I have two male cats, brothers, who will not stop tearing up my carpet. We moved to our home a year ago, and they will not stop. I have tried everything. Oils sprayed, scratching post - they will use it occasionally, loud noises, they won't let me hold them long enough to put on the claw pads but I have heard those don't last long on cats who are stubborn enough to bite them off anyway. They do it when they are angry I haven't gotten up to feed them in time, or when they are angry at me, and really just sit there and continue when I scold them to spite me! My carpet has holes near my doors they want to stay open, on the stairs, and now they are scratching in the middle of the carpet!!!! I am ready to give them away! Please help! I can't buy the spray because I would have to coat my carpet since they scratch ANYWHERE. The oils I used caused my kids to fall down the stairs since it was slippery. Are there any natural oils I can diffuse? I cannot afford the one that costs $30 every four weeks!
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My new carpet! Help!
- Thread starter st0628
- Start Date
I just stumbled upon this video on youtube. Mind you this video is "why cats act weird" not specifically about your issue, but it may help understand a little about felines.
This link is more specific to your needs https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-behavior-problems-scratching-behavior
I doubt your cats are scratching out of spite or when angry with you. Are they young? Are they neutered? Have you tried to incorporate nail trimming? Do you have any interactive toys and furniture that allows them to climb? They could just be very bored and under stimulated. Youtube or instructables have neat tutorials on scratchers to make for cats.
One of the suggestions I think of Jackson Galaxy was finding their favourite scratching surface and making or buying something with the surface to deter them. He also suggests playing with them for 15 minutes a day or until they are tired panting. It will take time to notice a change.
Hoping this helps a bit.
This link is more specific to your needs https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-behavior-problems-scratching-behavior
I doubt your cats are scratching out of spite or when angry with you. Are they young? Are they neutered? Have you tried to incorporate nail trimming? Do you have any interactive toys and furniture that allows them to climb? They could just be very bored and under stimulated. Youtube or instructables have neat tutorials on scratchers to make for cats.
One of the suggestions I think of Jackson Galaxy was finding their favourite scratching surface and making or buying something with the surface to deter them. He also suggests playing with them for 15 minutes a day or until they are tired panting. It will take time to notice a change.
Hoping this helps a bit.
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Sounds like this has turned into a game with your boys. They scratch and you scold them. They enjoy the attention they are getting from you. Is your carpet similar to the material on their scratching post? They favor the carpet over their post.Try a different cat tree using catnip to get them interested and focus their attention on that, maybe using treats.
Cats do not do things out of "spite". It is a cat's natural way of exercising the muscles and tendons of the paws and discarding old claw sheaths. I would strongly suggest getting more, and different types, of scratching posts and pads, and putting them throughout the dwelling. I have done this, and no one ever bothers the furniture or the carpet. You can buy the corrugated cardboard scratchers in many forms/sizes, and sprinkle catnip on them to attract the cats, or apply catnip spray if you prefer. Please do not "scold" them or be angry with them for doing what is absolutely natural for cats to do to maintain their health. You can also cover the carpeted areas with plastic carpet runner, and/or spray those areas where they have scratched, which now contain their scents, with a repellent especially for this purpose, which is safe for cats.
My bet is you purchased a scratcher like this:
When you cats were telling you they like to use flat surfaces like
or the ever popular, and more stylish
When you cats were telling you they like to use flat surfaces like
or the ever popular, and more stylish
Plastic granny runners a not attractive but will help, my Dad lived with thick plastic over the corners of his couches for years, also carpert mats over damaged areas could help. Cats don't like citrus you can put a few to many drops of essential oils lemon or grapefruit ind a spray bottle of water and mist the carpet less than 20 for the oil 1$ at dollar store for spray bottle.
Good luck
Mine like my antique wooden fish box that I use as a firewood box and the whether stripping.
Good luck
Mine like my antique wooden fish box that I use as a firewood box and the whether stripping.
Despite Grimmy being declawed, she likes to rub her nubs on plastic canvas and cardboard. Rarely does she rub on furniture which doesn't really matter since she sadly has nubbins. Maybe if you decide to start clipping their nails, you can try massaging their paws. Grimmy seems to nub rub less when I do that...
How many scratching areas do you have in your house for them? Do you have cat trees? How about cardboard scratching pads? How often do you trim their nails?
IDK who you were asking, but we have scratching pads and/or posts in 5 of the 10 rooms in the house, plus several in the long hallway that runs the length of the house.
Corrugated cardboard sprinkled with catnip Yum! lasts a few months on each side.
Good to have an assortment of scratchers great when training.
Good to have an assortment of scratchers great when training.
Hi
S
st0628
! Welcome to TCS 
I'm so sorry you're having this issue with your cats. You've had some great replies here already. I'll reiterate that cats do NOT engage in spiteful behaviour - they just don't think that way. They're not scratching because they're angry either. Scratching is a natural and normal behaviour for cats, and it serves several functions. The most important, from the cats' perspective, is that it spreads their scent, helping them to 'own' their home. This explains why the scratching started after you moved house - they're trying to make the house their home too.
As others have said, providing a number of scratching surfaces will help matters considerably. Positioning is important too - they need to be in socially significant areas of the home (ie where you spend the most time). If they're not using their post much, that suggests that it's in the wrong place, and/or that it's not stable enough (cats typically aren't comfortable using a post that tips when they use it), and/or that they'd prefer a different type of surface.
It can really help to put scratching surfaces in the areas where they're currently scratching. This needn't be intrusive - there are even wall mounted scratch pads these days, which might be a good option for by the doorways they scratch at...though, in that case, I suspect separation anxiety is the trigger.
