cat clawing carpet

lolo62

Hi looking for a bit of advice from some of the experts here.
My cat has gotten into a habit of clawing the carpet to get my attention when she wants something..ie food and go outside.
It's partly my fault because I hop to it and give her what she wants so she'll stop clawing the carpet! She used to come over and maoiw when she wanted something and that was great, any ideas how I can get her back to that?
I have some sticky tape on the stairs to stop clawing there but she now does it beside the bed or the bedroom door when she wants out at 5am and beside the couch when I'm watching TV
It's only the two of us and the house is really small so I'd rather not use fear based discipline. She's also a nervous cat anyway so don't want to add to the nerves.
Any ideas?

Nody

Why not give her a few flat scratching mats or similar to scratch on instead in the areas? This way you don't have to retrain her behavior as much

lolo62

Nody wrote: »

Why not give her a few flat scratching mats or similar to scratch on instead in the areas? This way you don't have to retrain her behavior as much

Great idea, I didn't even think of those. I tried the cardboard curve thing off zooplus once for scratching and she couldn't get her head around it, maybe the flat mats will work strategically placed.
I'm starting to think a whiskas temptations addiction might be part of the reason for extra aggression/frustration..

Shivi111

My beautiful, well behaved cat started somethink similar recently, she is very bonded to me and wants my attention as much as possible. When I was sitting on the sofa she would come over and scratch the throw on the sofa beside me, or my trouser legs. I took the path of completely ignoring her when she started this, while my housemate would scold her for the behaviour. As its my attention she wants I didn't even give her negative attention, if nobody else was home i just got up and left the room the moment she started.
After about a week she stopped the behaviour entirely, and somehow I must have encouraged her to 'talk' to me instead (I think by looking at her and asking her questions as soon as she appraoched me but before the scratching started, 'What do you want Loki? 'Meow'!) Now she sits and give a gentle meow and headbut for my attention and I immediately respond to her, shes gotten very chatty! But no more destruction.

lolo62

Shivi111 wrote: »

My beautiful, well behaved cat started somethink similar recently, she is very bonded to me and wants my attention as much as possible. When I was sitting on the sofa she would come over and scratch the throw on the sofa beside me, or my trouser legs. I took the path of completely ignoring her when she started this, while my housemate would scold her for the behaviour. As its my attention she wants I didn't even give her negative attention, if nobody else was home i just got up and left the room the moment she started.
After about a week she stopped the behaviour entirely, and somehow I must have encouraged her to 'talk' to me instead (I think by looking at her and asking her questions as soon as she appraoched me but before the scratching started, 'What do you want Loki? 'Meow'!) Now she sits and give a gentle meow and headbut for my attention and I immediately respond to her, shes gotten very chatty! But no more destruction.

That's so interesting! She does have me wrapped at this point so maybe I need to nit reward the behaviour..this will be hard for me, I'm such a wus! I definitely think habits can be changed so will have to be a bit more parental with this one to succeed I think.
Thanks so much has the clawing gone away completely?

Shivi111

lolo62 wrote: »

That's so interesting! She does have me wrapped at this point so maybe I need to nit reward the behaviour..this will be hard for me, I'm such a wus! I definitely think habits can be changed so will have to be a bit more parental with this one to succeed I think.
Thanks so much has the clawing gone away completely?

Totally stopped, shes pretty clever, no point in repeating a behaviour that doesn't get her what she wants!
You have to be so careful, they pick up strange little habits sometimes! My male cat lets me know his food bowl is empty by knocking over the kitchen bin! I think he must have done it once, attracted my attention and I put food in his bowl thinking he was at the bin because he was hungry. Now he knocks the bin over and goes straight to his bowl in anticipation!
They have me very well trained.

Father Ted Crilly

This has nothing to do with a cat but I have a pet Cockatiel (bird). Its food and water containers hang on the sides of the cage with two hooks. When its food one is empty it pulls one of the hooks off to let me know. It also does it with the water one too. Usually the water just gets dirty and it pulls one of the hooks off causing the water to spill onto the bottom of the cage. It is starting to become annoying...

lolo62

Shivi111 wrote: »

Totally stopped, shes pretty clever, no point in repeating a behaviour that doesn't get her what she wants!
You have to be so careful, they pick up strange little habits sometimes! My male cat lets me know his food bowl is empty by knocking over the kitchen bin! I think he must have done it once, attracted my attention and I put food in his bowl thinking he was at the bin because he was hungry. Now he knocks the bin over and goes straight to his bowl in anticipation!
They have me very well trained.

Hilarious..ah the joys of being a cat slave!

lolo62

Father Ted Crilly wrote: »

This has nothing to do with a cat but I have a pet Cockatiel (bird). Its food and water containers hang on the sides of the cage with two hooks. When its food one is empty it pulls one of the hooks off to let me know. It also does it with the water one too. Usually the water just gets dirty and it pulls one of the hooks off causing the water to spill onto the bottom of the cage. It is starting to become annoying...

Amazing how these little beings learn to walk all over us by getting under our skin, master manipulators! Maybe I'll start a support group :P

Narsil

Our 3 legged deaf cat Bowie loved scratching our carpet upstairs until we got a horizontal cat scratching pad and he now uses this instead. Might help!

lolo62

Narsil wrote: »

Our 3 legged deaf cat Bowie loved scratching our carpet upstairs until we got a horizontal cat scratching pad and he now uses this instead. Might help!

Bowie sounds adorable!
I definitely need some more scratch appeal items that aren't the carpet. Food order time soon so will pick up some bits off zoo Pl us. Have to say though since I stopped giving her temptations she's definitely doing it less..she's also getting more exercise now the weather us picking up too though, it's hard to know what's going on in that little brain sometimes!
Thanks for all the replies, I will report back on progress later