How can I expect my sisal rug to hold up with pets?

I just bought a new sisal rug. It's a nice one, from Ballard Designs. I noticed some irregularities in the texture, but this is natural, I believe, to this type of fiber. I have cats. I may have made a BIG mistake in choosing a sisal rug. I saw one of the cats popping his claws into the rug, but I yelled at him and he stopped. I did not notice any damage. But tonight, I did notice a few places that were kind of picked up. They looked like little tufts of the fiber, standing up. I've never had a sisal rug before. Is this a part of the natural wear of the weave? Or could it be damaged by the cats? I hope I just didn't throw away $250 bucks.


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Sisal Rugs|Rugs