http://www.worldwise.com/smscmisy.html

SmartKat products are great for cat scratching (and they're eco-friendly). They sell them at pretty much all retailers - Target, Petsmart, ect.

We recently got 2 kitties and yeah...they are tearing all my stuff up, too.

BUT they have not had much interest in clawing my flokati rug. And I think that even if they did, it wouldn't do any harm because it's so shaggy.

That being said, I think that a flokati would look really great in your room. Especially a round one, since you have a lot of hard angles.

Can I make one other suggestion? I think that your room would look less stark if you pulled the couch and coffee table towards the wall by about 10 inches. I really hate giving unsolicited advice, but I think it would open the room up so much more!

PS- I got my 10' flokati on ebay for $500. I think you could get an 8' for a price around your budget.

Jute and/or sisal rugs are awesome for cats--the critters can claw and claw to their hearts' content and it won't make any difference. Best of all, they're cheap cheap. I've had this one from World Market in my living room for two years and it shows no signs of wear from the cats treating it as a scratching post: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3479110

However, if your cat has hairball attacks like mine, you might want to get a non-printed rug--I have a couple of light patches on the dyed floral pattern from scrubbing away kitty's "accidents."

In my experience, cats either claw rugs or they don't. Though I have known cats who *only* claw at a sheepskin rug. Perhaps get just a regular pile rug that can withstand losing the occasional thread without being too noticeable. Also, have those cardboard cat scratchers around and actively encourage the cat to claw those instead.

As far as looking less clinical, you're basically fighting the all white of the room and a white couch to boot. I would go super colorful - perhaps even a round rug to give visual interest. This one is round, even though the image is a rectangle.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Contemporary-Dasa-Rug-79-Round/3356746/product.html

I've found that it's best to go with rugs that actually stand up to cat claws rather than try to distract them with scratching posts (mine usually scratches whatever is convenient when he gets the urge!). I've had the best luck with kilim rugs; they are virtually indestructible and are often quite affordable (and colorful).

Find a Tuesday Morning store near you. I snagged (pun intended) $250 sisal 5 x 8 foot rug for $17, it was on sale 50% off from $34. They also have a variety of rugs in different sizes that are traditional, or modern, wool or other material.... I am addicted in just one buying trip to my local Tuesday Morning.

I found really quick shipping and great prices/selection at Rugs Direct. I tried to buy from Decora Rugs and they were never able to fulfill my order...
I think something like these would look nice in your room:

http://www.rugs-direct.com/rugsdirectory/results.aspx?N=4294720775 4294966587 125&color_id=143266

http://www.rugs-direct.com/rugsdirectory/results.aspx?N=4294924919 4294964944 125&color_id=130346

http://www.rugs-direct.com/rugsdirectory/results.aspx?N=4294924251 4294960809 125&color_id=130725

The best piece of advice I can give you is to try to buy one that is made in the USA.... My husband and I bought one at Pottery Barn which was made in India where they do not have the standards for vulcanizing the rubber as the US. It starts to off-gas a few months after you buy it - it made us sick off and on for months until we figured out the source.
Also, try a "sniff" test if you buy one in person, if it has a burning electrical/chemical smell (that is the best I can describe it) stay away from it!

For kitty throwups, try using the house Petco brand pet and stain remover. It has not affected the color of our carpets yet.

i made the mistake of buying a low-pile rug from ikea and the cats have nearly destroyed it.

but i'm not done!

i'm going to buy a shag rug from home depot for the living room and i think it'll be great. they can claw all they want...how will you notice? it's shag!

and it's only like $200 for an 8x10 :)

I bought that $200 shag rug from Home Depot in cream (I'm assuming it's the same one), and I loved it with my two cats. We are planning to get another one soon!

ahh, this is good to know! thanks!!!

I agree that a flokati or shag would look great and be less likely that the kitlet would damage it. Also, if the rug is heavy enough it is less likely that he'll be able to roll it anywhere. Ikea has a great flokati for $79 for a 6'7" x 4'7" rug. I was just looking at it the other day and it's a nice full flokati.

Maybe provide Mr.Cougar with lots of alternatives, hand towels or buy a couple yards of cheap furry fabric and cut him up some cat size "rugs" to play in. With cats enticing them into alternatives is the easiest way to direct them from damaging behavior.

Cats loathe the scent of mint (also citronella and lemongrass), so if you don't want the cat to claw something you can use a little essential oil and they won't go near it. If you ever have a problem with cats in the garden, a few mint plants will take care of that.

Mine don't claw carpets, but one loves to dig into wooden furniture. Grr!

Thanks for all the helpful comments, guys!

A cowhide rug would look great in that room, and is in your budget. Don't know about the kitty factor though.

Unless you get something really cheapo badly-made, I wouldn't worry about claw damage to the rug. But I'd never get anything fluffy or shag - imagine cleaning up cat throw-up from a shag. Yuck.

i disagree that sisal rugs are indestructible. our cats have done a number on our sisal rug and we've only had it a few months. but the good thing is that you can get them relatively cheap. we got an 8x10 for $180 shipped from overstock.

i wish i could quit you, cat.

