I bought a new rug for my living room. My cats love it and they want to lay on it and scratch it up. How can I let them know its off limits!?!?!?
Good luck with that one. You could try buying a cat repellant spray but not all cats are offended by it. (Didn't work with mine) I just gave up after awhile. A spray bottle might do the trick. I taught my cats to stay off the table this way. I filled up a spray bottle (buy one from the dollar store, DO NOT use a spray bottle that has had chemicals in it) and every time your cats go on the rug spray them with the spray bottle. Works great.
according to the size of the rug, place cookie sheets with water in them around the edges. cats hate water and will turn away from the rug. they wont forget and you will have your rug back.
Get a spray bottle and put some water in it and when they go to walk on the rug or lay on the rug spray them with the water. When you go to bed i would recommend you putting the rug up in a room where they can't get to it until you can get them not to lay on the rug. Good Luck!!
Sometimes the chemicals in rugs and carpets attract cats - especially when the carpet is new. This may just take time until the new carpet smell wears off. If they're scratching on the carpet, they're marking it and showing they have claimed this as their's. You can try a product called Feliway that mimics the scent a cat leaves when they rub against something. (Rubbing is another way to mark.) This may make it seem like they have already marked the carpet so they don't think they have to do it again. You're not going to keep them off the carpet completely unless you put it in a room that they'd aren't allowed to go into.
