My cat is a year old. She's very curious. Likes to go where I don't want her to. Her favorite thing to do is jump up on my dresser at night and knock things off and then jump on the mirror. I'm afraid she's gonna knock the mirror over and break it, not to mention all my stuff on the dresser. I know she's doing this for attention. She thinks it's a game. As soon as I'm going to bed at night is when she does this. When she jumps up there I yell at her and she just looks at me. I have to actually get out of the bed and get 2 inches away from her before she jumps down and runs. When I get back into bed, she jumps back up there! I've tried spraying her with a squirt bottle, clapping my hands loud to scare her, I've even cleaned the mirror with vinigar because I heard cat's don't like the smell, but nothing works. If I close my door she uses her claws on it and that's not good cuz I live in an apartment. It's keeping me awake at night. What can I do to keep her from jumping up there?
2006-10-13 01:03:56 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
cats are nocturnal creatures and they were designed to hunt and explore. sounds like your kitty is doing what is natural. make sure she gets lots of exercise before bed; play with her alot and wear her out some. then feed her right before you go to bed. also remove anything from the dresser that you can live without up there, and take a plastic carpet protector (the kind that is clear and has "nubbies" on the underside) and put it UPSIDE DOWN (nubbies up) on your dresser. cats don't like the feeling of it and they will jump off when they get on it. this has worked for years with my cats. after a few months of breaking this habit with her, she won't want to get on it anymore. leave it there for a month or two, though!!!! punishing her yourself doesn't work because she only associates the punishment with you, not the dresser, and in essence you want her to DISLIKE the dresser in order to keep her off of it. good luck!
2006-10-13 01:34:55 · answer #1 · answered by gunnermom 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Two words: Behavior Modification
Two more words: Be Sneaky
You've probably figured out by now that cats never do anything THEY don't want to do. The key is to outsmart the cat (not as easy as non-cat-owners might think!).
Rather than trying to make the dresser/mirror area unappealing to your little darling, you need to come up with something/somewhere else that is MORE appealing.
I suggest placing a catnip-filled toy or sachet securely INSIDE a larger, heavier pillow (that the cat cannot drag around), either on your bed or bedroom floor, only at bedtime (keep it well-hidden at all other times, or the cat won't perceive it as a special treat). Your nocturnal adventurer will quickly decide - on her own, of course! - that this is WAY more interesting and fun than her usual nightly commando assault on the furniture.
You might throw in a few phony scoldings just to make her think you don't approve. This will keep her motivated to "annoy" you.
If she is up ALL night, it's probably because she is sleeping ALL day. Think "toddler". Try to provide some activities for her for during the day while you are away. Cats get bored easily. If YOU had nothing to do all day but sleep, you'd be up all night, too!
So far as the vinegar? Forget it. All that will accomplish is to make your bedroom smell like a salad - and then you might as well be taking Ambien, because YOU will be up all night raiding the fridge. Note to self: buy croutons
As a last resort - a friend of mine had to do this with her cat - you may have to consider tucking her in at night into an appropriately-sized carrier or crate. Like a small child who is getting used to sleeping on their own for the first time, she will likely complain about it at first, but that will lessen as she realizes that this is her "home" until morning.
Give her lots of love and don't forget to express your gratitude to her for letting you live with her!
2006-10-13 01:38:35 · answer #2 · answered by happy heathen 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cat Jumps Into Mirror
2016-12-12 08:44:31 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use a spsry bottle and spray her evey time she gets on the dresser and any time she goes some where you don't want her to trust me it worked with my cat. Go luck and ues ice cold water and don't give up cuz if you do she will think she owns you and its the other way around
2006-10-13 02:06:08 · answer #4 · answered by Leondra 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could try putting thick double sided tape up there, she will stick to it and not want to jump anymore.
But it sounds like the dresser is the tallest point in your room, as cats like to be as high above the ground as possible, you could try getting a tall scratching post for her to sit on, as an alternative to your dresser.
2006-10-13 01:37:32 · answer #5 · answered by Krystle 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
take the items off your dresser and then she will be okay or better yet put a fence up that she can't come into your bedroom you know one of those baby gates
thank you
2006-10-13 03:26:56 · answer #6 · answered by cooks delight 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You keep giving her the attention she craves so she keeps doing it.
Refuse to react - after making things safe - and after a while she will stop and do something else for attention.
2006-10-13 01:21:42 · answer #7 · answered by waistel 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually the balloon idea was okay, it may seem silly but if she busts one maybe it'll scare the crap out of her and she'll remember to stay away.
2006-10-13 01:52:07 · answer #8 · answered by Redd 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tape balloons to the sides.
2006-10-13 01:13:52 · answer #9 · answered by Lydia 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
one sided fly paper works, cut into 4" squares.
2006-10-13 01:14:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