Give your cat a horizontal scratching post!!

Yes, that's right -- horizontal.  Although most scratching posts are vertical, some cats are horizontal scratchers by nature.  Rather than reach upward to sharpen their claws, they prefer to stretch out along the floor.  Hence the attraction of the carpet. 

This is my cat Patches, out in the woods on our farm.    As you can see, there are plenty of nice, vertical trees with tempting rough bark to scratch on.  But what is he using?  A fallen log.   As far as I can tell, he always choses a horizontal surface.   In fact, he likes dead logs so much, I bring one inside for him in the wintertime.  Problem solved!    (To keep the log from rolling around, I nail it to a flat board for a base.) 

You can also buy horizontal scratchers made from layers of corrugated cardboard or covered with carpet.  (Omega Paw makes a nice horizontal style.  A sissal mat also works for some cats.)   Or, if you prefer more elegant cat furniture, look for a cat tree that has some horizontal surfaces.  Rub some catnip on them.  More likely than not, your little claw-sharpening friend will be delighted to accept your offer and leave the carpets alone.   It sure worked for me! 

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