How to keep my cat from tearing up the carpet?

[raccoon]

When I leave home, I leave my cat in the house. She claws at the carpet at the front door while I'm gone, and tears it up.

How can I keep her away from the area? Cologne repels her (and most cats) but I'm afraid it may ruin the carpet.

Any ideas?

[SofaKingLiberal]

1. I hear moth balls work.

Also, do you have a scratching post?

[raccoon]

6. No, she doesn't have one. She uses the sofa LOL.

The sofa is old as water. Still it might not be a bad idea to get her a scratching post.

Moth balls, I hadn't heard that. It's worth a try.

[Whoa_Nelly]

10. Moth balls contain Naphthalene, a very toxic substance for mammals

Has been known to create tumors, and is connected to Mesothelioma.

If you can, maybe cut back the carpeting from the door entry area, and replace it with linoleum or ceramic flooring tiles. Then, place sisal cat scratch strip boards at the edges of the new de-carpeted area before you leave each day. You may also want to place an old article of your clothing in a basket by the door...something you have worn to put your odor on...this may help your cat feel you are near and could help alleviate some of its stress.

I think it would be easier to provide a limiting change in the space and modify the behavior.

[Arugula Latte]

11. Plus, that mothball smell gets in EVERYTHING -- including food.

I used to work with a woman who kept mothballs in her house and whenever she'd bring in something she'd baked or cooked to work to share with others it tasted like mothballs. My Grandma's house also had that smell. Bleah.

[raccoon]

19. Thanks to you and Whoa_Nelly for the heads up about that. nt

[raccoon]

18. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not sure what your last paragraph means. Do you mean limit the space she has access to?

[Whoa_Nelly]

29. I meant limiting her being able to be so close to the door

where she's been scratching. If you clear out the carpeting in that space, replace it with tile, wood, or linoleum, and provide her with something such as sisal scratch boards at the perimeter of the new area, she won't start some new behavior to replace the old one, like clawing up your drapes.

So, by limit, I meant providing boundaries that are good for both you and your cat without a lot of stress for her.

[jukes]

21. not to be offensive, SKL

but mothballs can be deadly to cats!

[Bridget Burke]

2. Pet supply stores sell products that repel kitties....

Check them out online or go by your local Super Pet Store. Surely they will let you know about any possible fabric damage.

Or--you could get her a cat buddy, so she doesn't get so nervous waiting for you to come hope. Of course, she & a buddy could just do twice as much damage.

[raccoon]

5. Thanks--I'll look into that--cat repellent. nt

[anarch]

3. rip the carpet out

[kay1864]

4. Duct tape!

Works on my nieces and nephews.

At least it used to--they don't visit anymore :shrug:

[Jose Diablo]

7. Get a monkey

they are experts in 'solving' cat problems.

[kwassa]

8. Give her a better alternative, a scratch box.

We bought two of these things, which are simply boxes full of cardboard stood on their sides sprinkled with catnip. Cats just love them, and the boxes are very cheap.

Cats immediately gave up on the furniture and rugs.

here is one version:

http://radiofence.com/cat_toys_scratch_box.htm

[deadparrot]

13. That's what I would suggest.

We especially started using them after getting new living room furniture. Princess loves it; she's very protective of her box.

[raccoon]

16. I'll look into that. nt

[distantearlywarning]

25. Second this recommendation

My cats love these. Apparently carpet and furniture pale in comparison to the fabulousness that is the scratchy box (at least in the kitty mind). Ours know what a new box looks like in a bag and start begging for us to put it down the minute we walk in the door with a new one. They like those boxes almost as much as wet cat food, which is saying something. We always have one in the living room, and we never have problems with furniture or carpet shredding unless the box is dead and needs to be replaced.

[MissB]

9. Get a scrap piece of carpet and put it where she normally scratches.

The local Thriftway stores sell sample rectangle pieces of carpet (perfect size for a mat to wipe one's feet on) for a mere $1.99.

