Ways to prevent your cat from pulling threads in the carpet

Q: My 14-year-old male cat keeps pulling up threads on new carpet on my previously wood stairs. What can I do or use to prevent this from continuing to happen? I have been clipping his nails regularly. I have tin foil over the first few steps. I have a big piece of cardboard blocking the stair entry. Somehow he gets on them anyway and I will notice a new pull. — Sharon Jorden

A: Your cat has no idea that the fabric on the once barren steps that feels so good to him could possibly have any monetary value. In addition to the methods you have already used, I have found that putting strips of double-sided tape on the edges of the steps works very well and is less inconvenient then the aluminum foil and cardboard.

However, no matter what you do, he will do his best to go around those repellents if he has no other alternative place to use his claws on. You have to get one of those cat trees that have shelves that are covered with carpet and place it near the stairs. Make those stairs as unattractive as possible while also spreading loose catnip over the cat tree.

What should happen is when he walks over to the stairs to use his claws, he will instead smell the cat tree as an alternative and use his claws on the carpeting of the cat tree. As time goes on and he no longer thinks of the carpeted steps as an option, you can remove the tape and other barriers.

Q: I grew catnip in my garden this year with the idea of drying it when the plants mature and making my own cat toys. However, I do not think I will ever get to do this as my cats spend a great part of the day rolling around in the catnip bed and crushing all the plants. Can my cats overdose from all this catnip? — Kathy Sullivan, Orlando

A: I can understand your concern, but you really do not need to worry here. The element in catnip that cats enjoy never enters the bloodstream. The reaction you see is merely in response to the smell and taste — it is not a narcotic and any cat can snap out of a catnip high.

Catnip is in the mint family and like most mint plants it grows quickly so even though your cats seem to be abusing it a bit, I am still sure that you will have plenty to dry in the fall for their winter enjoyment.

Q: I have seen a wild cottontail rabbit for the first time in my backyard recently and I was hoping I could feed them something, like I do with the birds and chipmunks in the area.