My Pet World: A senior says she is getting injured from a small, but strong dog

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Aug 10, 2022

Dear Cathy,

My cat likes to sharpen her claws on the rug. She destroyed it, and I just spent $600 on a new one. I have had her nails trimmed, but she still does it. How do I get her to stop?

— Andy, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Dear Andy,

You can’t stop her; it’s a natural behavior. But you can definitely redirect her to more appropriate surfaces. Start by introducing a horizontal scratching post, carpeted, if possible, to mimic the texture and posture she has been scratching in. (You may need to try several diverse types of scratching posts to see what she likes best.) Place the scratching post near the room with the carpet. Rub catnip on the post and leave her favorite treats around the base to encourage her to visit it. Praise her when she uses the scratching post and give her another extremely tasty treat.

At the same time, discourage her from approaching the carpet by using Bitter Apple or a cat scratching spray deterrent, available at pet stores and online. If she approaches the carpet, shake a can of coins to interrupt her, and tell her firmly, “no.”

Another option is to place feline pheromone plug-ins in the room where she is scratching. While not designed for this purpose, pheromones can sometimes discourage a cat from scratching in an area because they think the room has already been marked by another cat.

During this training, keep her nails trimmed and consider using nail caps, so if she does scratch the rug, she won’t damage it.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)