[applegrove]

12. Is she kitty friendly? Does she (or he) looking longingly at other cats?

does she assume they are potential friends? Does she run up to them as if to say hello?

If so - then get your kitty a kitty. And they will play and curl up together while you are away. Anxiety is reduced. Playtime is lots of fun (especially while you are away).

Introduce a kitten slowly... separate them by a door when you are away - to highten the distance between them and they can get to know each other through the crack between the door and the floor. Then, they'll miss each other and kittens are playing machines. The little one will keep the older one "occupied".

[raccoon]

15. She doesn't seem to like other cats. Course most of them

she sees are bigger than she is--she's a small cat.

But I once had a kitten younger than she is and she didn't like the kitten either.

I think she just wants to be the Only Cat.

Edited to add last paragraph above.

[ET Awful]

14. Get her a scartching post.

Preferably one covered in sisal rope. Once she gets used to that, she'll love it.

[Beware the Beast Man]

17. Sounds like your cat's a horizontal scratcher.

Others suggested a scratch box. I say go for it.

Also, I heard the smell of citrus is pretty repellant to cats. Maybe try dropping some orange or lemon peels where the cat scratches the most.

[jukes]

20. the best solution

is a companion. i've long noted that 2 cats behave better than 1 (generally, although ther is someXs an "acceptance" period). cats get bored easily and like a playmate.

i also suggest "feliway", an artificial facial pheromone that calms cats: http://www.24hourpet.com/animal-behavior-feliway-cats-c-70_102.html
Feliway for Cats -

google will provide much information.


catnip can help, too; not the cheap "grocery store stuff, but a quality product. i grow my own in my herb garden; it's a healthy & attractive plant, related to mint. the only problem growing it is that it will spread easily. be sure to trim the flowers before they seed.

[kwassa]

22. I agree that two cats are better than one

to keep each other company when the owners are gone for long periods of time. Lonely cats can do strange things, just like lonely people.

I also think it is best to get two cats from the same litter, if possible, because they will know and like each other.

That said, the two sisters I have like to scratch up a storm anyways, and one uses a cat post, the other won't. The scratch boxes work for them both.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

23. A few ideas...

Get her a catnip cardboard scratch box (already suggested I see)

I think it's bitter apple spray at the petshop that repels cats.

They sell soft paws that glue onto the cats nails. They don't hurt the cats (unlike cruelly declawing them). I think they run around $20 and you can get them at the vet. The vet can also apply them.

[distantearlywarning]

27. Also a second recommendation for Soft Paws

One of our cats is allergic to a lot of things and digs abcesses in himself with his back feet because he's itchy. The abcesses make him itch more, and it just turns into a horrible vicious cycle and he gets really sick. We tried all kinds of medical treatments for this problem with little success, and then finally tried Soft Paws. It's been a lifesaver for him (literally).

You can get them in all kinds of colors, they cost about $20 for a supply that lasts 3-6 months (at least in my experience), and after the first uncomfortable 5 minutes the cat doesn't even notice that they are on his feet. We've been using them for years now and they don't seem to harm or bother him in any way that I can tell. He can still scratch, but with the Soft Paws he can't hurt himself. Plus, he looks really cute with his new fancy toenails! :-)

I haven't tried them on the front feet since our kitties don't scratch furniture, but have heard lots of success stories about that use too. One note of caution, though - if your cat goes outside, the Soft Paws may hinder her from being able to defend herself from dogs or other predators. I don't think I would put them on a indoor-outdoor cat. Also, you have to make sure the Soft Paws come off every few months, so if they don't shed off on their own you might have to take them off by hand, which will not be a happy experience for you or the cat.

Here's a link to the Soft Paws site: http://www.softpaws.com/ The testimonials on this site are worth the read if you are on the fence about this product.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

24. A few ideas...

Get her a catnip cardboard scratch box (already suggested I see)

I think it's bitter apple spray at the petshop that repels cats.

