I have a 6-month old tabby that I adopted when she was 6 weeks old. She is EXTREMELY hyper and loves to run around and knock stuff down just like kittens her age tend to do. However, lately she has gotten worse and has started to scratch my bed (she never used to do that) and my chairs in the dining room (she has two scratching posts). When she does this, or other things she is not supposed to, I put her in the bathroom for a while to calm down. I sometimes feel guilty when I give her a "timeout" and I was wondering if I should stop doing this or if it is a waste of time. I love my cat very much, but when she gets into this destructive mode, I don't know what else to do for her to understand that what she is doing is wrong.
2006-10-30 08:52:05 · 13 answers · asked by laeren09 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I'm not sure if time out will work try tapping her on the nose when she does it
2006-10-30 08:59:09 · answer #1 · answered by hamsterluver 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My new baby "Foxxy" is about 4 months old now. She terrorizes! Sometimes I think she is on crack! LOL.
Is your kitty fixed yet? I have heard from quite a few people that before kitty's get fixed their little hormones are in full tilt boogie hence the rambunctious play periods. Sometimes my "Foxxy" rips and runs for so long I get worried that she will pass out from sheer exhaustion!
When kitty does something "bad" you should say "NO" real loud and sharp. I have also done this put a few pennies in a soda can and tape the opening shut. When kitty is bad shake it real loud next to her. Try those alternatives to squirting with water. If you see results from "time out" in the bathroom keep it up. Or try alternating both types of "punishments" see what she responds to most.
Someone mentioned a "cat off" spray. That stuff works like a charm.
Before you know it kitty will be a big girl and you will wonder where her play fullness went. You will at times miss her antics.
Try playing with your furry baby too. A little attention goes a long way with the little fur balls.
Good luck! Hope you and kitty have a nice long life together!
~Ciao~
2006-10-30 09:36:12 · answer #2 · answered by Spay-n-Neuter-Your-Pets 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she is an indoor cat, she is expressing some frustration at not being allowed to go outdoors and check out her territory and other cats that may have been there.
You could get a spray bottle and fill it with water and squirt her when she does the scratching. I keep the door to my bedroom shut, so my cat doesn't scratch my bed up either.
There are sprays such as Feliway available in Vet's offices or farm stores that you spray on the items you do not want the cat to scratch. You don't spray it on the cat ! The pherenomes released relax the cat and she doesn't scratch things. I've used it and it works great.
2006-10-30 08:57:51 · answer #3 · answered by Big Bear 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is perfectly OK to give any animal a time out , i have 2 cats and 7 kittens and most of them need a time out ,when they scratch or bite or knocking things over. I normally put mine in the garage (there's a cat flap so they can go out) but they know when i put them in there they have been bad. sometimes though ,kittens that age (6months) think your playing with them when you do that .you do have to make it known that they have done Wrong not hard core punishment .the more you do it the Quicker they will realize that hey did wrong !! so don't feel bad (if you had kids and they were bad ,you'd give them a time out right??) if you answered yes then threes your answere! i feel kind of bad when i shut them in the room by themselfs ,but they still love you afterwoods :)
-hollie
2006-10-30 09:05:31 · answer #4 · answered by hollie13 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think "time-out" works with cats. They just don't have the intellectual ability to connect that correction to what they did wrong. To my mind it works with children not with cats. I don't know about dogs.
Have you had her spayed? At six months she is coming to the end of her kitten crazies. I think it's just best to correct her by picking her up and saying "No!" immediately she misbehaves. You can also hiss in her face as this is what a mother cat does to correct her kittens' behavior.
Put some double-sided sticky tape on the chair legs and she won't use them. They can come off in a month or two.
2006-10-30 09:33:36 · answer #5 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
appears like Bailey has some dominance themes. at first she desires her claws clipped. this could be a 2-individual pastime. Then, %. her up gently wheneve you desire to. in spite of everything, you are the boss. carry her firmly. If she bites you could push your finger into her mouth till she gags and then she'll get the hint that biting isn't the subject to do. confirm you're saying, "NO chew". Then if she nonetheless acts up you could %. her up in a "momma carry" via the scruff of her neck and tell her "NO" and carry her like that till she calms down. So what we are engaged on right it is self-discipline. in spite of the incontrovertible fact that, you place her down once you desire to, no longer whilst Bailey demands. the subject you're having now will in basic terms worsen as Bailey gets larger and better and her teeth and claws get larger. in case you're protecting her, no remember what state she's in, communicate gently to her. If she works herself as much as a significant "hissy", you would be able to would desire to hotel to an occasional use of a cat muzzle. those are made up of fabrics and fix with velcro. touching directly to play, do no longer below any circumstances play together with her making use of your arms. it is an invitation to get bit. Get a kitty tease or a laser mouse and play together with her. this would channel a number of her capability right into a greater proper outlet. Bailey is in basic terms getting to grasp what the worldwide is approximately, so we don't desire to grant her the impact that she runs it.
2016-10-03 02:51:27 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no time out isnt bad...i put my kitty in time out when she misbehaves and try getting a scratching post or cat condo mine love to scratch them instead of the couches
2006-10-30 09:27:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it makes you feel better, great. But the cat is probably clueless as to why she's locked in the bathroom.
2006-10-30 09:00:30 · answer #8 · answered by Stimpy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My kitten used to do stuff like that. We would scold her and she would get all upset and stuff. She forgave us in like, 2 minutes and after a while she stopped
2006-10-30 09:13:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, good luck with that. I just keep the doors closed where my cats aren't allowed. Two of them are incorrigible.
2006-10-30 08:57:51 · answer #10 · answered by rrrevils 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