New Kitty acting destructive. how can i nip this in the bud?

[brittany brown]

this new kitty i got a few days ago is FINALLY starting to come out of hiding and walk around exploring the house. but i've noticed that she keeps scratching at my carpet and she has pulled down the curtains twice. (they are already pretty loose, so that didn't take much) how can i let her know early on that this is not ok?  she's 6 months old and still acting very skittish. when i see her doing this i make a "pssst!" noise and say "stop it!" or clap my hands or something to get her attention and say "no" but i dont know if this is the right approach. she has two of those cardboard scratching boards with catnip on them. why won't she just use them instead of my rug?? 

 

[p3 and the king]

Cats can be very picky.  Many like a variety of scratchers in different shapes and textures all throughout the house.  Think about how she is scratching, too.. She seems to be reaching up... So get some vertical scratchers that make her stretch a little.  Also, think about the textures she is scratching... Get some carpet made ones for good measure. 

Because she is new and still not used to it, this could be "marking the place" so it smells more like home to her and she can relax.  Maybe get some feliway diffusers to help her adjustment?  It can take time but try not to be sore with her.  She is older and sometimes older can take a little more time to get used to a new place and new people. 

The best advice is to really pay attention to her... How she behaves, if it's bad, and try to work around it and compromise by giving her something that is similar that is appropriate to do the behavior on.