Cat scratching..!!! Grrrr

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Natalie12

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Anyone know of any good deterrents to stop your cat scratching - specifically carpet!!??

any suggestions more than welcome - am getting desperate!! Is there anything they just wont touch??
 
well my cat has always had a scratching post since he was a kitten so he doesn't scratch on furniture or carpets.

i have been told they hate citrus, so maybe spray carpets with a lemon scented cleaner or something? worth a try?
 
Agree with the citrus spray - and get a scratch post. Our cats used to claw our sofas like rotten, and they have 99% stopped since I got a scratch post.

If they aren't keen on the scratch post to start with, get a little catnip and sprinkle it around the post - they will soon decide that they like it to scratch on :)
 
A heavy duty scratching post, I have also got a scratching mat which I paid about £8.00 from my feed merchant which I have placed at the side of my settee and it is the best £8.00 I have paid he loves it. We also clip his claws.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the comments - he is scratching the capet away right by the door i guess to try and get out!! A very new thing as he has always been shut into his own spacious room at night and let out first thing when i get up! He has a big 3 level activity centre with about 6 scratching posts on it, a bed, food, litter tray and lots of toys including a cardboard box maze thing i created last night in hope he would stop. I also sprayed the area with Shaws repel all spray and plugged in a Feliway plug in.....

I just dont know what else to do... if we let him out he howls all night to get into our room then he thinks its playtime if we let him in and pounces on you all night!!! :-(
 
It very much depends on the cat. I have two, one is a scratcher, and loves to scratch the carpets; the other one is not so bothered. They have a scratching post, but you can't make a cat use it. One of the perils of being a cat owner. Good luck with the aforementioned ideas though - may try some of them myself - house is starting to look rather tatty!!!
 
Its just a completely new thing for him ... he has always been so good in the past - he is only 4 1/2 weeks old and we have had him 1 1/2 months so all pretty new!!

I just dont know whats prompted this sudden behaviour and am at a loss as to what to do!?
 
He is a cat - cats scratch, and unfortunately there's not a lot you can do about it. This sounds more connected with his desire to get out of the room he's in, rather than a need to scratch though.

Can't tell from your post above if he's 4 and a half months and you've had him for 1 and a half months? if he's 4 and a half months, he is probably starting to want to get out exploring, and perhaps also a bit of testorone is starting to flow?!

Can you wedge an old bit of carpet over the bit he is scratching to protect your carpet? Cats are not generally big fans of closed doors - they like to roam and explore - so I think he is probably expressing his disgust. Remember your cat owns you, and all your wordly possessions, and shall do with them as he sees fit ;)
 
Hi,

Yes he is 4 1/2 months old and we have had him for just over a month and a half. The problem i have though is if we dont shut him in he will just sit outside our bedroom door howling and scratching our door but if we let him into our bedroom its playtime and he will just pounce on us continually or knock over glasses of water or take an interest in the fan or chew our phone charger leads (whilst plugged in)..... what do you do?!? :oS
 
He's very young, and should grow out of some of these traits as he gets older. The scratching, is marking his territory.
 
Let him out at night - yes he will howl for a few days but usually they give up when they don't get a reaction.

Are you in a busy area or near a main road? Just wondering why he is not allowed outside, our cats spent all night out and about and then were in during the day snoozing in front of the AGA - it's a tough life being a country cat!! :D
 
i have indoor cats - never been out. Best thing - you wont like it though - get a friend. They like to play and another kitten is there to play - they dont rely and wait for you as much. - dont help with scratching though sorry - get a scratch post.
 
Gluttonforpunishment said:
Let him out at night - yes he will howl for a few days but usually they give up when they don't get a reaction.

Are you in a busy area or near a main road? Just wondering why he is not allowed outside, our cats spent all night out and about and then were in during the day snoozing in front of the AGA - it's a tough life being a country cat!! :D
Click to expand...

Country cats which are out at night are in danger of being run over by fast moving vehicles whose drivers think that they can do as they please because no-one is watching, they are also in danger of meeting hungry foxes, which can certainly overpower a 4 month old kitten.
OP please continue to keep your cat in during the night, although I'm afraid that you will have to put up with the scratching, unless you get him a cage to sleep in.
 
I've gone beyond caring actually. We have three cats and whereas they love their scratching post, the stair carpet is obviously attractive too as they have worn holes in several places. One reason not to have carpets with "loops" as they love the challenge. No, my bugbear is dog hair. Labrador hair to be specific. I brush them often enough, but it's everywhere, like tumbleweed. My horses are sooooooo easy!!
 
I have 6 cats, 2 of which are 10week old ish kittens. In two weeks they will be allowed free access to outside.
The other 4 are all out at night. Since being in the country, not one has had more than a catbite to deal with.
It is cruel to keep a cat that is bored/upset by it inside. Better a quality of life that is cut short than a long bored life.
I would I have to say never keep a cat inside, ours love being in during the day, but as is natural, LOVE being out at night.
 
could you not take up the carpet in his bedroom & put something like laminate down?

I would also second the suggestion of a friend :)

I have 4 2yo cats that sleep in my room & have since they were 8wks old. When they were younger they were kept in 24/7 as we lived in a rented house & had a very nasty cat nextdoor, so it can be done! We just tried to wear them out before they went to bed, laser pens are amazing for this, mine only have to hear the chain thats on it and they go wild, even now! When we moved they were almost a year old before they were introduced to the outside world, but we had a very nasty feral cat that meant every night they stayed in. It was that or another vet bill, & im talking £200 in 3wks!
They have since learnt that daytime=playtime & night time=sleep, & i often have to wake them up in the morning. We have since got rid of the feral cat but as they are in such a good routine we still keep them in overnight. So i guess my advise is to try & wear him out as much as possible during the evening & he may start to sleep for a bit longer. It could be that he can hear you in your room & wants to be with you.

ETA i also taught my cats to sit, lay down, fetch, come to call, & in (as in go into their room) They were surprisingly easy to teach as they were young & still remember most of the commands now. They also follow me round like dogs, come to feed the horses with us. If anything they are better trained than the dogs!
 
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