If you have a pet cat, you're already aware of its habits—an unfortunate repercussion of owning a cat is its penchant to scratch and sharpen its claws on everything in sight—your chairs, your couches and even your carpet. When your home is fully carpeted, it can result in several unsightly tear and scratch areas. Fortunately, there are some things you can to restore your carpet to its original best. With a pet cat, you're always bound to find small scratches, so make sure you store your leftover carpet after installing it. Here are some carpet repair steps to undertaken when your carpet has borne the brunt of your cat's wrath.

Cut Out Leftover Carpet Pieces

Cut out some leftover pieces from the extra carpet you had lying around after you fitted your entire house. If you don't have any leftover carpet pieces lying around, then find a hidden place under a bed or cupboard and cut out a small carpet piece with the utility knife.

Clean Out the Scratched Area

Identify the scratched carpet area and cut out the remaining tear with the help of a utility knife. Remove the entire damaged area of the carpet and set it aside. With a vacuum cleaner, suck up all the residual pieces from the area around the cutout portion of the carpet.

Cut and Glue Replacement Area

Cut out a small portion of the replacement carpet to a similar size as the hole you've cut in your carpet. Use carpenter's glue to stick this replacement piece in the hole. Carpenter's glue can easily be purchased from your nearest home improvement store and will ensure that the new portion of the carpet remains glued in place. Press the carpet piece firmly into the hole and hold it till the glue completely sets. If you can see the carpet seams quite easily, add some extra carpet fibres to disguise the seam—which you could once again borrow from hidden areas of your carpet. Once you've glued the piece in place, your carpet should look almost as good as new.

These steps should only be followed if the damage is small and fixable. If the damaged area is too large to be fixed, you'll need to contact the professionals—they have the tools and resources to undertake carpet repair without a problem. If your cat really hates your carpet, you may need to replace it completely—but not before trying carpet repair first.