Help! Serious bad behavior...

Okay, I have a rescue kitty from a local shelter (we've had him for two years now) and we are at our wits end as to what to do with him. He has an issue with ripping up carpeting when he cannot get into a room he wants. The doors are kept closed for a good reason (young children in the house) but whenever a certain door is closed to him, like to our bedroom for instance, he rips up the carpeting with his teeth. At first we thought he was doing it with his claws, and we had him declawed, but we later learned he is doing this with his teeth, and we cannot get him to stop. Even with deterants like sprays to make the carpet taste bad and other tactics, we haven't been able to break him of this bad habit. We cannot keep replacing the carpeting (which we've done on several occasions now) because it is not feasable for us to do so. Not to mention if he swallows a piece of carpeting and gets a blockage in his digestive tract. What the heck do we do? My husband and I are seriously thinking of rehoming him because of this behavior, but because he is my cat, I'm having a hard time wanting to let him go to anyone else. I love my kitty, but I am sooooooooooo frustrated! He is part siamese, so I understand that this can be an issue with that breed, but all our efforts have been in vain to get him to stop. He is an extremely nervous cat, and it seems the behavior is directly linked to him not being able to be in the same room as me. Is there something else we can try?

have you tries putting something over the rugs infront of the doors? such as a plastic runner or maybe some wood?

Yes, but he just chews through it...

I agree with the previous poster, maybe you could put an area rug under the door of the room he keeps trying to get into. At least that way, he won't be destroying the actual carpet. Also, if you can repeatedly catch him in the act, you might try consistently making a lound noise like shaking a can full of pennies. Cats don't like that noise, and if you're lucky he'll associate it with his behavior and stop.

We had the idea for area rugs, but he's already destroyed two of those. I'm trying to find a solution to get him to stop completely. Any barrier we put down he ruins by chewing it to bits. We've tried the can thing too, and foil, and plastic, and double sided tape...

Do you have a room you can make his alone? Like a spare room or something? Where he can just do what he wants?

I don't think this behavoir will stop and it sounds like you tried everything. I am sorry you felt you had to resort to declawing the poor thing.

Maybe rehoming would be best...it is sad but maybe for the best of both parties....just make sure it is a no kill shelter.

I hope someone else has some better ideas than these! Good luck!

Sometimes when a cat is eating or chewing on non-food stuff, it could be a sign of "pica" and something in the diet that is missing. I'd have a complete check up and bloodwork done on him.

And he may be chewing more as the result of the declawing.

Wow.. ok, I have to admit I'm a little stunned that you declawed your cat, only to find that his claws weren't the problem at all. (At least that's my understanding.) Please don't declaw any of your future cats!

Have you tried spraying some Feliway around the doors? Also, it's interesting that the behavior is linked to him not being able to be in the same room as you. I wonder if it's some kind of separation anxiety going on? The only thing I can think of is leaving the door open a crack (using a doorstop), or installing baby gates, so that he can hear/see/smell you better, and that may relieve some of his anxiety. Also, a room that could be "his" room might work.. I hope someone has experience with this problem, I would hate for you to have to give up your kitty.

Yes declawing your cat was not the solution. As TotoroCat mentioned, please don't ever declaw another cat. It's an incredibly cruel thing to do, but I'm sure you did not know that at the time. I honestly wish declawing was illegal in this country like it is in Europe.

Another poster mentioned PICA this could be what the problem is. Pica is a disorder, and sometimes humans get it, where the animal/human eat all kinds of weird things they would never normally eat. Have your vet check him for this or anything else that might be the problem.

I simply scanned this thread....but have you tried a computer mat type thingy?

Like the one pictured in the below link?

http://www.oppictures.com/singleimag...B40730_1_1.JPG