Cat/Kitten Carpet Troubles ...

[CinaC]

Argh.

I have a kitten -- I've had her since late Febuary, and she is about 6 months old.

She's tearing my carpet to shreds. Not the whole thing, but in one particular spot in front of the closet.

I rent a small studio apartment. It's an old carpet, it was certainly here for the previous tenant. I've been here a year already, and I'll be here for one more year before I move.

But I need advice on how to get her to STOP clawing the carpet! It's been pulled almost all the way up in a sort of "v" shape ... it's nasty looking. I was thinking I could beat her with a baseball bat, but that would be slightly counter-productive (plus, I don't know how to get blood out of carpet).

I have two other cats, and the only time I had a problem with them and the carpet was when my idiot roomie spilled a bag of catnip on it. That was fun, lemme tell ya (and he wonders why we didn't get our security deposit back ...)

Any advice how to get her to stop clawing the carpet would be greatly appreciated.

BTW: I was kidding about bludgeoning her (her name is Callie -- she's a Calico. You think THAT'S unoriginal? One of my cats is named Guy, and he's a ... guy.) ... don't be offended.

BTW 2: In defense of Guy's name, I adopted him when he was 2 years old from the Humane Society. He was already named Guy. I call him "Geyser" for short.

[KCadet]

Sounds like you almost have a problem like me! Maybe you can help me solve mine, too.

For your problem, cats hate smooth things, so if it isn't too much of a problem, try putting some aluminum foil down on the spot. It feels funny on their paws, so she might stop clawing there.

Another trick to try spraying something there that she doesn't like. How do you what she hates? Simple: just dab some of the liquid on your finger and have her sniff it. If she makes a face and runs away, you've found your weapon!

Now as for my problem, I have a 12 yr old cat, a 1 1/2 yr old cat, and a 4 yr old dog. The 1 1/2 yr old, "Tiki", has a thing for chewing. I swear, he's more of a chewer than my dog was when she was a puppy. Tiki chews on everything, including metal, cardboard and plastic, and will destroy any and all play toys we give him.

Hope I helped you! Good luck taming the little heathen!

[kateykakes]

Crazy,

You might want to try getting a scratching post (a good sturdy one) and putting it right on top of where the cat is clawing the carpet. I had a similar problem and that worked.

Lotsa luck.

[Mitzi]

Also, instead of declawing the cat, which is cruel, your vet may be able to coat it's claws with a substance that dulls them. Ask your vet.

[LBomb]

I was going to also suggest the scratching post until Katey beat me to it...She's so smart There's also a product that you spray on surfaces you want a pet to leave alone. I think it's called "Granny Apple" or something real close to that. Your larger pet stores would carry it or be able to order it.

[jellybean40]

It's Bitter Apple...i had some when my dog was a puppy and it worked great.

[BigMig]

Have the forgetful K9 officer wath your cat for a few hours.

Just kidding, i know it was a bad joke but I couldn't resist.

[occiferdave]

Cat... the other white meat....

[Mike Tx]

If none of the above tricks works, a .22 round right behind the ear will stop it.

We have a thread here I think, on removing blood stains from carpet. Don't we?

[kateykakes]

OMG, you guys are sooooo mean - all except LB, he rules .

My cat, Vee Vee had 3 kittens late, late last night. They're so teeny. My dog, Pokey stayed right there with her as she had the kittens and helped to clean them up (yuck). She won't leave their side. She thinks she's their second mother.

[ 06-02-2002: Message edited by: kateykakes ]

[CinaC]

I'm certainly not declawing my cats, Mitzi. It's too expensive Plus, the stuff I had to sign with the HSBC was very clear that declawing the animals would give the HSBC the right to reclaim them.

I'll look for the granny apple stuff. Thanks!

[shooter1201]

My 2 cats are declawed(front paws only), which IS NOT cruel if you plan on keeping them INSIDE their entire life. They're 11 years old and have NEVER been outside. What's more, THEY have helped me raise 5 puppies to adulthood and have NEVER been harmed by any of those dogs.

ANYway....if you don't wish to have it declawed, you can always wrap it up in a towel and have someone TRIM its claws with nail clippers...on a regular basis, as cats SHED their claws from time to time.

[CinaC]

Shooter, declawing a cat is essentially removing the first joint on their paw. Look at your hand ... how'd you like your finger cut off at the farthest joint?

I do keep my cats indoors -- I lived in Towson until a year ago, and that's very urban. They wouldn't have been able to get far without being run over by cars. There also a lot of other cats around here, and I don't want to put them at risk from 'em.

[kateykakes]

Originally posted by shooter1201:
ANYway....if you don't wish to have it declawed, you can always wrap it up in a towel and have someone TRIM its claws with nail clippers...on a regular basis, as cats SHED their claws from time to time.

That's what I do with my cats, Shooter. I thought about having them declawed some time ago, but I really don't have any problems with them scratching furniture or anything. The thing with the carpet was an isolated incident (involved catnip) and they've never scratched anyone.

I don't find it cruel, especially if they're inside cats. I feel bad because it's painful, but the pain is temporary.

[TexReserve]

BTW 2: In defense of Guy's name, I adopted him when he was 2 years old from the Humane Society. He was already named Guy. I call him "Geyser" for short.

If his name was Guy, and you called him geyser, it wouldn't be for short, geyser is longer than Guy!!!!!

Sorry I can't help on this one, I'm allergic to cats and can't have one.