how can i save my carpet? :,)

[haleyrose99]

hey all! this post is for milo, my little scratchy gremlin

first and foremost, they're only 8 months so they are very much still in the "everything is a toy i can chew on and scratch at" phase. i live in a rental, and sadly it has a carpeted bedroom. they don't have accidents or spill anything on the carpet anymore, so it hasn't been an issue until recently. milo has now realized how fun it is to scratch at, and it's high pile so he's been tearing a few threads out here and there, nothing big yet but it's only a matter of time... i just worry he's going to totally wreck it before i can move out in november and i won't be able to get my security deposit back.

they have 3 or 4 places they can scratch at instead-

• a scratching post that they don't use all that often, milo just likes to climb it sometimes during the zoomies lol
• two cardboard scratchers, two boxes with catnip and a circular one with a ball track around the edge that phoebe LOVES
• my couch as weird as that is, i keep thick fleece blankets over it and they can't really scratch the couch fabric through it (though i know i need to break this habit for the future lol)
• an old hand-me-down mesh office chair from my dad that i've kept because they like it so much (don't worry, it was expensive and they will never be able to tear it up, i've had it for over 8 months and not a single spot on that chair has torn with multiple daily scratches).

i also cut their nails every two weeks or less because they're growing like weeds at the moment

maybe i could get more scratchers? I've been holding off a little bit to see what materials they like to scratch most (carpet is obvious now lol). neither seem really drawn to the sisal scratching post, phoebe likes the mesh and cardboard but not so much carpet, and milo only really likes the mesh and carpet.

i could block them off from there entirely, and i do when i leave the apartment, but they have another litter box in my bathroom that i want them to have access to, and they sleep in there with me at night/during the day for naps. i don't know if there is something i can use to cover it up maybe? but it would have to be renter friendly, imo. i've seen articles say peel and stick tile squares, but that doesn't seem all that logical for my type of carpet. i don't know if i could afford a huge rug to cover the area either... any suggestions? I've attached a photo of the carpet so you can see the pile, and their scratching areas for reference!


this is the carpet itself

as you can see the chair is a favorite (milo's hair is everywhere)

phoebe going HAAM on that cardboard scratcher lol

the fleece blankets over my couch, they're double lined from walmart and honestly the only thing that's saved my couch

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am sure others will have better ideas, but you could try more fleece blankets and 'secure' them to the carpet with double sided tape. I would think the blankets could be done without it being terribly costly. That is the only thing I know to do considering they have a litter box to get to and sleep with you at night.

 

[susanm9006]

You can buy a carpet remnant for a reasonably low price and lay it down over the existing carpet in the area they like to scratch.

 

[Kflowers]

Be careful with the double-sided tape. Test it first. Some is so strong that it'll pull the fibers right out of the rug. You could use duct tape on the fleece blankets securing them to the metal edging and the floorboard. That way you'd only lose paint.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

They do have carpet covered scratchers. They can be a bit expensive though.

 

[Alldara]

Carpet covered scratchers would be your best bet.
Picking them up and moving them to a place they CAN scratch works decently.

Catnip on the scratchers helps. Encouraging any type of play where they sink their claws into the ones you have.

In last effort getting a carpet or rug and throwing it on top of the bedroom carpet might be your best bet.

They also have many types of floor scratchers now. Throwing a few down where they scratch is great.

We have an abundance of scratchers. But I'm glad about this because our young boys have never scratched the furniture or carpet. Magnus's foster mum mentioned that he used to scratch her fouton so we tossed a few fuzzy blankets over the couch at first.

 

[di and bob]

Get some plastic carpet runners with the little nubs on the back and put it anywhere they are most likely to scratch. It's clear, easily moved, and discourages them. I have often used it. cats will eventually outgrow much of their unwanted scratching, the secret is to find something they like more. You might look for some carpet covered scratchers like those mentioned above, praising them when they use them and scolding them when they use the carpet on the floor.