My cat started this new eating the carpet shit. Then he scratches at it. WTF. ive rubbed his face in it and it doesnt seem to do anything.

10/9/2009 12:01:47 AM

Beat it until it loves you.

10/9/2009 12:08:13 AM

Charlie like to gnaw at our stupidly inexpensive IKEA coffee table.

10/9/2009 12:10:18 AM

^^right now i beat him like he owes me money

10/9/2009 12:11:09 AM

It does: room and board.

10/9/2009 12:12:56 AM

Try spraying the carpet with a citrus spray (something that has a strong citrus scent). Most cats hate citrus. Just make sure whatever spray you choose is safe.

10/9/2009 12:17:32 AM

alright. thanks.

10/9/2009 12:18:44 AM

spray the cat with a water bottle.

10/9/2009 12:22:50 AM

get a piece of carpet from the store

attach said piece of carpet to cat's neck (like a collar) such that it hits said cat in the face when it turns its head

profit

it worked with the lab we had in my house when I was growing up...she destroyed my mom's bible and man oh man

10/9/2009 2:00:24 AM

You only have about a 2 second window to punish the cat after it does something, otherwise it doesn't associate the punishment with what it was doing. Punishment should be a water bottle or a loud noise or something. Don't beat the cat. All that will accomplish is to make it miserable and terrified of you.

10/9/2009 3:17:49 AM

I disagree with not beating the cat.

Otherwise it's way too tough to eat.

10/9/2009 5:43:56 AM

Quote :

"spray the cat with a water bottle."

That's pretty much the only thing that works with my asshole cats and even then...

10/9/2009 9:01:28 AM

I'll second the citrus thing. I eat a lot of oranges so when my cat started jumping up on the TV stand and knocking shit down, I'd save a few orange peels and leave them up there. I could barely smell the orange but obviously she could smell it really well. She jumped up there a few times and after smelling the orange she didn't go anywhere near it. If the cat keeps messing with the same part of the carpet, rub some orange peels against it (test it on a small part of the carpet first, I'm not sure how the citric acid would affect the carpet). The next time your cat smells it, he/she will hate it. Also, cats really don't like having things stuck to them, so you could put some duct tape in that area and when they go to smell/walk on it, it will stick to them and teach them a lesson.

10/9/2009 9:11:43 AM

You could try electrocuting the floor the carpet's on. I hear that works pretty well.

10/9/2009 9:16:13 AM

How about some simple double sided tape? I think that removing the duct tape from the cat might be a little harsh.

10/9/2009 9:16:52 AM

good ideas. except he doesnt seem to respond much to the water bottle

10/9/2009 9:30:36 AM

do you have a scratching post? if you dont, he will just continue to find things to tear up.

10/9/2009 9:49:53 AM

sour apple spray...in the mouth/face!

But like someone else said you have to punish them immediately, if more than a few seconds go by they don't know what they did wrong.

btw sour apple is for dogs i think...not sure if that works on cats too.

10/9/2009 10:40:59 AM

Quote :

"Beat it until it loves you."

Quote :

"right now i beat him like he owes me money"

water...out of my nose...i laffed

10/9/2009 10:46:47 AM

Quote :

"do you have a scratching post? if you dont, he will just continue to find things to tear up."

i dont think hed use it if we had it

10/9/2009 11:02:27 AM

^ you'd be surprised

10/9/2009 11:08:39 AM

If you spray him when he scratches the carpet, bu tnot when he scratches the scratching post, he'll figure it out.

10/9/2009 11:11:06 AM

we spray him when hes doing something bad and 5 minutes later he goes right back to doing it he doesnt get the spray bottle concept

10/9/2009 11:29:04 AM

are you getting him in the face with the jet?

[Edited on October 9, 2009 at 11:33 AM. Reason : punct]

10/9/2009 11:33:00 AM

definitely get a scratching post. cats are going to scratch and if you don't have something appropriate for them to do it on, they will find somewhere.

get a squirt bottle or gun and shoot it when it starts doing it that was already mentioned. if you're not home, put some cayenne when it rubs its face (that spray citrus/apple crap doesn't work on any of my 5 animals). it won't happen again then.

[Edited on October 9, 2009 at 11:35 AM. Reason : ]

10/9/2009 11:35:23 AM

I don't need to, my pet doesn't tear shit up.

