9 month old kitten won’t stop scratching the carpet

[jennielouises]

My 9 month old kitten has developed a habit of scratching at the carpet mostly by the doors to our room, my son’s room and the stairgate. We’ve put down plastic floor covers in the doorways but he’s just started scratching next to them. He wakes my son up at night and is destroying the carpet. Any ideas? I know every time we get up to tell him off it’s just giving him attention but if we ignore him he’ll completely ruin the carpet. He mostly does it at night or when he’s in the house alone. We’ve tried making sure he’s had a good play before we go to bed (to the point he’s panting) but he still does it. He just wants to be in my son’s room which I won’t allow (he’s under 2 and I’d prefer for now that Oreo doesn’t sleep in the same room). Any ideas? We’re at our wits end

 

[Draco]

I’d give him alternatives to scratching. My cat used to scratch rugs until I provided cardboard scratchers in her favorite areas.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Is your cat locked out of other rooms at night? If so, don't deny access to them. He apparently wants to be with someone, so if not your son, maybe you instead?

Do you have any non-carpeted rooms to place him in when you're not home? Then, give him multiple cat scratchers, both vertical and horizontal ones that perhaps over time he will use to the point that he might become accustomed to using them instead of carpeting.

He's still young yet, so there is a good chance he'll outgrow wanting to be with someone all the time, as well as lessening his need to scratch so much.

 

[jennielouises]

Yeah he can come into our room. Even if he’s in the room with us he will scratch the carpet to get our attention. He also jumps on our bedside cabinets and attacks our hands etc as he wants our attention to play

 

[rubysmama]

If he's scratching the carpet to get your attention, then it may be possible to break the habit. If he's scratching the carpet, because it's his preferred scratching material, that will be harder to stop.

My first cat, Ruby, was a major carpet scratcher, and though she lessened the scratching as she got older, she never totally stopped. On the other hand, my current cat, Pretty, never scratches carpet. I think some cats just like the feel of scratching carpet more than others.

The topic does come up often here at TCS, and below is a link with all the threads with "carpet scratching" in the title. Maybe there might be some tips to help with your boy's scratching habit.
Search Results for Query: carpet scratching

 

[jennielouises]

Thank you I’ll take a look. It’s definitely to get our attention!

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats just really like the feel of their claws in carpet. I would cover their current spot with a throw rug and make sure they have st least one carpet covered scratching post.

 

[game misconduct]

maybe you can buy a mouse keep it in a cat proofed cage that he can sit ontop of cant knock over etc. cats a predator mouse is prey both on the nocturnal side.i only suggest this because when lived at my dads still i kept alot of snakes when younger my moms old cat would spend entire nights on the cage of my amazon tree boa watching it since it was usually active at night he was funny like that days spent ontop of a bird cage nights on a snakes cage

 

[Tobermory]

I used Feliway Classic Spray to discourage Mocha from scratching the carpet. At first, I had to do it every few days, but gradually she stopped and started to use her scratching posts.

 

[maggie101]

I would give him something to scratch on. My cats like corrugated cardboard triangur,long, or tall square shaped to stretch and scratch on. Not sisal

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat+scratcher&crid=16Z24Z9ZUQ1V3&sprefix=,aps,189&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent&tag=thecatsite

Mine are by petfusion,triangular,and lounger

 

[Alldara]

Having a bunch of cardboard and other scratchera around really helps and giving positive reinforcement to him when he uses them.

Catnip on the appropriate scratchers at night.

I also had good luck just playing with a laser pointer briefly with our cats while getting ready for bed/in bed. The tend to settle in bed when done. Cal waits for it nightly. He's so excited.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Give your cat horizontal scratch pads. Do you really need to keep the cat out of your son’s room? Your cat may feel bonded to him.

 

[Calr0007]

If he's scratching the carpet to get your attention, then it may be possible to break the habit. If he's scratching the carpet, because it's his preferred scratching material, that will be harder to stop.

My first cat, Ruby, was a major carpet scratcher, and though she lessened the scratching as she got older, she never totally stopped. On the other hand, my current cat, Pretty, never scratches carpet. I think some cats just like the feel of scratching carpet more than others.

The topic does come up often here at TCS, and below is a link with all the threads with "carpet scratching" in the title. Maybe there might be some tips to help with your boy's scratching habit.
Search Results for Query: carpet scratching

My new cat (approximately 2) who I just took in from outside a couple of months ago scratched the corners of her base camp to death but that was because she was shut in. Nothing I could do about that at the time. Now that she is free and well adjusted, she claws the corners in my bedroom in the middle of the night, I believe to wake me up. If I get up to stop her, she walks right to her post and scratches like a good girl. She does it every night about 3am. I have tried the “no scratch” spray on the areas and have 2 posts in the bedroom but she is dead set on doing it. I don’t know how to break this pattern because now she knows this gets me up! Any advice appreciated!

 

[rubysmama]

Not specifically about carpet scratching, but there might be some tips in this TCS article: How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night (Step-By-Step Plan) - TheCatSite

 

[riley1]

When I got my cat almost 10 years ago I was told she was two. I didn't want a kitten so this was fine. The vet said she was actually more like one. It was like living with a shark! She would follow me around and get into everything. Jumping from the floor into my plate when eating and biting and bunny kicking me anytime I wasn't moving. She would play for hours at night. It could be that your kitten is frustrated and has too much energy. I started playing with mine for an hour at a time, taking her to panting, resting and then playing again. This went on for about six months but gradually the need for play decreased. Up until the age of two they need a lot more play than we think. This may not be the case with your kitten. My cat likes to scratch the carpet as well. For her it's all about texture. Try putting one of those cheap mexican rugs on the floor if the cardboard does work. Or possibly sheet of double sided tape. Good luck!