These articles should explain things further, and offer more solutions:-[article="29683"][/article][article="29669"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="29678"][/article][article="32827"][/article][article="30316"][/article][article="30307"][/article][article="32758"][/article]
I'm so sorry you're having this issue with your cats. You've had some great replies here already. I'll reiterate that cats do NOT engage in spiteful behaviour - they just don't think that way. They're not scratching because they're angry either. Scratching is a natural and normal behaviour for cats, and it serves several functions. The most important, from the cats' perspective, is that it spreads their scent, helping them to 'own' their home. This explains why the scratching started after you moved house - they're trying to make the house their home too.
As others have said, providing a number of scratching surfaces will help matters considerably. Positioning is important too - they need to be in socially significant areas of the home (ie where you spend the most time). If they're not using their post much, that suggests that it's in the wrong place, and/or that it's not stable enough (cats typically aren't comfortable using a post that tips when they use it), and/or that they'd prefer a different type of surface.
It can really help to put scratching surfaces in the areas where they're currently scratching. This needn't be intrusive - there are even wall mounted scratch pads these days, which might be a good option for by the doorways they scratch at...though, in that case, I suspect separation anxiety is the trigger.
These articles should explain things further, and offer more solutions:-[article="29683"][/article][article="29669"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="29678"][/article][article="32827"][/article][article="30316"][/article][article="30307"][/article][article="32758"][/article]
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Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have tried cardboard - they wont touch it. I have tried cat nip on their cat tree, and they use it occasionally. I have tried citrus oil but like I said it is too oily for the stairs and my kids fall down. I cannot put plastic on every piece of my carpet. We are talking door ways, any part of the stairs, in the middle of the floor even! I don't care what anyone says, they do it when I won't get up out of bed when they meow over and over at me. To get my attention! It is so annoying. I have an infant who will be mobile soon and I cannot have her eating carpet fibers they have torn apart or rolling around in essential oils or on plastic.
Do you have sisal posts or carpeted ones? I have 2 cats that refuse to use the sisal ones and 1 that loves them, the other 2 use the carpeted ones only.
I have cat trees and cardboard scratchers, and independent standing scratchers as well, and yet I have 2 of my 3 that still like the couch. I finally got some relief with a spray I found at Walmart of all places. I thought what the heck, can't hurt to try.....SmartyKat Scratch Not is the name of it. It actually worked. I have to put it on there about once a week. It might help with the worst spots at your house if nothing else.
I really didn't think it would work but it did, I mean I got it at Walmart, figured it would be a waste of $$ but it did work. It's supposed to be non-toxic too around little ones.
You might also want to try diluted lemon juice with water and spray it. They hate the citrus smell supposedly, I wouldn't think it would only need to be the oil. I used lemon juice to stop ants on my windowsill last summer because I didn't want to use lemon oil.
I have cat trees and cardboard scratchers, and independent standing scratchers as well, and yet I have 2 of my 3 that still like the couch. I finally got some relief with a spray I found at Walmart of all places. I thought what the heck, can't hurt to try.....SmartyKat Scratch Not is the name of it. It actually worked. I have to put it on there about once a week. It might help with the worst spots at your house if nothing else.
I really didn't think it would work but it did, I mean I got it at Walmart, figured it would be a waste of $$ but it did work. It's supposed to be non-toxic too around little ones.
You might also want to try diluted lemon juice with water and spray it. They hate the citrus smell supposedly, I wouldn't think it would only need to be the oil. I used lemon juice to stop ants on my windowsill last summer because I didn't want to use lemon oil.
Another trick--I have a friend whose cat was a nightmare clawer, and she obtained a large piece of driftwood--the kind you put in reptile aquariums for them to climb and lay on. Her cat loves that and he won't use any type of scratcher.
Oils can be too strong and actually toxic.
I found my cat stops scratching after trimming his claws. Only the very tips (pay attention not to cut the white part / to much). I do it once in two months or around.
I brought synthetic carpet (some 4 USD /sqm) an lay it down when needed.
Why not just give up carpets? They are not good for human health anyway and extremely difficult to keep really clean and not infested. Plastic linoleum or synthetic floor are much better for health.
I brought synthetic carpet (some 4 USD /sqm) an lay it down when needed.
Why not just give up carpets? They are not good for human health anyway and extremely difficult to keep really clean and not infested. Plastic linoleum or synthetic floor are much better for health.
If you really want to use essential oils as a deterrent, dilute them in water - 10 drops of oil (total) per 100mls water. I make oil blends (mostly for the pony) in spray bottles this way, and there's no oily residue at this dilution, but still a good strong smell. Essential oils should always be diluted before use on any case - most aren't great for adult human skin when undiluted, let alone toddler or kitten skin 
Wash the oily carpets down to remove the oils, and start over. Slippy carpets are a hazard for everyone
If the kittens are bugging you to get out of bed in the mornings, try leaving food out overnight for them to snack on. That should at least help some.
Please try to understand that they're not doing this to be difficult, or to spite you. Scratching is a normal behaviour, and they're still young and learning. With time, consistency and patience they will learn. The articles I linked to before have lots of tips and tricks to teach them where they can and cannot scratch. Remember that there are no instant solutions. Just like human babies/toddlers, it takes time for them to learn the 'house rules'.
Wash the oily carpets down to remove the oils, and start over. Slippy carpets are a hazard for everyone
If the kittens are bugging you to get out of bed in the mornings, try leaving food out overnight for them to snack on. That should at least help some.
Please try to understand that they're not doing this to be difficult, or to spite you. Scratching is a normal behaviour, and they're still young and learning. With time, consistency and patience they will learn. The articles I linked to before have lots of tips and tricks to teach them where they can and cannot scratch. Remember that there are no instant solutions. Just like human babies/toddlers, it takes time for them to learn the 'house rules'.