10/9/2009 11:48:16 AM

I know its not an overnight thing but he just doesn't get the squirt thing. Yes I get him in the face about 96 percent of the time and he is squints when ever I get the bottle out but it seems like he can put the two together. Thanks for all the ideas

10/9/2009 12:15:03 PM

your cat either needs a scratch pad or some attention, probably both

stop being an asshole to your cat. cats are more complex than dogs and will act out more, not "learn a lesson"

annoy it enough and it may start pissing on your shit

10/9/2009 12:28:39 PM

A few things:

1) As mentioned before, it is a biological imperative for cats to scratch. Period. It's going to happen. They have an instinctual need to keep their claws sharp and in shape as a defense mechanism. Get a scratching post (or two) - one flat one and one vertical one, at least. Some cats are particular about the direction they scratch.

2) Put catnip on/in the scratching post (assuming the cat is more than 6 months old...young kittens don't typically respond to catnip at all).

3) Citrus smells on what you don't want him to scratch is a great idea. Water bottles also work, but as mentioned you need to be quick on the draw. Also, if it can be quick, one of the best things to do is pick him up by the scruff of his neck. The cat has an instinct to go limp and submissive when this is done. It shows you are the parent/boss. No need to hit/slap/beat. The scruff of the neck gets the message across loud and clear.

4) Make sure he has enough playtime and cuddle time with you. Without stimulation from you or another animal, he will find ways to relieve his boredom.

Cats are not as naturally compliant as dogs. Some cats are just assholes, and there is little you can do about it. But the vast majority of them will be fine if you take those steps.

[Edited on October 9, 2009 at 12:48 PM. Reason : a]

10/9/2009 12:47:45 PM

Get him a scratch pad like one of these:





They often come with some catnip. Throw some of that on there and he'll go to town.

10/9/2009 3:05:23 PM

This probably won't work since the carpet is much broader...but to anyone else with a similar issue.

our cat got into the habit of jumping up on the TV stand and messing with the lcd tv when we weren't home or asleep.

i got this from petsmart. it is a motion detector and emits a loud burst of air when the cat gets nearby.. worked like a charm... ever since she got up there and encountered the ssscat, she has not been up there since. she will stare at it and walk away. it has an on/off switch and we hardly ever turn it on anymore, just its presence scares her.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751025

http://www.multivet.net/en/products/ssscat/

[Edited on October 9, 2009 at 5:09 PM. Reason : ya]

10/9/2009 5:08:34 PM

Quote :

"your cat either needs a scratch pad or some attention, probably both stop being an asshole to your cat. cats are more complex than dogs and will act out more, not "learn a lesson" annoy it enough and it may start pissing on your shit"

he gets tons of attention ( if fact he under the blanket between my ankles right now)

were not assholes to him, and this cat thinks hes a dog and sometimes understands what he shouldnt do and sometimes doesnt

Quote :

"They often come with some catnip. Throw some of that on there and he'll go to town."

he has no interest in catnip. ive bought it for him and he could care less i have no idea why

he cares about to things his dad Ragged and getting up on him and rubbing his face against his chin/facial hair

and this ball in a circle thing he will bat around for hours

10/10/2009 9:13:51 AM

i only glossed over the thread so this might have been covered already, but do you cut the cat's nails?

if you keep them short, he'll probably be less likely to scratch, and if he does scratch he'll be less likely to fuck something up

[Edited on October 10, 2009 at 11:17 AM. Reason : btw, cats don't understand cause and effect]

10/10/2009 11:15:25 AM

Soft paws is a next option, then declawing. If he's young, get him neutered ASAP before he figures out what spraying is.

The carpet scratching and rubbing his face on it also acts as a territory marker. (That's why you see cats rubbing their cheeks on doors and corners of things.)

Clove oil is another thing cats hate the smell of, sprinkle some on the carpet. Plus, it smells good to us so it won't be a problem. (Putting clove oil on my shoes worked for keeping the puppy off them for a short while, but I think she started to like it.)

If he prefers one section of carpet to another, it could be because something peed/poo'd there before you moved in. Move a piece of furniture over it, just not a recliner because he'll just get under it and you could hurt/kill him unknowingly.

Cayenne pepper works great for dogs, but I think its too much for cats.

I'm surprised the water bottle don't work on him. If any of my cats see us reach for or point the water bottle at them, they instantly stop what they're doing. Just keep on him with the water bottle. If he goes back 5 mins later, just squirt him again. Don't give up.

Finally, whipping a cat don't do anything for them but make them scared of you. Just keep him from doing things that annoy you, he keeps his respect for you, and you'll both be happier.

10/10/2009 11:47:19 AM

Quote :

"Soft paws is a next option, then declawing"

he would chew them off and he is 4 so i think that is too old for that

10/10/2009 12:03:20 PM