Hey guys! Erin, the question poser, here! So, my cat doesn't ever hurl - thank, God. No fur balls to contend with - just his overwhelming desire to destroy rugs. It seems that he is drawn to the corner of rugs - no matter how many scratching toys I provide. Ugh.

I actually checked out Cost Plus (worldmarket) last night and they have some not-horrific rugs for around $250 or less which seem durable enough to hold up to cat attacks.

As far as cat furniture goes...

http://www.armarkat.com/

Not the most design-friendly cat furniture, but it's a great source for affordable stuff. Doesn't keep our fluffball from climbing the chairs, yet she tends to scratch her tree a lot more than the furniture.

A Flor rug would be pretty good, in my opinion. They're incredibly durable and if kitty happens to ruin part of it, you can just remove that square and replace it rather than replacing a whole rug.

P.S. And they're affordable!

My cat has this http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3200132. I cater to her catnip habit, and she leaves my couches alone.

Also if she is being really obnoxious and keeps going back to something I've moved her from I will spray her with a water bottle. I haven't had to do this in quite some time, I'm pretty sure she prefers her scratcher over scratching my stuff and getting impromptu showers.

Look for a flat-woven rug. I was shocked by how many great options there were (within our price range) when I left the hooked rugs behind. They definitely need a rug underlay though so factor that into the budget.

I consider myself the expert on this one, as I've had cats for the past 18 years! I've tried every suggestion mentioned. As far as sisal or jute, cats will scratch it for sure, but if they vomit on the rug, good luck. I've never been able to get the stain out without some bleaching to the rug. I've tried shag, and as the above writer noted, getting vomit out of a shag/flokati rug isn't pretty and the rug never gets totally clean. I've looked into FLOR, but a lot of those tiles are looped, which leaves you vulnerable to snags. And I, personally, think it becomes pretty expensive if you are looking for a large rug. I just tried a Pottery Barn indoor/outdoor rug, and that was destroyed after 6 months. My suggestion is to purchase a carpet remnant and have it cut to size. I just purchased a remnant, had to cut to 9' x 12' (quite large) and the total cost including binding was $260. The key is getting a rug that is a flat cut pile, so no risks of snags. Most carpeting comes with a scotch-guard coating so clean-up is a snap. You're a bit limited color and pattern-wise, but if you're looking for a neutral, you'll have plenty of choices. My cats scratch the dickens out of it, and I've never seen a snag or even a loose thread. I also have a dog that loves to eat on it and no stains to speak of. For me this was the best option. I wish I'd done it years ago! It would have saved me a lot of money and frustration :) Oh--do not go to Home Depot or the like for this!! Way more expensive. Find a local carpet store that sells remnants. I have a great contact for this in LA for anyone interested: Carpet Remnant Warehouse in Torrance. They were great to work with, family-owned, reasonable prices and made my rug in 2 days.

I second the advice of blackberrysquirrel regarding remnants -I work for a flooring company and I cannot stress what a great resource local carpet and hardwood companies/stores are for someone looking for great quality at a low price. Call around or better yet, go in see what rems are available, as well as binding material.

I suggest a neutral color...color/pattern/pop is certainly a way to go, but I'd get neutral rug with an interesting texture or style that I could build on with accent pieces in the room.

I would suggest a Persian rug one with some dark red & dark blue in it, which, in my opinion, would bring your room to life. I've spent years with my 3 cats and a number of such rugs and the rugs have come through the process very well indeed. To find nice, but VERY inexpensive Persian rugs, (I live in LA, but assume the same will apply to your area) go to Craig's List for your area, go to furniture and search for Persian rugs. Among the ads, you will probably find one or two posters who sell the rugs from home and show many of them on their websites. They'll have a large and every changing selection that you can afford. Try it and good luck!

In my opinion you cannot beat a good shag

I got a cowhide specifically because I knew it would not appeal to the cat, and it worked. Also, it only cost $150!

My cat also loves to scratch rugs. We made a deal with her - she can scratch the rugs, but not the furniture. She's been surprisingly honorable in keeping her end of the deal. For our living room, we got Flor tiles ("A Little of This"). Although Flor isn't much cheaper than a lot of rugs of the same size, my cat only seems to scratch in one particular place - so eventually we will replace that tile but won't have to replace the rest. I think it's a pretty good solution!

BTW, if you do go with Flor, I think Striped Poodle in Lime/Teal/Navy or Yellow/Orange/Teal would look AWESOME in your space - and would really brighten it up!

http://www.flor.com/service/flor/shop/item/Striped-Poodle/1413302500-7739.html

I find the rugs that best hold up to cat claws are cheap low pile rugs, I mean really cheap, the kind you find at KMart, Walmart and Target. My cats have destroyed "nice" rugs but I have a cheap one I got at Kmart 10 years ago that still looks new.

it's really impossible to stop them from clawing IME.

