought a party pack of water pistols, filled them up and left one in a saucer in each room (they leak otherwise). When she scratched, we squirted her once.. It took three different times with single squirts for her to stop. Our new carpet has been down for four months now and she still hasn't scratched it, though she did leave me a mouse for the first time ever the other day.

She's finally forgiven you for the squirting if she left you a mouse 😆

That's a good plan re the squirters.

Fleur405 · 01/02/2022 23:50

My cat was always scratching the carpet in my flat. When we moved and replaced the carpets in our new house we made sure to get twist pile and now she doesn’t bother scratching them at all. Anything with a loop pile and they will scratch it! The man in the carpet shop advised us what types to avoid.