scratching and some other issues

I have three cats.. all fairly young. A feral female, her son (who was born in the house, and very friendly) and another female (calico). For a while the two females have not gotten along, and though we did the long intro, as described by people on this board, they seem to continually get into it. In any case, we just got new rug, put it down, and they are destroying it (all three!!). I *think* it is a territory issue (and a new rug, so they all have to mark it), but it makes me realize that it might be better to try to fix the underlying problem with the females. I am just not sure what to do... we have a large amount of space for them but they all seem to want to be in the same place. Would it be worthwhile to try those cat pheromones? I know it sounds stupid but this is the first nice rug we have had and I hate to see it get destroyed! We have several scratching posts, and a sacrificial chair so they are not deprived of things to sharpen on.

Have you thought about trimming their claws? It is easier to start as kittens but definitely not impossible with mature cats. It doesn't deter scratching or sharpening, but it does decrease the damage and intensity of. Also Soft Paws are a great product. It's a vinyl claw tip cover that protects from scratching.
Some carpets they may find more attractive for claw sharpening then others, sometimes its the location. The ultimate solution is to keep a firm eye on them and as soon as they approach the carpet as to sharpen their claws, stop it. Hiss, clap your hands and chase them off, stop them from engaging in the process. You have to be consistent and set boundaries. Such as the chair you mentioned, don't expect to replace that with out a huge battle on your hands!

i can clip the son and the calico (with some protest)... but the female feral does not really allow us to touch her. we can pet her sometimes, but she sort of scoots away as soon as we make contact. she is a very social cat, and spends alot of her time with us, but she still has not managed to become that comfortable with us.

Yes, try that. I'm assuming that everyone in the house is spayed and neutered. If not, that needs to be done now.

Females tend to be more territorial then males and because the one was a feral cat, that also could be part of the problem. Does this cat still go outside or are all of them indoor cats?

yes.. all are neutered and spayed. interestingly the feral is not the one causing the problem.. she is quite submissive. the calico stalks her and jumps her when she is hanging it out. It all got a bit worse when my two older cats passed on (19+). I think the male was a calming influence on the two girls (they both loved him) and once he was no longer there they seemed to get more spazzy.

because there are two females that are having territory issues do you think the pheromones could work? I will clip who i can, but i am also concerned about the somewhat chronic girl-girl spats. it is also making my shepherd tense!!

Hopefully it would work - it can't hurt That's the main reason why I'd rather have more boys then girls in the house!

more boys.. hmmm.. that is an idea... haha. i think one of the "boys" in the house might not get on board for getting a fourth cat. The thing is i did not *choose* any of these cats, the two females both were strays that showed up in my backyard, and the male I kept from the litter the one female had. I guess my yard only attracts female cats....

I love your 'sacrificial chair'! I thought we were the only ones around with one of those (and on top of it it was a yucky mustard color) but it's great to know we're not alone!