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I have 2 cats that turn 2 in April. They are a brother and sister, and I dont know what breed they are. They are getting into trouble more and I was wondering what would be the best way to train them to not do things. Things like... run outside, climb on the kitchen table, sit on where we prepare food, and my black cat just knocked a glass bowl to the floor breaking it.
I have tried making a loud sound and chasing them for a little when I see them up there, but that doesnt seem to work really.
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What Is The Best Way To Train An Almost 2 Year Old Cat Things? Like Stay Off Tables.
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#2
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 11:06 AM
Well I have sad news for you ..you can only train a cat to stay off a particular surface WHILE YOU ARE LOOKING ...grin ..
But if that will do you ..try calling your cat and offer a treat or a cuddle as you see them heading for the wrong place ...
But if that will do you ..try calling your cat and offer a treat or a cuddle as you see them heading for the wrong place ...
#3
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 12:37 PM
Off tables? I don’t think so!!! Lol
Cats like tables because they’re high up, and depending where you live and the type of table, they’re cool on their fur (like at our place on the Gold Coast, our tables are glass so it’s nice for them in Summer)
Your cats are about a year older than mine, and right now we’ve sort of half settled into a fairly peaceful run of behaviour with our boys…but we also notice they’re definitely young adults / old teenagers and are exhibiting some “naughty” behaviour like scratching the couch and getting up on the stove top that they didn’t used to really do. We have to be extra diligent with our water spray bottle and loud and firm NO! when they do this sort of thing.
Otherwise, I’d say forget the tables. The best you can do is keep them off most of the time when you’re around, but they’ll no doubt be up there whenever you’re not present. Lol. I understand the preparing food thing, but can you use a chopping board that they don’t ever sit on? Or just spray disinfectant on the surfaces before preparing the food? (if they’re jumping up WHEN you’re in the process of preparing the food, then feel free to spray them with a water bottle and say NO! or DOWN! and/or forcibly remove them from the surface – gently of course – as many times as required for them to stop, at least while you’re actively preparing the food) Also, if you don’t want cats to bother you when preparing or eating your human food, NEVER feed them any of that food during the times you’re eating or preparing it. Then you’ve got the combination of making it as unpleasant an experience as possible for them to jump up PLUS the fact there’s really no reward for it (if they don’t get any food anyway) They’ll learn. And yeah, if you think it’ll help, try giving them a little treat they always love (like my boys LOVE these certain dry biscuit snacks. They go crazy for them! I can’t recall the name now, but you get them from the vet and pet shops) and they’ll be distracted. Lead them wherever you want them to go and feed them. (this may result in them coming back to you for more though)
In terms of running outside, are your cats indoors only? Our’s are, and we NEVER give them any opportunity to get out. Of course we come and go out the front door, but they rarely run at it to try and escape. We’re still careful anyway. We don’t loiter there with it open for example. And whenever we have to go out on the balcony or have the screen door open for any length of time, we put the cats in the bedroom with the door closed so there’s no chance they can get out. I don’t care if they feel like they’re in jail (which they don’t anyway). It’s not worth risking their safety to not be so careful.
And in terms of knocking the glass on the floor, well…whoops. I’d be most concerned that the cats would get glass in their paws, but basically, we’ve learned to put anything breakable and attractive to cats either places where they’re unlikely to fall (like I’ve pushed some of my ornaments back against the wall / mirror of my dressing table) or remove them all together, at least until the cats are older and/or more placid. (they do also tend to get bored with things like this, I find. Our cats won’t notice something or other for weeks/months, then for some reason they notice it, become very interested for a length of time, and then forget about it again and don’t notice it)
Cats like tables because they’re high up, and depending where you live and the type of table, they’re cool on their fur (like at our place on the Gold Coast, our tables are glass so it’s nice for them in Summer)
Your cats are about a year older than mine, and right now we’ve sort of half settled into a fairly peaceful run of behaviour with our boys…but we also notice they’re definitely young adults / old teenagers and are exhibiting some “naughty” behaviour like scratching the couch and getting up on the stove top that they didn’t used to really do. We have to be extra diligent with our water spray bottle and loud and firm NO! when they do this sort of thing.
