our new kitten gets on counters and tables and she always gets on your lap when you are eating to get on the table and we thought we should spray her with a water bottle , is that mean or what ? but there is no other way I have found that you can tell a cat not to do something .... and I want to make sure she learns while she is 3 months old...!
2006-10-27 04:30:20 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
I always squirted mine with a water gun. I don't think it's mean. The only other way I've ever found to discipline a cat is to actually spank her, which is meaner and also a lot more likely to result in me, the human, geting bitten.
2006-10-27 04:32:50 · answer #1 · answered by Amy F 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The water gun use is fine, the problem with it is you have to be consistent in its use. If you spray the cat only when your home, the cat learns that when Mom's away, jumping up on the counter is fine... and that may or may not be within the limits of what you want to do (for example, I wanted to keep my cat off the counters because our stovetop range is continuous with the counters and I never want him to risk getting burned. However, I don't ever leave the room when the burners are on so going on the counters when I'm not home isn't a problem.
You can also get Citronella spray units that are motion sensitive and set them on the counter. It's probably the sound they make and not the smell of the citronella that deters the cat but they work nonetheless.
I would NOT recommend the newspaper mousetrap idea. If kitty were to jump up on the counter and land on the trap she could end up with a fractured paw.
Tanya
2006-10-27 11:47:41 · answer #2 · answered by juliette62 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I never found the water bottle to work. What I did was to put my cat back on the floor and tell them no. If you watch your cat and see those paws getting ready for the jump onto the counter and keep say no in an authoritative voice your cat will learn.
My cat used to sit on top of the garbage can lid and watch me cook on the stove. Once he learned that he could not go farther than that he never tried to jump on the counter again. I used the method of watching him for the attempt to jump.
I tried the water bottle, but my cats did not associate the squirt of water with the bad action. They just got concerned that something was flying through the air. They are smart though and if you know what they are thinking and respond to that they will understand.
Take care,
Troy
2006-10-27 11:46:15 · answer #3 · answered by tiuliucci 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a kitten too and I use the spray bottle method. I don't have to use it very often because it only took a couple of times of him being on our kitchen table and getting sprayed to learn the lesson. He was really more scared than anything- the water bottle I bought was from the dollar store and doesn't spray very well. Now he just us lifting it to spray him and he gets right off and believe me he's an evil little bugger. I love him though :)
2006-10-27 11:36:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I too would discourage the mousetrap idea. Too potentially dangerous.
A similar idea is something called a sofa scram. The nice thing is that it deters the behavior when you aren't around. Since catching them in the act is the ONLY time you can discipline, this is very handy.
If you're dealing with a larger area, put it where the cat will either land on it when jumping up, or would walk on it otherwise.
It works via battery with an on/off switch. When on, any pressure will set up a constant chirping. It's horrible, and cats will hate it too.
Here's a link to one example.
2006-10-27 11:58:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had dozens of cats. And none of them are allowed on the counters, tables or on me while I am eating. I trained my cats to be responsive to my voice. I would yell "No" in a very loud and deep voice while stomping on the floor. After a few times, it works great.
2006-10-27 12:20:41 · answer #6 · answered by KC 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been owned by cats for 45 years..and I have always sprayed them with water just a little squirt to encourage them not to do things. only 2 cats in that time have actually enjoyed it and played with it....then I found a loud firm no and clapping my hands worked.
2006-10-27 12:00:01 · answer #7 · answered by Searching for answers 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's okay to squirt the kitten with the water bottle but the sound of the voice saying NO will certainly stop the kitten in it's paw tracks
thank you
2006-10-27 11:40:33 · answer #8 · answered by cooks delight 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to your local pet store, ask them about some products you can spray to deter the cats from jumping up on the countertops
2006-10-27 11:50:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A spray of water is fine! It won't hurt her but will let her know that she is being naughty. Being consistant about it and putting her back on the floor every time should teach her in no time.
2006-10-27 11:36:48 · answer #10 · answered by suncat 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