Yep, a cat scratching problem

lucicat

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Hi. I have to kittens and the younger one has always scratched appropriately, but my older one (about 6 months old) has developed the habit of scratching my wool rug. :( It's not a cheap rug and I'd really really rather she scratch the darn posts!!! I've tried the Feliway product that's suppose to attract them to the right surface. .. nope. I've tried treats for scratching the post, she'll do it for treats, but still scratches the rug. Gah. I've tried cardboard scratchers (how I wish they would love those!!!!!), but neither of my kittens will scratch those. I have sisal posts and a wood with rope post too. But she just wants that rug.

It seems like a weird surface for a cat to want scratch too, it's wool loops with jute. . . but then she's an unusual cat. It's a big rug in our living room, I can't exactly cover it all with sticky tape. I got a similar texture mat for our front door that she will also scratch and at least that is smaller and replaceable. . .I guess I could buy another of those and see if she'd use it in the living room. . .I hate to keep buying $50 scratchers only to find she won't use them. :/ But I am willing to try other things. . .I've tried flat one's since she likes the rug and the one's I mentioned above.

What else should I try/do?
 

nycats

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Sounds like perhaps she likes horizontal surfaces to scratch. Maybe give those a try? There are cheap cardboard ones that even come with catnip. Sprinkle some and disperse a few of them around rugs she likes to scratch. Good luck!
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I am sure other members will come along with some better ideas, but I would try buying more of the door mats in similar texture and placing her on one of them each time you find her scratching at your carpet. If there is a particular place she scratches, place one of the mats over that area. I would also try other cat attractant products besides Feliway, and see if she reacts better to any one of those. I am sure the cat attractants are just like calming products - not all work on all cats. See below for an example of another type. Also, each time she stays on the mat and scratches it, you can reward her with a treat to help reinforce the idea that the mat is a good place to scratch with the added benefit of a treat.

 
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lucicat

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Sounds like perhaps she likes horizontal surfaces to scratch. Maybe give those a try? There are cheap cardboard ones that even come with catnip. Sprinkle some and disperse a few of them around rugs she likes to scratch. Good luck!
she does seem too. I have tried flat cardboard and also a horizontal sisal type scratcher. . .but nada. I haven't tried catnip though. . .
 
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lucicat

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Hi. I am sure other members will come along with some better ideas, but I would try buying more of the door mats in similar texture and placing her on one of them each time you find her scratching at your carpet. If there is a particular place she scratches, place one of the mats over that area. I would also try other cat attractant products besides Feliway, and see if she reacts better to any one of those. I am sure the cat attractants are just like calming products - not all work on all cats. See below for an example of another type. Also, each time she stays on the mat and scratches it, you can reward her with a treat to help reinforce the idea that the mat is a good place to scratch with the benefit of a treat.

Thanks. . .those are good ideas. I hadn't considered other attractant types. . .
 
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