Creative way to protect door from cat scratching

Question
Hi Carol:

I will be moving into a new apartment (with a roommate & her cat) with my almost two-year old cat that I adopted from a shelter when she was a few months old.  As she got older (around one year-old), she began scratching (incessantly!) on my bedroom door to get in or out. I have found some "solutions" to lessen her scratching, like letting her in more frequently and using a vacuum cleaner at the door (turning it on & off briefly to scare her).  The door of my current place is of a type of material (don't know what) where it's not damaged by her scratching.  However, I will be moving into an older apartment that has wood doors.  I want to find a creative and aesthetically-pleasing way to protect these doors from her scratching more importantly I want to protect them from damage.  Have you come across a creative solution for this problem?  I haven't used those cat sticky patches, but I know they are an option  I was thinking about screwing into the door, some sort of colorful sheet of plastic. Your thoughts?

Answer
Check this out...

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20070017158.html

Copy the whole link and paste in your address bar. It's a new invention "Door shielding system against domestic animal scratching". I don't know if it is available yet but the concept is great!

Soft paws are supposed to work good, though I have never tried them. I HAVE heard that  your cat can get infections under them if the directions aren't followed precisely. Here is their website: www.softpaws.com for more info on them.
Also here is a website that has pros and cons about Soft Paws:

http://www.alldeaf.com/our-pets/33930-cons-pros-about-soft-paw.html


Your idea with the color-cordinated plastic is about the best. You don't want to deter her from scratching because that is how she communicates with you ("let me in", "let me out", "no, let me in again...I changed my mind").
AND keep her nails trimmed.

You might want to put a collar with your name and address on her for awhile in case she slips out the door and gets herself lost. You don't want someone to find her and think she's an abandoned kitty and keep her!

Good luck with your move.
Carol