Is it possible the backing of the rug has a chemical or synthetic gassy smell and your cat is hypersensitive.
Cat avoiding a rug.
Avoid fluffy long pile or shag rugs.
Spraying strong floral type liquid scents can help to avoid cat coming closer to the bathroom rug.
1 try switching to jumbo litter boxes without covers.
Doing this daily for few days may do the trick too.
Ultimately when you re thinking about how to stop a cat scratching carpet realize that it s down to you as the cat s guardian to provide a more alluring scratching option.
Worse case scenario is they could interpret the long pile as a place to dig and go to the toilet.
If your cat has pooped on a bathmat or inexpensive rug you might just need to get rid of the item.
If you live where weather and space permits hanging it outdoors to air out that might be another option.
There is another scenario that can happen.
Let s assume that your bathroom rug is near a glass door or window that will show outside of the house.
These are an absolute no no.
You will be able to avoid damage to carpet upholstery curtains and other materials in your home by redirecting your cat to the appropriate scratching locations.
Why cats scratch carpet upholstery and other surfaces cats scratch by digging their front claws into a horizontal or vertical surface then pulling their feet down or back.
These also trap pet hair and dirt and require a ton of maintenance and are difficult to clean.
But if the cat is not avoiding the room but just the rug more likely she just doesn t like big abrupt changes.