Feliway-http://www.amazon.com/Farnum-Comfort-Diffuser-Feliway-Milliliters/dp/B000FH708I

I can not say enough good things about this product, it also comes in a spray so you can target scratching areas.

It helps with all sorts of behavioral issues, spraying, scratching, stress...it's really helped with my cat.

Your room does not look clinical, at all. It looks very clean-lined and well edited; I like it. But a rug would be a nice addition.

I agree with the cowhide suggestion in terms of practicality and style. I doubt a cat would claw it, and even if it did, it probably would do relatively little harm.

I'm all for texture, but I'd steer clear of flokati and shag rugs. They just look sloppy. And with pets... well... they're never really clean. (Maybe I'm just too old to appreciate these cause I lived with them the first time around... yuck.)

Another suggestion is having a piece of carpet bound. This is affordable, can be cut in any shape / size you want. Also, even though I wouldn't typically recommend a synthetic fiber -- they do make sense for homes with kids and pets.

When I've had cats that clawed, we trimmed their nails. You just need to clip off the tips every week or two; we only needed to do the front feet. It is painless for the cat (just the tips!) and they were generally very tolerant of the quick process. The cat can still use its claws, but they are dull and don't cause any damage.

I would recommend the Faux Mongolian Fur Rug, Zebra Rug or Giraffe Rug from Fabulousfurs.com. All 3 are machine washable and synthetic so not only are they pet-friendly, they're animal-friendly as well! I personally have 3 cats and the Faux Mongolian Rug in ivory (which looks like a flokati) and have never had any problems with it. I got mine on sale a few months ago and see that it's still on sale--5'x8' for only $99--you can't beat that. I think the Giraffe Rug in brown/ivory, Zebra Rug in brown/ivory or the Mongolian Fur Rug in ivory or in chocolate would look great in your place!

http://fabulousfurs.com/giraffe-rug-60x96/p/11085RUST60X96/cn/400/

http://fabulousfurs.com/ivory-faux-fur-mongolian-lamb-area-rug-60x96/p/11086IVO60X96/cn/400/

http://fabulousfurs.com/brown-zebra-rug-60x96/p/11087BRO60X96/cn/400/

http://fabulousfurs.com/chocolate-faux-fur-mongolian-area-rug-40x60/p/11086BRO40x60/cn/400/

I have a shag rug from Ikea that my cat just sits on purring. She prefers to scratch a section of log I have standing up at the end of the couch.

My little dog, however, likes to pull bits out of the rug. It still looks good though.

Ikea has an orange one that might look nice with your curtains.

I agree with pushing the furniture back. I know the Apartment Therapy book says to pull everything out from the wall, but many of us live in small enough spaces that such a practice just makes it look as though all the furniture is bunched together in the middle of the room.

Okay, so this is my experience: had a sisal rug, cat used it as a scratching/stretching device, destroyed rug. In my frustration i got a decidedly non-designer cat tree with an upright, replaceable cardboard scratchy thing on it. Cat ignored tree, continued to use rug. I had to get her attention, go over to the tree, and show her how to claw it up (by scratching with my fingernails) a few times before she caught on to what it was for (she might not be the brightest cat...) Now cat uses the tree for scratching, and I have a new rug which is un-scratched!

It seems surprising that no one has mentioned this, so I suspect it's in the above comments and I missed it. Soft Claws are my advice to you. They are a real furniture saver. And if you get the coloured ones it looks like the cats wearing nail polish (always funny in my opinion).

They are relatively inexpensive (in comparison to inhuman declawing or replacing your furniture) and work well.

I highly recommend them.

http://www.softclaws.com/

And don't forget about trimming your cat's claws. We started doing this when we got a new kitten with extra sharp claws. With a towel to hold them and some determination, we've found that trimming the tips every two or three weeks really saves the furniture and carpet. Just don't cut too close to the base of the claws.

NOT A SHAG PILE! I have 2 cats and used to have a shag pile - I got rid of it because of all the dust and fur that gets trapped and is hard to clean even with a good vacuum cleaner. I would say a flatwoven wool rug would be ideal for cats!

Also - if my cats are coughing up hair balls or are sick they always seem to find a rug to do it on - its very gross to get that in a shag pile rug - and hard to clean!

As far as the cat, I had the same issue when I got my area rug (a $400 rug that was clearanced for $30 and I had a rebate from a cc for $40). I bought double sided carpet tape and laid it down. It stuck wonderfully and the cat couldnt make the rug move.

There is a spray at petco or petsmart that is supposed to keep cats away if you spray it on. Unfortunately I cant remember what its called. As for the perfect rug for you. When I seen your beautiful orange sheers I immediately thought of Surya Viv 832. Its gorgeous. Its a really rich vivid teal blue shoelace shag with a shimmer to it. If you google it and click for a close up you can see the true beauty of it. Let me know what you think.