Best Type of Carpet w/Cats?

[Paige]

We need to replace our carpet and I want it to last as long as possible. If it were up to me, I'd get some kind of hardwood or tile and never look at carpet again, but for some reason DH loves carpet and hates not having it. I know enough to avoid Berber, and I've seen some pet friendly brands that seem pretty good, but they come in different styles. I'm not sure which would be the most durable. 

 

If you have cats with claws who are jerks and can't be trained not to scratch, would you get frieze, saxony, or textured? My biggest problem with the cats and carpets is with them clawing under doors to get into rooms that are shut off from them. They do puke sometimes, but we're more interested in claw resistance than stain resistance.

 

Or you could tell me to convince DH that he's crazy and we'll be replacing the carpet every 2 years because no carpet will hold up to my cats and we should get tile or something. I could try if that's the consensus but he really doesn't want to do that. He thinks no carpet is "stupid" and too expensive.

[goldberry]

Listening... we are about to replace also.  Two cats with clawing issues here.

 

I don't like the "pile" carpet where there are individual threads that stick up.  I tend to like carpet that actually looks a bit more commercial (and also sturdier).  But that seems to have those loops that cats would rip up.

Edited July 1, 2017 by goldberry

[StephanieZ]

How about a middle ground . .. convince dh to ditch carpet in most rooms, but let him keep it in one or two favorite rooms . . . That'll make it less painful when you replace the carpet in 2 years.

 

My 2c would be cheap carpet, as I know I'd be replacing it soon, no matter how pricey it is.

 

(I finally got rid of EVERY inch of carpet in our house a couple years ago. Best. Thing. Ever.)

[Paige]

Listening... we are about to replace also.  Two cats with clawing issues here.

 

I don't like the "pile" carpet where there are individual threads that stick up.  I tend to like carpet that actually looks a bit more commercial (and also sturdier).  But that seems to have those loops that cats would rip up.

 

Stay away from the looped carpet like Berber! It's not worth it with the cats and even my vacuum cleaner would cause problems. It took my cats approximately 2 days to mess up Berber. I also think the higher end wool is bad for cats. My cats seem to enjoy the feel of wool more than the synthetics. Honestly, I see why declawing was so popular several decades ago when everyone wanted carpet. I'd never do that to my babies, but I really see the appeal. 

 

We already have all hardwood on the main level. I want to put hardwood or tile in the basement and concede the carpet upstairs in the bedroom level but he's resisting even that. He thinks nobody will want a basement with tile. I told him he's out of touch with housing trends and stuck in the 70s. He also thinks it's way more expensive because you then have to buy area rugs. He's right that it's more expensive, but I think it will pay us back in wear and tear and resell if we move. Maybe we could compromise on carpet tile in the basement. Has anyone tried that? We could just pull up the affected pieces if we the cats mess with it. 

[TeenagerMom]

I'm a vote for no carpet.  Have you pulled your old carpet up yet?  Maybe you can convince him after he sees how much nastiness is UNDER the carpet and pad once it's pulled up.

 

 

We renovated 3 years ago.  Carpet had been in the house for probably 15-20 years.  It was enough disgustingness for me to say I will never have carpet again.

 

I've even tried doing a couple of area rugs since.  The minute an animal pukes on it or the dog starts rolling on it and stinking it up, it's gone because I can never get the smell out.

 

Our house feels so much cleaner.

[Paige]

I'm a vote for no carpet.  Have you pulled your old carpet up yet?  Maybe you can convince him after he sees how much nastiness is UNDER the carpet and pad once it's pulled up.

 

 

 

 

We already pulled the basement carpet up in patches and replaced the pad because of some pipe leaks. DH is not disgusted, but I think the carpet was fairly new. That's another reason I don't want carpet in the basement; leaks. 

 

If you don't have carpet in the house what do you put on stairs? I don't want to do hardwood b/c I think it would be too hard to match what we have already and I'm not super into the type/color of hardwood the house came with. We have hardwood on the stairs between the main level and upstairs but if we don't put carpet in the basement I'll need something on those stairs. 

[zoobie]

They cover cat trees in carpet for a reason.

 

I also looooove not having carpet. The dang cats still manage to yarf up only on the one area rug in the entire house or on beds or couches...

[goldberry]

True confession:  I love carpet.  I don't like tile and although I'm okay with hardwood, it's not my favorite. I know it's technically cleaner than carpet, but if you're not sweeping it every minute you SEE everything and FEEL every little dustball or pine needle tracked in.  With carpet, I'm sure it's technically more dirty, but I don't see it. 

 

Right now we have about half the house in hardwood (L/R/D/R), tile in the kitchen, and carpet in the basement and bedrooms.  I love the cozy feel of carpet with great padding under my feet in the bedrooms.  I would never consider getting hardwood or tile in there. And a basement with tile?  That sounds cold to me.

 

So... at least there are others besides your husband that like carpet still!

[Cinder]

We're looking at replacing the carpeting in the living room, dining room (IKR?), hall with hardwood and leaving the carpet in the bedrooms. For some reason the cats have torn up most of the "public" carpet but not so much in the bedrooms.

[Paige]

Maybe we could put some sort of plastic protector or doormat under the doors to discourage scratching. Has anyone done that? They want to get into DDs rooms at night and the girls don't want to sleep with the cats. The cats keep them up. 

 

Other than right under the doors, they don't mess with the carpet too much. 

 

[Tenaj]

We have wool textured.  The cat claws at it all the time and it's not visible that she's clawing.  We do have one spot at a bedroom door that she tore up years ago when we first got the carpet.  I think it may not have been tacked down all the way because it's the only spot that she managed to damage.  I've been very pleased that the carpet has worn as well as it has.  We decided on the wool because it was predicted to hold up better under heavy use and it has done that for our busy family.  

[TeenagerMom]

We already pulled the basement carpet up in patches and replaced the pad because of some pipe leaks. DH is not disgusted, but I think the carpet was fairly new. That's another reason I don't want carpet in the basement; leaks. 

 

If you don't have carpet in the house what do you put on stairs? I don't want to do hardwood b/c I think it would be too hard to match what we have already and I'm not super into the type/color of hardwood the house came with. We have hardwood on the stairs between the main level and upstairs but if we don't put carpet in the basement I'll need something on those stairs. 

 

We have zero stairs but I would probably use something like luxury vinyl or cork.  We plan on doing hardwood in our new house with luxury vinyl in the rooms with water (and the underfloor heating in the bathrooms). 

 

Someone mentioned sweeping.............with a darker wood, it doesn't show as much crap and I haven't swept this house in over a year.  We use a vacuum for bare floors.  I mop about every other month unless there is a spill (we don't really wear shoes in the house).  Nothing shows.  I love it so much.