They sell soft paws that glue onto the cats nails. They don't hurt the cats (unlike cruelly declawing them). I think they run around $20 and you can get them at the vet. The vet can also apply them.

[AirmensMom]

26. We tried everything.

Then we did the soft paws thing. Funny -- now that the kitties are wearing them, they all use the scratching post. :shrug:

[raccoon]

28. Those are cute! Is that your son? :-) nt

[AirmensMom]

31. Ahem ...

SHE's a daddy's girl. :loveya:

This is my son. He ALWAYS uses his scratching post. :loveya:


Edit: We got one of these scratching posts (we got the 2nd one):
http://www.topcatproducts.com/

They have catnip in them.

[raccoon]

33. Isn't he cute? Thanks for the link. nt

[AirmensMom]

35. Yeah ... thanks.

:loveya:

You might be interested in the third one, the flat scratcher. They're a little expensive, but VERY nice.

Good luck!

[jobycom]

30. As suggested, scratching post. Sprinkle wth catnip to make it more

enjoyable for the cat. I've stopped most of my cats from shredding furniture and carpet that way. Though, if she is scratching at the front door, she may want to go out, or she may be missing you, so the scratching may not be normal clawing. Try leaving a window open, or if possible giving her access to a balcony, in case it's just her desire to go out.

I know little about cat psyches, so your on your own on cat depression and loneliness. There are web pages on the subject. Be careful about getting her another cat. Some cats respond well to that, enjoying the company. But I've seen cats become bitter enemies instantly. In one case, my older cat stopped eating, which led to a very expensive and time consuming treatment (not to mention the emotional stress of not being sure she would live). This cat had undergone several events at once (Forced change in food, medical treatment for another ailment, and a move to an apartment from a house), so it wasn't just the new cat. But judge that suggestion on your cat's personality.

[raccoon]

34. I think she wants to go out. She's an indoor/outdoor cat.

I'll research cat depression/loneliness. Good idea.

[jobycom]

37. Scratching post won't help though. One thing I used to break one of my cat

from playing with a door stopper that fascinated her was to put habenero sauce on it. She used to get a kick out of swatting the spring door stop behind my door, which was cute, but she would also pull the little rubber cap off it and swat it all around the room. I dabbed some hot sauce on it and watched her go over to it, sniff it closely, then back away. She never touched it again, though she still plays with the other ones. She never actually licked the hot sauce, so it wasn't cruel.

There's also an electronic mat I saw recently that emits a minor shock or a buzz or something. It's made for countertops, but might work nicely in front of the door. I have no idea where I saw it.

Seems like you just need to convince her not to scratch at the door area, rather than giving her a better scratching post (though the latter might still give her something to cheer her up).

Good luck. My cats drive me crazy and have cost me thousands of dollars I didn't have in damages to carpets, pottery, paint jobs, and air quality. I've cursed a storm at them and threatened all sorts of vile endings to their pathetic lives when they driven me past the point of reason. And the whole time I'm cursing at them and threatening to throw them out a moving car, I know I'll gladly keep paying for the damages just to have them around. Cats aren't pets, they are addictions, and you pay for them. :-)

[scordem]

32. Our cats LOVE to tear up cardbord boxes.

They lay on square and rectangular ones--and when they get up, they LOVE to do feet rakies. We found this out the many times we moved. A scratching post is fine, but after awhile, they'd get tired of it. Cardboard you can easily replace. I favor the simple brown cardboard moving boxes as they have no dye on them if they also get chewed up.

[Jazz2006]

36. Install hardwood floors :) n/t

[patcox2]

38. Rip its claws out.

No mercy, no pity. Its lucky you take care of it and keep it alive. Ungrateful wretch.

[noonwitch]

39. Spray the carpet with bitter apple spray

The pet supplies stores sell it. It's all natural, but has a bitter smell that cats don't like.