How To Keep Cats From Scratching The Carpet Under The Door

Owning cats can be a huge joy in your life. They’re loving, sweet, and a lot of fun. But, there’s just one problem. Cats are naturally sharp and just a little destructive. That means that your furniture, your carpets, and yes, even your skin need to beware of the wrath of their paws.

When cats are bored, upset, or want a little attention, they’re liable to pull out the claws. With that in mind, how do you keep your cats from scratching the carpet under the door?

The easiest way to stop your cat from scratching under your doors is to install a small anti-clawing mat under the door. A traditional rug can work, but rubber and plastic mats are also designed specifically to help protect your carpets from your cat. Double-sided tape is also effective.

That might be the easiest option, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have other choices. We’ll talk a bit more about how to protect your carpeting and why your cats are likely to claw the carpet under the door in the first place.

Ready to protect your carpets?

Ways To Prevent Your Cat Scratching The Carpet Under The Door

Here are a few additional ways to help discourage your cat from wreaking havoc on your carpets.

1. Use Double-Sided Tape

Cats don’t tend to like the feeling of adhesives against their paws. It’s also one of the reasons they don’t like stepping on wet glue or paint.

Of course, you don’t want to paint your carpets. But, some double-sided tape can be a good temporary option. Lay a few strips of the tape anywhere you don’t want your cat to scratch, especially if they’ve already been scratching there.

Leaving the tape up for a few days might be enough to get the job done, but it’s also a good option to make a temporary fix until you can get a more permanent solution.

2. Invest In Sisal Rugs

If you’re looking for a carpet-protecting option that looks like part of the decor, sisal rugs can be a good option. Sisal is hard-wearing and holds up well against cat claws.

Plus, since it’s relatively gentle on their paws, you don’t need to worry about claw damage.

Some cats like the feeling of sisal rugs and will scratch them more, though.

3. Spray Orange Or Mint Scent On The Carpet

This option should be used with care because too much of the scent can stop your cat from walking through the doorway, and intense scents can be toxic for your feline pets.

But orange and mint can be reasonable options as long as you dilute the scents.

That’s because both scents are robust and long-lasting even at low concentrations, and cats naturally avoid both mint and citrus.

Just sprinkle a little diluted oil or extract anywhere you don’t want your cat to scratch. The scent will probably fade for you within a couple of days, but your cat will be able to smell it for weeks.

4. Consider Pheremone Sprays Or Diffusers

Scratching can often be a sign of anxiety or excess energy. One solution is to use a pheromone spray to help calm your cat down and keep them from attacking the carpets.

These sprays can either be applied directly to the carpet (and renewed every few days), or you can use a diffuser in any room where your cat tends to scratch more often.

Fair warning, cat pheromone sprays often smell artificial and mildly unpleasant to people.

5. Distract Your Cat

You should consider one solution, especially if other solutions aren’t working for you and your cat, is giving your cat more things to do.

A new scratching pad, cat tree, or some toys might all keep your cat better entertained, so they don’t feel the need to attack your carpets.

If you already have a lot of cat toys and furniture, consider using catnip or active play toys to help your cat deal with their excess energy.

How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Scratching At The Bottom Of The Stairs

There’s good news! You can use a lot of the same tricks to get your cat to stop scratching at the bottom of the stairs that you used to get them to stop scratching under your doors.

Here’s a quick list of things to try:

• Double-sided tape for a quick fix
• Scents your cat doesn’t like orange or mint
• Happy cat pheromone sprays and diffusers
• Getting more toys and cat furniture
• Carpet runners
• Plastic carpet protector
• Aluminum foil
• Giving them new places to establish territory and feel safe

If a combination of these options doesn’t work, consider consulting your vet to see if you can take any other steps to change your cat’s behavior.

What Smells Deter Cats From Scratching Carpet

There are a lot of scents that cats naturally don’t like and avoid. Using safer scents is a good way to discourage carpet scratching, but it doesn’t always work and can sometimes have unintended consequences like stopping your cat from leaving a room because the carpet by the door smells bad.

Here is a list of relatively safe scents to use. Remember, unless these are from a product specifically designed to keep cats from scratching, you need to dilute the scent before using it.

1. Lemon
2. Orange
3. Mint
4. Eucalyptus (use with care)
5. Rosemary (only works on some cats)

Does Pepper Stop Cats From Scratching

Pepper, both black pepper and cayenne pepper, can be a good way to keep your cats away from an area and out of the carpets.

However, this method has some drawbacks. For one thing, the pepper isn’t good for your cat, and they’ll probably get exposed at least once before they learn better.

It also needs to be reapplied every time you vacuum until your cat’s behavior changes.

Lastly, black pepper and cayenne can irritate your nose too and look strange sprinkled on the carpet. So, this isn’t an ideal solution, but it can be an effective one.

Does Lemon Juice Stop Cats From Scratching

Some cats avoid lemon juice, while others don’t seem bothered by the bitter juice for more than an hour or two.

So, while you can experiment with lemon juice, it’s not a guarantee.

Worse, using lemon juice can bleach and discolor your carpets, especially if you have a dark carpet.

How To Stop A Cat Scratching For Attention

Stopping your cat from scratching can be difficult once they’ve figured out they can get attention from scratching. Your cat is essentially acting up because it’s a guaranteed way to get your attention.

The quickest solution is not giving them the attention they’re looking for – they’ll usually stop scratching within a few days. However, that can take a lot of discipline and sometimes leads to noticeable damage.

A better solution is to try and give your cat more attention when they’re behaving themselves, so they don’t have to scratch carpets for attention.

Combine giving them more attention with spraying them or otherwise intervening with as little attention as possible if your cat doesn’t stop scratching right away.

Things To Consider

One thing to remember is that cats all have a need to scratch. They aren’t just misbehaving or trying to get on your nerves; they’re trying to meet a need they have.

That means that you’re not going to get your cat to stop scratching entirely, which also means that you’ll need to provide places for them to scratch that don’t bother you.

Cat trees, cardboard scratching pads, and other approved-scratch locations are essential for your cat’s health and happiness.

Scratching can also be a sign of anxiety or discomfort. If your cat suddenly starts scratching more than usual, it could be that something is wrong.

If you notice a change in your cat’s scratching behaviors, try to think if there have been any recent environmental changes. Otherwise, consider a trip to the vet to make sure there haven’t been any health-related changes.

FAQCats

My name is James, and welcome to FAQCats!

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