What If My Cat Eats Carpet? (Probable Reasons & Solutions)

Cats are curious creatures and they do stuff that sometimes cannot be explained, chewing on random things is one of them. Cats can extremely cute and fun to have around, however, they can be a handful sometimes.

When cats eat carpet, it can be frustrating since not only are they ruining the carpet, they are causing harm to their own health as well. So, in this article, we will list for you the various reasons why cats eat carpet, how you can prevent this from happening, and how you can fix your carpet. 

Why is my Cat eating my Carpet? What can I do to prevent it? 

Cats can chew and eat carpet for a number of reasons. They are listed below:

1. Pica:

Pica is a syndrome characterized by the eating of nonedible items. Young cats less than one year of age are more likely to suffer from this, so they can chew and eat anything from carpet strings to plastic items. The causes of pica are not entirely known, however, it is found to be linked to dietary deficiencies and stress. 

Pica can be pretty common in cats, especially in cats that were weaned too early or cats in certain Oriental breeds, like Siamese and Birman cats. 

Prevention:

Cats with pica need mental and physical stimulation to keep their mind off of eating nonedible items. Try to keep them busy by taking them out for a walk, making them sit by a window to watch birds, buying a [amazon link=”B07GL45JHQ” title=”scratch post”/] for them, and getting [amazon link=”code” title=”B077B9PHKD”/] for them.

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Check for dietary deficiencies that may be causing pica. Take your cats to their vet and ask him for a recommended diet. Dietary modifications like increasing fiber content may be necessary to stop them from eating your carpet.

2. Curiosity:

Cats cannot help but be curious; it is in their nature. If your carpet smells or has food spills on it, your cat may be curious to eat it and check. Maybe your cat likes the taste of the food that you spilled on your carpet a while ago. 

Cats will eat anything stringy and loose to satisfy their curiosity. It is not their fault because chewing at anything stringy is in their genetics because of their prey in the wild. So, check for things that might excite them like loose carpet strings. 

Prevention:

Make sure your carpet is clean and does not have any food spills or stains. If your cat is eating an area where food has previously been spilled, try sprinkling some cayenne pepper or vinegar on that area. It is likely that your cat will not like the taste and it will leave it alone. 

Cats dislike citrusy and lemony smells so you can spray or sprinkle anything of the sort on the area where it usually eats the carpet from. 

Redirecting their attention towards safe chewing items like interactive toys or pieces of rawhide can also prevent them from eating nonedible items. 

3. Stress:

Cats are used to getting attention and being around people. They are loving and homely creatures and they develop stress and behavioral problems when left alone for a long time or when you change houses. 

Prevention:

Spend quality time with your cat twice every day, even if only for 20 minutes. Do not try to use a water gun on them since that will not worsen their stress. 

Use interactive toys with them and make sure you give them all your attention during this time. If you cannot find time for your cat, perhaps it is best to give her to someone who can. 

Do I need to take my cat to a vet?

Yes, you might need to take your cat to a vet if it stops eating or pooping.

Cats can eat small strings and will be fine. However, a substantial length of fiber might block its intestines and cause intestinal obstruction. In this case, surgery should be performed and you should take it to a vet as soon as possible.

So if your cat is eating carpet, you should keep a close eye on its eating and pooping habits; if it starts to vomit after every meal or stops eating, you should immediately take it to a vet.  

However, more often than not, the carpet strings will pass through the cat’s system so if your cat is acting normally, is eating and pooping normally, and looks active, you should have no reason to worry. 

Important Note:

Never ever ever declaw your cat . This is one of the most cruel things you can do to your cat. You need to focus on why your cat is acting a certain way and how you can fix it. Declawing it is not the solution!

Cats that are declawed develop behavioral disorders and become depressed. If you find that you cannot by any method teach your cat to not destroy furniture and carpets, consult a pet therapist or give your cat to another loving home, but do not ever declaw it, please. 

 How do I Fix my Carpet afterward?

Getting a new carpet is an expensive feat, which is why when cats destroy the carpet, you should look for ways to repair the damage. Carpets are usually destroyed from the loose ends near the doorways because these are the points where cats can chew easily. 

Before you reach out to a carpet professional, you should check if any of the methods described below can help you out. This will save you a ton of money.

1. Patching with remnant carpet scraps:

This method will be helpful if you have a hole in your carpet that is large enough to be replaced with a carpet patch. Keep in mind that you need to save the leftover carpet scraps for this method to work. Or you can buy a matching carpet piece from a local carpet store.

Step 1 : First you need to trim the area around the hole, making sure that the edges are even and there are no loose strands sticking out. 

Step 2 : Next, you need to take a paper and put it on top of the hole. This is to measure the exact size of the patch you will be needing. Take a pencil and trace the size and shape of the patch you need to replace. 

Step 3 : Use the template you made in the previous step to cut out the carpet replacement piece. Make sure that you keep the direction of the carpet fibers in mind, you do not want your patch to look like a patch after you are done.

Step 4 : Insert some carpet tape and place the carpet piece over the hole. Adjust it to look like nothing ever happened there. Trim any fibers that are sticking out and leave the carpet overnight to sit. 

Step 5 : Wake up to a carpet as new as ever! 

2. Transplanting Carpet Fibers:

If you have a small area where the carpet has been torn or chewed, you can fix it by transplanting it with leftover hair fibers. You will need a pair of tweezers, adhesive glue, leftover carpet fibers, and some time. 

Step 1 : Collect the leftover hair fibers that you find lying around the area. You can also cut some fibers from an area out of sight, like underneath a piece of furniture. 

Step 2 : Add some glue on top of the area where you want to add the carpet fibers. Make sure to keep the carpet fibers separate and not glue them together.

Step 3 : Using a pair of tweezers, place the fibers one by one on the carpet making sure they match the direction of the rest of the carpet. 

Keep in mind that this is a time taking process, so it can only be done for small areas. 

Conclusion:

It is frustrating when your loved pets start destroying your home, but we have you covered on all the reasons why your cats might be destroying your carpet, and all the ways you can prevent it from happening.

After you have solved the problem, you can repair the carpet by either applying a patch, or transplanting hair fibers. 

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