Otherwise, I’d say forget the tables. The best you can do is keep them off most of the time when you’re around, but they’ll no doubt be up there whenever you’re not present. Lol. I understand the preparing food thing, but can you use a chopping board that they don’t ever sit on? Or just spray disinfectant on the surfaces before preparing the food? (if they’re jumping up WHEN you’re in the process of preparing the food, then feel free to spray them with a water bottle and say NO! or DOWN! and/or forcibly remove them from the surface – gently of course – as many times as required for them to stop, at least while you’re actively preparing the food) Also, if you don’t want cats to bother you when preparing or eating your human food, NEVER feed them any of that food during the times you’re eating or preparing it. Then you’ve got the combination of making it as unpleasant an experience as possible for them to jump up PLUS the fact there’s really no reward for it (if they don’t get any food anyway) They’ll learn. And yeah, if you think it’ll help, try giving them a little treat they always love (like my boys LOVE these certain dry biscuit snacks. They go crazy for them! I can’t recall the name now, but you get them from the vet and pet shops) and they’ll be distracted. Lead them wherever you want them to go and feed them. (this may result in them coming back to you for more though)
In terms of running outside, are your cats indoors only? Our’s are, and we NEVER give them any opportunity to get out. Of course we come and go out the front door, but they rarely run at it to try and escape. We’re still careful anyway. We don’t loiter there with it open for example. And whenever we have to go out on the balcony or have the screen door open for any length of time, we put the cats in the bedroom with the door closed so there’s no chance they can get out. I don’t care if they feel like they’re in jail (which they don’t anyway). It’s not worth risking their safety to not be so careful.
And in terms of knocking the glass on the floor, well…whoops. I’d be most concerned that the cats would get glass in their paws, but basically, we’ve learned to put anything breakable and attractive to cats either places where they’re unlikely to fall (like I’ve pushed some of my ornaments back against the wall / mirror of my dressing table) or remove them all together, at least until the cats are older and/or more placid. (they do also tend to get bored with things like this, I find. Our cats won’t notice something or other for weeks/months, then for some reason they notice it, become very interested for a length of time, and then forget about it again and don’t notice it)
#4
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 12:51 PM
Use a housebrick
Whenever the cats are doing something you dont like, drop the housebrick on your foot. This will cause you to let out a blood curdling scream that will stop the cats in their tracks and send them running.
Whenever the cats are doing something you dont like, drop the housebrick on your foot. This will cause you to let out a blood curdling scream that will stop the cats in their tracks and send them running.
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 01:31 PM
LMAO!
The other afternoon Dweezil was scratching the couch AGAIN, and he knows it’s naughty (he looks at you while he’s doing it, lol), and I wasn’t that close to him, and not near the water spray bottle, but I clapped my hands loudly whilst running at him very fast and shrieking EEEEEEH!!! EEEEEEHHH!!! His eyes got really big and he hid under the couch, with his little bottom poking out. Heheheh.
The other afternoon Dweezil was scratching the couch AGAIN, and he knows it’s naughty (he looks at you while he’s doing it, lol), and I wasn’t that close to him, and not near the water spray bottle, but I clapped my hands loudly whilst running at him very fast and shrieking EEEEEEH!!! EEEEEEHHH!!! His eyes got really big and he hid under the couch, with his little bottom poking out. Heheheh.
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 03:18 PM
if you learn how, I am sure you could make a fortune.
Basically we have a saying in our home which covers it all - pussycats do what pussycats want to do, but we do shoo them off things when they go where we don't want them.
Basically we have a saying in our home which covers it all - pussycats do what pussycats want to do, but we do shoo them off things when they go where we don't want them.
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Posted 30 October 2009 - 10:22 PM
if you work out how to train them can you let me know, after 25 years of being owned by orientals I am used to cats everywhere, I just dont have anything breakable in their path and everything is designed for their needs, I on the other hand am really well trained.
