Cat problem: How can you stop them ripping up carpets?

[Mapped]

This little bastard

Is responsible for this

I've had a few cats before this one and none of them have been this bad with scratching carpets and furniture. We're doing up our house at the moment and will be getting new carpets and sofas soon. Do any cat owners have advice for anything I can do to stop him wrecking our house?

We've bought a scratching post and I've shooed him away when he's scratching, but it doesn't seem to stop him.

 

[Mogden]

There's the usual cats don't like citrus/tin foil/dogs so you can use citronella oil/sheets of tin foil/a pitbull to keep the so and so in check. Mine aren't too keen on water pistols so if it was one of mine I'd watch them and give them a squirt when they go near it and then leave the gun on the stairs when they get proper scared of it

 

[Orang Utan]

a scratching post that you scratch yourself everytime the cat scratches in the wrong place.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Are there no grippers on the stairs?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Cats are very slow learners. But if you shout at him every time he does it, he'll get the message eventually. Scratching posts are weird, though. My cat would never use his. Luckily I had an old sofa for him to rip to pieces. shouting at him when he tried it on anything else mostly worked.

As a last resort, the suggestion of a water pistol works. Harsh, but it certainly speeds up the learning process!

 

[Mapped]

..... Mine aren't too keen on water pistols so if it was one of mine I'd watch them and give them a squirt when they go near it and then leave the gun on the stairs when they get proper scared of it

This has crossed my mind. Mrs N1 isn't too keen on the idea though as he's her little baby. I'll get one this week

 

[Mapped]

Are there no grippers on the stairs?

There are. He's ripped the fucking carpet off the gripper. It's a pain in the arse to get back on. That step seems to be his favourite scratching place

 

[Mogden]

This has crossed my mind. Mrs N1 isn't too keen on the idea though as he's her little baby. I'll get one this week

Oh bugger that. They are my furry kids but if they're tearing up my stuff, I've no qualms about a little bit of H2O to persuade them otherwise. Better than a tap on the nose every time which is another solution.

 

[Geri]

One of mine is in the process of wrecking my third stair carpet. She has scratching posts (one upstairs and one downstairs) but uses the stairs as well. The other one does it too but not as often.

There is a Kleeneze product called Scratch No More, which I've not tried but apparently has good results.

Water/shouting has limited effects as you have to be there when they are doing it.

 

[lizzieloo]

Get a greyhound.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Oh bugger that. They are my furry kids but if they're tearing up my stuff, I've no qualms about a little bit of H2O to persuade them otherwise. Better than a tap on the nose every time which is another solution.

Yeah, it's only water. Won't harm him at all, but he'll hate it.

 

[Mapped]

Get a greyhound.

No chance.

I had very bad experiences with a mental greyhound as a childhood pet. It was bonkers, ex-racing and neurotic. It would just run and run. I had to chase that thing miles over fields several times. It put me right off dogs tbh

 

[lizzieloo]

No chance.

I had very bad experiences with a mental greyhound as a childhood pet. It was bonkers, ex-racing and neurotic. It would just run and run. I had to chase that thing miles over fields several times. It put me right off dogs tbh

I really didn't mean it.

 

[Mapped]

There is a Kleeneze product called Scratch No More, which I've not tried but apparently has good results.

I'd have to put this everywhere though. He scratches anything given the chance. Water pistol seems like a cheaper option. He's going to hate me

 

[Mapped]

I really didn't mean it.

I know. It's just every time someone mentions greyhounds that mental bastard pops up in my head.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I know. It's just every time someone mentions greyhounds that mental bastard pops up in my head.

That's a shame. I think greyhounds are lovely. But they really do just love to run.

 

[stuff_it]

You can tell from the little blue footprints he is hunting Smurfs. Check his tongue.

 

[Mapped]

That's a shame. I think greyhounds are lovely. But they really do just love to run.

This one was really mentally scarred from it's racing days. It was quite sad

 

[Geri]

I'd have to put this everywhere though. He scratches anything given the chance. Water pistol seems like a cheaper option. He's going to hate me

I tried a plant sprayer, but unless you are prepared to sit on the stairs 24/7 it isn't going to stop him doing it when you are in bed/in the other room/on the toilet or whenever. If you squirt it afterwards then he won't know why you are doing it either.

 

[aqua]

one of mine just sees the water spray as an easy way to keep clean it doesn't really do anything other than flag up what behaviour I really don't want him to do so he remembers *that* so that when he wants something he knows what to do to get my full attention

 

[stuff_it]

You need to make a cat-sized version of 'Mousetrap' using a laundry basket and some sort of pressure plate...then you rig up a robot arm to spray a water pistol through the gaps at the trapped cat. Next time it goes outside it won't return = problem solved.



Or you could just take up the carpets and varnish the stairs underneath...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I tried a plant sprayer, but unless you are prepared to sit on the stairs 24/7 it isn't going to stop him doing it when you are in bed/in the other room/on the toilet or whenever. If you squirt it afterwards then he won't know why you are doing it either.

Yep, this bit is pretty key.

Cats are creatures of habit, though. Once he's found somewhere else to scratch, he'll forget about doing it there, and if you do catch him and spray him in the act, he should stop doing it there all the time, not just when you're there. It's all about creating associations.

 

[Mapped]

Yep, this bit is pretty key.

Once he's found somewhere else to scratch, he'll forget about doing it there....

He scratches absolutely everywhere all carpets, beds, sofas, chairs, cardboard boxes, outside decking, trees, fences. He's always scratching; although If I can get him to stick to the last three (outside) I'll be happy.

 

[twentythreedom]

Take the erasers out of the ends of a load of pencils and pop them on the ends of the little vandal's claws.

 

[weepiper]

He scratches absolutely everywhere all carpets, beds, sofas, chairs, cardboard boxes, outside decking, trees, fences. He's always scratching; although If I can get him to stick to the last three (outside) I'll be happy.

He gets to go outside? In that case restrict him to one room in the house and only have things in there you don't mind him trashing. Shut doors and keep the cats out of the places you want kept nice.

 

[stuff_it]

He scratches absolutely everywhere all carpets, beds, sofas, chairs, cardboard boxes, outside decking, trees, fences. He's always scratching; although If I can get him to stick to the last three (outside) I'll be happy.

You clearly have a serious infestation then! Call an exterminator!

N1 and his cat earlier today:

Apparently Smurfs can be a right bugger to get rid of and all.

 

[Mapped]

He gets to go outside? In that case restrict him to one room in the house and only have things in there you don't mind him trashing. Shut doors and keep the cats out of the places you want kept nice.

We've no doors downstairs. It's all knocked through and open plan. Also Mrs N1 treats him as the king of the house; he's allowed everywhere any time.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Also Mrs N1 treats him as the king of the house; .

There you go. Get a water pistol and spray her every time he scratches.

 

[Mapped]

There you go. Get a water pistol and spray her every time he scratches.

I like that idea A LOT

 

[sim667]

Mine knows when I clap she's done a bad thing, which is handy