Is there a smell cats hate?!

MagicMelon

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Sorry, I know this isn't horse related but I just don't know what to do about my cat! She's a Bengal (Im unsure if that has anything to do with it - probably because she's not anything like past farm-cats we've had!). She's basically ripping up our carpets! She's ony 7 months old but is destroying it. She's pulling up all the edges of it and ripping chunks out with her teeth. The carpet was put down only in November so is brand new! She has masses of toys and a huge climbing frame with scratching posts. I've tried spraying her with water whenever she does it but she thinks its a game! Any ideas?!?! I'm wondering if there is a smell cats hate, which I could spray onto the carpet?!
 
I'm not a cat person but i think they don't like citrus....at least my gran used to say that and then leave oranges all over her garden :confused: :D
 
Let her out to act like a cat??

I do let her out when I'm around during the day, however we are on a new estate where they are literally still building at the very end of our garden - I do not think this is safe for our VERY inquisitive cat! She also finds the machinery absolutely terrifying so won't even go outside without me! And BTW, no offence but she isn't a "normal" cat. We were told by the breeder not to let her out at all because she's had other cats stolen (she looks exotic) or because they are so inquisitive they disappear easily. I disagree with keeping her permanently house-bound but I also will not let her come and go as she pleases.

Thanks JoG - I'll try putting oranges round the edges... not sure if it'll work but hey its easy to try!

Any other ideas?
 
And BTW, no offence but she isn't a "normal" cat
. I have about £2k worth of feline beauty sitting in my house at the moment - so appreciate very much the not 'normal' cat syndrome.

However, my view is that they are still cats - and all cats act the same and should be allowed out to roam. But I can completely understand you not wanting to let her out with all the building work etc. going on.

Get yourself a spray gun - and everytime she goes for the carpet, squirt her.
 
Of all the normal feline behaviours your bengal will demonstrate all of them with more intensity than the average moggy or established pedigree breed. The bengal is still relatively an uncommon breed which is both beautiful & highly sensitive. Ask your vet for some feliway room pheremone and some feliway hand spray. You'll find all the current stresses your cat is feeling will be 'normalised' in her new heavenly cat smelling environment. It will cost £30-£40 but much cheaper than new carpets.
 
I can identify with you not wanting to let your cat out unsupervised-we are the same. We have an Oriental and 2 Siamese. I must say that the Feliway stuff is brilliant (I paid £25 for a squirty bottle) and it has stopped ours using the sofas as scratching posts! Haven't tried it on carpet but I assume it would work just as well-we have hard floors all over our house!

As far as a smell they hate-I tried citrus to keep them out of the fireplace-no such luck-orange and lemon peels make excellent cat toys! :p
 
There are lots of products which are supposed to keep cats off of gardens on the market, one of them is I think actually called "Get off my Garden" and I believe that some of these are for internal and external use. Some of them are based on citrus scents. The best one was, I thought, (not that I've ever used it, because my moggies have free run of my garden) is the one based upon Lion's poo (apparently cat sniffs it, realises that it's produced by big, scary cousin and believes that it doesn't want to get into terriorial dispute). BUT - don't worry - I am not for one minute suggesting you go rubbin lion dung all over your nice carpet now (she says, grinning evilly!).

TBH I am not at all certain of the effectiveness any of them!
 
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