[Maleke]

My 4 and a half month old kitten is driving me CRAZY. It all just started recently, he is doing EVERYTHING he should not be doing. He is up on the counters and the stove constantly, even though we don't leave food out ever....he is up there. I caught him about 20 times today and squirted him with water....he would jump down, give himself a quick bath, and as soon as he thought I wasn't looking he would be back up there agian...walking on the counter, on top of the microwave etc. Also, he has started sharpening his claws on the carpet now......when we get up in the morning he uses his scratching post OR the carpet in the front hall which are both fine for him to use...but when he is really hyper and being bad he will just blatently sharpen them on the carpet nearest to where I am. My boyfriend and I are renting for the next year until we buy a house, and I don't want to have to replace carpets in here.

I don't know if it's possible but it seems like he's doing it to spite me! It really seems like he has HUGE attitude sometimes. I can't believe how fast he's back up on the counter after I spray him!

I just don't know what to do, I try to be patient but it's just one thing after another now. I have started putting him in the bathroom for a time-out when he's being like this to try to calm him down.
Does anyone have any ideas????? I will be trying two sided tape on the counters next week.

 

[Richo]

Whenever someone is having severe behavioral problems I recommend they contact:

www.catsinternational.org

They have helped me in the past and are dedicated to helping people with cat problems in the hope that they will not lose patience and abandon the pet. Their phone # is on the website and they will gladly return your call (you usually get a machine).

Sounds like you have a handful. Good luck.

 

[Jeanie]

I clap my hands and say NO loudly. However, we all have some problems. I hope you get the problem settled soon, Maleke. I find my Siamese to be very obedient, but they're adults, and were raised together. (not littermates, but I got them at the same time.)

 

[Richo]

Also, I don't know if you use the spray bottle for all bad behavior but I would think that if you use it for more than one problem, your kitten may not be able to associate the spray bottle with specifically what he is doing wrong. Maybe you already do this but stick to using it only for when he's on the counters.

Much like Jeanie does I stomp my foot and yell NO! He knows he's not allowed on the counters and he will never jump on there when I'm in the room. When I leave the room or the house however, I know he is on the counters sometimes.

As your cat gets older (beyond the "terrible 2's) he will settle down as well. I don't think he's doing anything to spite you, that's not really a cat's nature.

 

[yayi]

Hi Maleke!
I have been told that using the spray bottle only works if the cat does not see you using it. In other words, the kitten will associate you as a meanie with a spray bottle and not because he is doing something wrong. I usually hide and watch my cats if they are going to do something naughty and spray them from behind the counter from behind them so they will think "hey, I always get wet when I jump on this or scratch on that! I don't like it!".
I also hiss like a cat at them and they understand that too.
I tried too saying no but I don't clap or stomp because they just get rattled by the noise and that's the only reason they will stop but it won't guarantee they won't do it again.
Well, I hope I helped!

 

[Majicou]

Hi Maleke!
I have been told that using the spray bottle only works if the cat does not see you using it. In other words, the kitten will associate you as a meanie with a spray bottle and not because he is doing something wrong. I usually hide and watch my cats if they are going to do something naughty and spray them from behind the counter from behind them so they will think "hey, I always get wet when I jump on this or scratch on that! I don't like it!".
I also hiss like a cat at them and they understand that too.
I tried too saying no but I don't clap or stomp because they just get rattled by the noise and that's the only reason they will stop but it won't guarantee they won't do it again.
Well, I hope I helped!

One way of training a cat not to jump onto surfaces without it associating you with the punishment is to place empty drinks cans along the surface, which will fall down with a loud noise as the cat jumps up. Hopefully this will put him off jumping onto the surface - but he won't guess that you put the cans up there!

 

[Jeanie]

That sounds like a good idea!

 

[tanyuh]

Hehehehe, sorry Maleke, but I just had to giggle at your post! Psi is 6 months now and we are still going thru this, but it's not nearly as bad. I would say at 4 months he was definitely the worst. The only way we could keep our sanity was to lock him up in his cage whenever he was bad until he fell asleep. So, I think that locking him in the bathroom for a timeout is a good idea. There's really nothing you can do but wait hehehe, it's just a phase. He's a kitten and he's a brat!!

Good luck!
tanyuh

 

[Jeanie]

Please forgive Tanyuh for laughing, because I really gave her a hard time when she was telling us her baby was a brat! Now she has earned the right to do it to the rest of us. She has survived kittenhood!! :lol:

 

[Cooie]

Two words:

Canned Air

Why do cats hiss? To scare and warn. What sound does canned air make? Nuff said.

I had a couch that my four cats shredded in about a month. I got a new couch and some canned air on the same day. This couch still looks brand new six months later.[/b]

 

[Bug]

I have to suggest canned air too. Works for these guys. One morning my boyfriend woke up and showed me what they did to the air can though. They chewed the straw that comes with it so that it was bent, but now it shoots around corners. lol :lol: