How to Stop Cats Scratching Carpet by Doors

[greenqueen]

Hi everyone!

Myhusband and I are currently working on reintroducing our two cats, 4 year old Bodie and 2 year old Charlie.

One cat is kept in our spare room (with our couch and tv) and one is kept in the rest of the house. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment, so this is kind of our only option for seperating them.

We've been keeping them seperated for about 3 weeks now, and the longer it's gone on the more pissed off they're getting .

We do switch who is kept in the spare room every morning.

Both of them have now taken to scratching feverishly at the door inside the spare room and at the bathroom door if it's closed and one of us is in there. The carpet at both locations is destroyed and we have definitely lost our $500 pet deposit and $500 regular deposit at the point.

What can we do to stop it from getting worse? My husband and I work 40 hours a week and I think the cats are just feeling like they're not getting enough attention. But we work! We were having one person spend all their free time with one cat when we started, but we need to spend time together too!

Any suggestions? I love my cats (we got them in May) but at this point they're making my life more stressful than they are a positive contribution.

 

[Ms. Freya]

Our Freya had the running record for picking apart carpets under doors when we first brought her home. 

What worked best for us was to actually go to the hardware store and get some of that non-slip clear plastic runner mat (like they put in carpeted foyers or at open houses)  and put it under the door. She couldn't lift the mat to get to the carpet, but could still happily get her paws under the door and when the door was open, we could just walk on it like normal.