how do i get my cat to...?

Question

1. be calm enough for me to give him a bath
2. stop sleeping in the big pots of plants/dirt in the house
3. stop stepping in his poop
4. keep him off the dining table, where he knocked down the bamboo TWICE

thanks. the answers really helped.
but the only reason why i would want to bathe him is b/c he SMELLS. especially when he steps in his poop. we use these wipes that are SUPPOSE to be like baths, but they don't work that great. i might just bathe him if he smells REALLY bad. so it's probably very rare that i bathe him.

Answer 1

1) good luck, usually cats don't need baths anyway. they USUALLY can take care of all of that on their own anyways

2) put the plants where your cats can't get to them, or ask a lawn and garden place or maybe a pet store if there is something that you can put in it that won't hurt the plant or the cat and keep the cat out.

3) maybe you need a bigger litter box if he keeps stepping in his poop

4) you can spray him every time you see him do it, though that doesn't help the times you don't see him on there, you can try double sided tape or aluminum foil. we basically have given up on the idea of keeping them off the counters and the table, we just don't keep anything that can be broke or is bad for our cats on there, you can put down shelf paper or something on the table when you aren't using it and that way you will have a clean table and counter when you need it.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

There is a product that you can buy at most pet stores to help you with the bath problem. I don't remember what it is called, but it is a bag made so that you can leave the cats head out, and also will have holes that you can let his legs out too if you want. The bag is made specifically for people to give their cats baths; I know it sounds funny because you'd think the bag would prevent the cat from getting wet but this one works. It also helps when you need to medicate a cat that is hard to handle.

Make sure his cat box is cleaned often, this should help prevent him from stepping in his poop all of the time. Or you might try getting one of those litter maid cat boxes that automatically cleans up after the cat.

Answer 3

The main problem here is your cat is stepping on his poop which leads me to believe that you are not cleaning out his box on a daily basis. If you scoop out the poop every day there won't be so much for him to walk through. Also maybe you need a different type of litter and more of it.
As far as them sleeping in dirt well they do this because the dirt feels good on their fur. They actually roll in dry soil as it has a cleaning effect on their skin. Most cats will roll in dirt and then give themselves a bath.
As far as the table issue, when you see him doing this bad behavior clap your hands and yell NO loudly! Cat do not like sudden loud noises and they will eventually realize that their bad behavior is going to bring it on. If all else fails a water pistol will do the trick. I only had to use it a few time and now all I have to do is mimic the sound a water pistol makes and they get the message.

Answer 4

1. calming down for a bath probably isn't possible.. but have someone help you and have one hand holding the skin on the back of his neck, this won't hurt him, and have someone hold his two front paws.. this way if they don't have legs they can't run away..

2. no one believes me on here but put foil around on the top of the pots just around the base, for some reason the animals don't like the reflection or something.

3. Cats are the cleanest animals i have ever seen, so if he is stepping in his poop in the litter box keep it extra clean and maybe get him 2 litter boxes

4. again put up foil. you can take it down when company comes, or when you are there to yell at him...

Answer 5

1. as you give your cat a bath, pet him. afterwards, give him a reward of some kind.

2. When he sleeps in pots of dirt, simply remove him and find a comfier spot for him to sleep in. So he would think: "oh, I like this more than the plant and pots of dirt."

3. I don't really understand why he would be stepping in his poop, but if it's poop in his litter box, he might just need to find a comfortable position to poop in, therefore, he might find himself stepping in poop. I suggest you get him a bigger litter box, or clean the litter box more often.

4. I know this sounds kind of mean to your cat, but clap loudly one time near him whenever he jumps on the table. Don't pick him up, though, because even if you just lift him off the table onto the ground, it's a sign of affection to lift up your cat. therefore, whenever he's being good and you pick him up as a reward, he'll get mixed signals and think he's done something bad.

- a catlover

Answer 6

1) Make sure the cat can hang on to u. Like ur shirt. 2)put foil over the dirt in ur potted plants.3)CLEAN ITS LITTER BOX EVERYDAY. I dont know if u know this but a cat scratch can be harmful to u at times. 4)Dont smack or hit ur cat. Pick it up and set it on the floor every time it gets on the table. Move the bamboo if u can. It probably wants to claw it. Cats are very territorial. That is there instinct. If u make it mad it will just do it over and over again. Good luck...

Answer 7

Ask your vet for meds to calm the cat. I think they sell something like that to be used for travel. It might work for baths too. As for the dirt, poop and table, I've heard spraying a cat with water out of a squirt gun or misting bottle(after doing something, or going somewhere bad)makes them stop eventually. It might not help the bath thing though.

Answer 8

1. Cats don't like baths. Leave him alone.
2. Put plastic forks sticking up in the dirt.
3. Use more kitty litter and clean the box more often.
4. Get a squirt gun. Whenever he does something you don't like, say "Pssst" really loud and squirt him. Soon he will quit whatever he's doing with just the "Psssst". (For some reason that sound really irritates them.)
This works for me. You have to respect cats. Bathing them is not respectful. He's not a dog, for God's sake.

Answer 9

You shouldn't be bathing your cat (except for his feet when he steps in his doodoo). Cats are attracted to dirt, so get plants off the floor, on higher shelves or hang them up. No more floor plants! The stop stepping in his poop is a tough one - you are going to have to watch him in the litter box for a while, and see what he's doing wrong. He's probably stepping in it when he turns around to smell it before he burys it. To keep cats off furniture, go nuts with the spray bottle. If your bamboo is a real plant, see my previous comments. With cats, as with little children, if you want them around, you have to change things in the house.

Answer 10

1. Cats don't like water. At all.
2. Perhaps spray something smelly in them. Use an odor that cats won't like. I'm sure there are some.
3. If he uses a litter box, this probably isn't possible.
4. Spray water at him every time he does??

Good luck. Cats are very independent and if he's already been doing this stuff for some time, it may take some time to break him of the habit.