# Scratching Cat and Shag Rugs



## reprot (Nov 11, 2004)

I'm in need of a new area rug and thinking of replacing the one I have with a shag rug. My Raggie, Big Tom, ignores *all* scratching posts but love love loves cartpeting. I thought since the pile is loose (thus the shag) it wouldn't be that noticeable. Any experience?


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

It may not be as noticeable on the rug itself, BUT you will have shag carpet strings EVERYWHERE! My parents had a dog that liked to dig on the door mats. It looked like he had shredded 3 of the shag rugs but the rug still looked ok, not great, but ok. So if you don't mind vacumming up the pieces that fly everywhere all the time, I say go for it.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I have shaggy-type mats in my laundry room and I'm forever sweeping up little carpet strings! I don't really care, because they're inexpensive mats, but you might feel differently about a shag area rug. Would Tom take to a cat tree covered with carpeting? My Ragdoll, Muffin, scratches the heck out of her carpeted tree.


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## reprot (Nov 11, 2004)

Hmmm I didn't think about the carpet strings that he may pull out. It's enough just trying to keep up with the cat fur. Big Tom's fur reminds me of tumbleweed just blowin across the desert. 
Thanks for the imput.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Susan has a very good point. If they love carpetting, then a cat tree covered with carpetting might be enough to distract them. 

You could also try discouraging them for the carpet. Put stuff they dont' like on it like: putting citrus smelling stuff on it, putting an upside down chair mat (with those plastic nubs on it) on it, aluminium foil, 2 sided tape etc etc...hiding and ambush them with a spray of water....


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

My cousin (when she lived with me) used to put rosemary/lavender oil on anything she wanted Teddy to leave alone. He would back up so quickly from that stuff that he would often trip over his own tail.


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