Help save my rug!

Draco · Mar 5, 2015

OK, I got this beautiful rug.. and its now looking ragged, thanks to Cassie who loves to scratch it!

I have:

3 different types of horizontal scratchers (since she likes to scratch horizontally)

- Cardboard

- Sistle

- Carpet

and two tall scratching posts with different types of materials to scratch on.

I've added cat nip to all scratchers. Placed them all on the rug. Directed her to each scratcher when she starts at the rug. I pick her up when she scratches the rug and place her on one of the horizontal scratchers.

I CAN'T STOP HER!

any ideas??? I am sure she mostly scratches when I am not at home and I can't stop her. My parents bought me this rug as one of my house warming gifts and it's embarassing to have them come over to see it looking shabby already.

jcat · Mar 5, 2015

Jamie did that to our Oriental rug when we first brought him home despite having plenty of vertical and horizontal scratching posts, mats and boards. I got some carpet samples from a store (for free) and picked up some small carpets on sale and put them in the spots he liked to scratch, some wrong (i.e., sisal) side up. Every time he wanted to scratch the Oriental, I directed him to a small one, and soon he was just using the small ones. Eventually he stopped scratching anything but some sisal throw rugs I placed in the bedrooms just for him. Coarse welcome mats might work, too (he appropriated ours).

di and bob · Mar 5, 2015

You might invest in a 'cover' rug to throw over it when you are not home, is it too big to roll up when you are gone? It sounds like you are doing everything right, somehow you've got to make it so she doesn't like it anymore. How about citrus spray? I know cats don't like that. As a last resort get cat repellent and spray it on. Good luck!