What type of carpet is best with pet cats?

[StuntNun]

My house only has carpets on the stairs, landing and in one bedroom and they are in dire need of replacement. However the cat strops her claws on the carpet, particularly on the stairs, even though she has a scratching post which she also uses. Are there any types of carpet that would be less torn up by her claws?

I was saddened when my cats did their scratchy cat yoga on my lovely brand new carpet. They have a 5' tall scratchy post, that I made for them.

I've resigned myself to ruined carpets.

I think if your cat likes carpet you're buggered whatever carpet you get! A previous cat would go for everything: wrecked carpet, a rafia chair, painted walls, Moses basket. Current cat not interested in scratching anything at all.

Can you have stripped floor boards instead? Noisy but she can't damage them.

Ime the more expensive the carpet the more they love to rag it.

Definitely not stuff with loops, sisal etc. it gets shredded.

The best cat proof carpet is laminate

My DP wants to carpet the downstairs. He might own this house, but I have vetoed this. A) Because I hate vacuuming and B) because the cats have already shredded the carpet at the bottom and top of the stairs, and outside the bedroom door.

I am chilling on the cuddler with my laptop, an Easter egg and a glass of wine, whilst one of the cats is next to me, snoring away.

I have four sons so no carpet on the stairs would be really noisy!

My inside boys have always preferred horizontal scratching and I've had much success with carpet samples. Those books of samples that carpet shops have - they're usually about the size of a doormat and you can get some good quality pieces in them. (Like Fluffy, I also think, from experience sadly, that if a cat is likely to scratch they head straight for the most expensive bit you have.)

Most carpet shops will give them away for free to save their rubbish bins and you simply take one out and anchor it in some way - wedging an edge under a heavy piece of furniture is what I've always done but I guess you could tack them down also.

Why not give that a try? If she uses it and is praised then she should start using that exclusively thus allowing you free rein in the rest of the house.

(It won't help with the problem of her being sick on your most expensive rug but that's for another day I think.)

"It won't help with the problem of her being sick on your most expensive rug"

You're not wrong there Cozie. One of mine waited until the beautiful expensive rug was put down. The first day, woke up to a pile of sick on it.

I'd suggest limiting the carpet as much as possible and get cheapish carpet you can change when needed.

But more than that, clip your cat's claws regularly they do less damage and then also don't need to stretch their claws as often.