# Kitten pulling up carpet



## Catmom11 (Mar 5, 2017)

Hello,

I'm getting really stressed out because my 8 month old kitten is obsessed with clawing at doors and pulling up carpets. I've been using the water bottle spray technique but it's not working, he'll just run away as soon as he sees/hears it coming. He's not allowed in the bedroom so I'll find the carpet outside of that room is completely torn up. I'll divert his attention with toys but he just gets bored and goes back to the doors. Another thing he does is climb up curtains but he's not learning that that's not allowed either, I'm losing hope!

Thanks


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hello @Catmom11 and welcome. 

First of all do away with the water spray. Depending on the individual cat spraying them with water either makes them think you're having a game with them, or else it makes them permanently wary of you. Either way it is pointless.

Basically cats do not like closed doors, they like freedom of movement and many people who live with cats compromise by leaving the internal doors ajar all the time, using door stops.

If you want to shut your kitten out of the bedroom at night it is best to take the time to settle him comfortably in a room on his own every night with all he needs. That way there will be two closed doors between you and he won't be able to hear you during the night, so he is much less likely to scratch the floor or the door of his room. If you have a room with no carpet that has a door (e.g. the kitchen) then settle him in there at night.

Otherwise you can put narrow mats down outside the doors, tacking them to the floor (through the carpet) if necessary. If you have any offcuts left of your carpet you can get them cut to size at a carpet store and corded around the edges to prevent fraying. Tacked to the floor on top of the carpet they are barely noticeable.

One of my cats used to scratch outside the bathroom door when the door was closed, so I put down a strip of polished plywood immediately outside the door, and nailed it into place. It looks rather smart and has been successful as my cat has never bothered to scratch outside the door since.

EDIT: there is also this you can buy to protect carpets outside doors from being scratched, but you may need to buy it from the USA as I can't find it on sale in the UK after a brief search on line.

http://www.hauspanther.com/2013/06/...-cat-proof-carpet-protector-for-your-doorway/


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## AlexPed2393 (Oct 5, 2016)

We have a small cat tower that we put outside of our door, we know that Bee sleeps on it during the night, it has helped her stop going for the carpet too


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## Luna_2016 (Oct 3, 2016)

Our cat likes to scratch and pull at the carpet everywhere in the house! The stairs are fair game, as is the landing and any corners. We give her free run of the house, aside from our bedroom and she gets locked out of the kitchen and lounge for the alarm when we are out but they have tiles outside of them.. hadn't thought of the door thing before. Perhaps we should deploy another scratching post to the landing... (she already has two!). We just shout at her if we catch her doing it and she stops, but we aren't there 24-7 so the carpets are slowly being shredded in places!


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## Purplecatlover (Mar 12, 2017)

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Hi, you could try and get little bits of carpets from a carpet store and lay it over where she normally scratches. Another idea is getting some more cat scratchers (different types) Theres ones that fit on to the wall:
http://m.zooplus.com/shop/cats/scratching_posts/scratching_pads/scratching_boards/127292
cardboard ones like this linked: http://m.zooplus.com/shop/cats/scratching_posts/scratching_pads/scratching_mats/280460
Just to see if that helps and if she prefers other types of material to scratch on. You could always make your own, attach carpet to a piece of wood and place it on the floor or on the wall! Hope this helps


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## Luna_2016 (Oct 3, 2016)

Faye1995 said:


> [
> 
> Hi, you could try and get little bits of carpets from a carpet store and lay it over where she normally scratches. Another idea is getting some more cat scratchers (different types) Theres ones that fit on to the wall:
> http://m.zooplus.com/shop/cats/scratching_posts/scratching_pads/scratching_boards/127292
> ...


Thanks  we actually have that scratching pad on your second link but she doesn't seem to bother with it, we have a hanging carpet scratch thing http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...mt=&itadvc=c&gclid=CI_j2siG5dICFQ06Gwodk7UEMQ but she leaves that as well, she likes the more traditional scratching posts which we have two of and she sometimes scratches at the door mats which is fine as they are inlaid hefty brush type ones. We got a flat scratch mat http://www.floormats.co.uk/sisal-cat-scratch-mat-olive?gclid=CLaR6KiG5dICFYSVGwodhc8JKw but she doesn't seem bothered with that either, carpet is clearly more fun! We have a few off cuts of carpet knocking about, will investigate sticking them down


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## Purplecatlover (Mar 12, 2017)

Luna_2016 said:


> Thanks  we actually have that scratching pad on your second link but she doesn't seem to bother with it, we have a hanging carpet scratch thing http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...mt=&itadvc=c&gclid=CI_j2siG5dICFQ06Gwodk7UEMQ but she leaves that as well, she likes the more traditional scratching posts which we have two of and she sometimes scratches at the door mats which is fine as they are inlaid hefty brush type ones. We got a flat scratch mat http://www.floormats.co.uk/sisal-cat-scratch-mat-olive?gclid=CLaR6KiG5dICFYSVGwodhc8JKw but she doesn't seem bothered with that either, carpet is clearly more fun! We have a few off cuts of carpet knocking about, will investigate sticking them down


Hey! Hope it helps  Just put them where she normally scratches and see if it helps! Hope it does! Let us know. When our kitten scratches we just pick him up (when we can) and put him near or on his scratcher and then he uses that. He seems to be using that more than the carpet now. We have hooped carpet which is the worst too! I feel your pain xx


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

I am having the same issue with Ike at the moment, he is pulling up the carpet at the bottom of the stairs. I tried the sticky strips but he finds another spot. It has only recently started as before he would always use the scratch boards. He has been having some urinary issues at the moment so I think it may be down to those.

I have decided not to stop him (I do when I see him) I would rather he scratch this spot as I can replace the section if needed.


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## Temporally_Loopy (Jan 16, 2017)

I hadn't had this problem with Bertie until two days ago when I noticed he was scratching at the carpet rather than his scratch post, since then he has twice (today) been caught pulling at the rug and leaving great tufts of wool behind :Arghh


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