Seriously, the only rule is no cats on the benches will I prepare food overcome by dropping pieces of meat on the floor for them and no cats on the dinner plates, overcome by giving them dinner before we sit down, and as far as the outdoors, ours are strictly indoor/cat enclosure and we double door before going out
Seriously, the only rule is no cats on the benches will I prepare food overcome by dropping pieces of meat on the floor for them and no cats on the dinner plates, overcome by giving them dinner before we sit down, and as far as the outdoors, ours are strictly indoor/cat enclosure and we double door before going out
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Posted 31 October 2009 - 12:29 AM
Thanks everyone.
I cant let them on the tables, and cant let them stay up at night. They will drag things with their mouth and knock things over.
Prettymuch they make a mess of everything and cause chaos. I tried pushing things back, but they just bat at it with their claws and move it anyways. Thankfully they havent been hurt after knocking over plates, even though I have (glass in foot = no fun)
I cant let them on the tables, and cant let them stay up at night. They will drag things with their mouth and knock things over.
Prettymuch they make a mess of everything and cause chaos. I tried pushing things back, but they just bat at it with their claws and move it anyways. Thankfully they havent been hurt after knocking over plates, even though I have (glass in foot = no fun)
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Posted 31 October 2009 - 09:40 PM
Oh dear. I think in that case, I'd move certain of the worst offending objects away completely, put them into cupboards, etc.
Our cats are pretty good and we don't have to be quite as diligent with making sure everything is cat-proofed, but we still have to do certain things we never had to think about before...like right now I've got these 4 small adhesive hooks I'll attach to the wall soon, and Monty keeps finding them and trying to steal and eat them. They're small so he's not allowed to play with them, and I have to remember to take them with me when I leave this room.
We've also pretty much got to the stage where they can play with anything as long as it's not REALLY important to us, and as long as it's safe for them (right now they're both going through a phase of being fixated on paper and balled up paper. Monty keeps stealing envelopes. The last 2 days when I've gotten the mail, I've sat on the couch and opened it, leaving a small pile of discarded envelopes next to me, and he comes up and takes one and runs away with it in his mouth. It's so hilarious!! lol. He never actually tries to eat it, and paper's fairly harmless as long as it's a big enough piece. We don't let him play with tiny pieces that could get caught in his throat)
I think it'd be easier if you sort of...re-prioritise certain things like your items on top of tables, etc. Your kitties simply can't be controlled ALL the time, you know? They have to live, and it's their house too now...good luck. I do know how hard it can be. (can I also add that you're lucky in a way - may seem a bit hard to believe right now - to have such energetic, playful and cheeky cats. They're obviously very happy, feel loved and have lots of personality, even if they can be destructive!!)
Our cats are pretty good and we don't have to be quite as diligent with making sure everything is cat-proofed, but we still have to do certain things we never had to think about before...like right now I've got these 4 small adhesive hooks I'll attach to the wall soon, and Monty keeps finding them and trying to steal and eat them. They're small so he's not allowed to play with them, and I have to remember to take them with me when I leave this room.
We've also pretty much got to the stage where they can play with anything as long as it's not REALLY important to us, and as long as it's safe for them (right now they're both going through a phase of being fixated on paper and balled up paper. Monty keeps stealing envelopes. The last 2 days when I've gotten the mail, I've sat on the couch and opened it, leaving a small pile of discarded envelopes next to me, and he comes up and takes one and runs away with it in his mouth. It's so hilarious!! lol. He never actually tries to eat it, and paper's fairly harmless as long as it's a big enough piece. We don't let him play with tiny pieces that could get caught in his throat)
I think it'd be easier if you sort of...re-prioritise certain things like your items on top of tables, etc. Your kitties simply can't be controlled ALL the time, you know? They have to live, and it's their house too now...good luck. I do know how hard it can be. (can I also add that you're lucky in a way - may seem a bit hard to believe right now - to have such energetic, playful and cheeky cats. They're obviously very happy, feel loved and have lots of personality, even if they can be destructive!!)
This post has been edited by monty_dweezil: 31 October 2009 - 09:42 PM
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