Kitten scratching on our carpets, what to do?

[happyviking]

Hello, I'm new here!
We just adopted a kitten, about 7 weeks old. She starts scratching whenever she plays, all over the place seems like. I know that I can protect furniture with sticky tape or citrus spray, but what about our carpets? I don't want her to feel like she doesn't want to step on the carpets at all; what is she supposed to do with herself!
We got her a cardboard straching board and will be making her a sisal post, but for now it's mostly the vertical surfaces she prefers. She is too young for the inticement of catnip, so what else can I do in training her to not go for the carpets?

 

[bogeyandbetty]

Welcome to TCS!
Every time she scratches the carpet spray her with water, also give her her own little carpet to scratch. My kitties have a rug that you put in front of the stove that they can scratch on. I would suggest making it a different color from your other carpet, maybe even a pattern so she can distinguish the difference.

 

[beckiboo]

I bought a sisal carpet at K-mart, very inexpensive. They are made to be door mats, and come in many patterns. Some are better scratching rugs than others. I would get her one or two, and I bet she will prefer them to the other rugs (mine do!)

Just FYI, I don't buy pet rugs at Petsmart, etc, because I once saw a guy bring his GIANT great dane in, and the dane hiked his leg and started to pee on the rugs that were hanging by the front door. Just what I want to buy, a rug to encourage my critters to pee on it! LOL! (Why aren't people better owners?)