Cats and Preventing Common Carpet Damages

Got a Cat? Prevent Common Carpet Damage

Cats have a way of burning up the internet with their cuteness. But with that cuteness comes the very real possibility they'll destroy something in your home. That's okay, we still love them.If you have cats, you might be worried about carpet damage that they can cause. Cats can claw at and have accidents on carpeting, both of which are behaviours that you should try to stop immediately. Here are four preemptive ways you can protect your carpets from your cats.

1. Enough Litter Boxes for Cats

If you have more than one cat, you might be better off with more than one litter box. If you have a cat this is constantly going to the bathroom on one spot of the carpet, this area might be a good spot for another box. This will save your carpets and help your cats if they are marking or are being territorial.

2. Scratching Posts

If your cats are using your carpets to sharpen your nails, you at least know what kind of material they enjoy scratching at. Don't get discouraged if your cats won't scratch common cardboard scratchers. It might be time to invest in a carpeted cat tower with a wide enough space that you can redirect your cat's scratching to. This is natural cat behaviour, so make sure that you provide an appropriate outlet for this.

3. Engage Your Cats

Sometimes cats can act out or misbehave because they have pent-up energy or are grumpy with you. Make time to pay attention to your cats and play with them. Clean their boxes regularity. If you can keep your cats content, they will be less likely to act out by going outside of their litter box or scratching carpets.

4. Utilize Deterrents

While positive reinforcement is the best method when it comes to training cats, if your cat keeps scratching up or going to the bathroom on the carpet , you might have to spend some time on some deterrents. Keep a squirt gun or water sprayer handy for every time your cat engages in bad behaviour. You can also put down plastic in the areas your cat tends to damage.If your carpets have been subjected to some form of damage from your cat, bring in the professional carpet cleaners  at Aquamist to assess. We can let you know if stains and odour are superficial and what can and can't be cleaned. If damage from scratching has occurred, patching or re-carpeting might be in order. Maybe your cat confused the fringe on your area rug with a chew toy, in which case we can clean and even re-fringe your area rugs.Of course, the best case scenario is if you can stop your cat's bad habits today, then your carpet and rugs will suffer less wear and tear over time.