i have a 6 mthsold cat and he is driving me crazy !?

Question

i adopted him from the shelter when he was 2 mths old i love him alot but he is going crazy . he i sscratchin up my leather chairs he loves water for some strange reason he jumps in the shower with me jumps im the sink knocks over the garbage can , if i leave meat to thaw out he gets up on the counter and busts it open an steals a piece of raw meat. i cant take it any more. i feel like taking him bak but my kids love him is there nething i can do to break him out of this habit?

Answer 1

There are many possible ways to prevent taking him back.

Scratching: -Buy a scratching post and sprinkle with catnip and show him how to use it (Yes, monkey see monkey do.)
-Buy nail caps that will go over his nails and they prevent him from doing any harm on your furniture.
-Restrict him from the room with the leather furniture.

Love for water: - Every cat is different and my cat loves water too. He hears the tap and he'll run to it.
- Close the bathroom door when you are in the shower.
- Punish him with a loud no or a ccan filled with coins everytime he jumps in the sink. Make sure he doesnt see the can of coins otherwise he'll jump up when he makes sure there arent any cans with coins in 'em.

Knocking things over: - Its a kittys way of playing, especailly because it is 6 months old.
- Get him one of those toys with the big base, the spring facing upwards and a little toys on top of the spring...that way he can push the toy and the toy will come back and he'll play with it for hours.

Leaving meat to thaw: - Put it in a bowl and put another bowl on top...that way he wont know where the meat is.

Jumping on the counter: - Buy double sided tape and stick on to the edge of the counter, so when your cat jumps up he'll feel the uncomfortable sticky feeling on his paws and he wont like it so he'll get off. After a while you can take it off and he'll think the tape is still there.
- Squirt him with a water gun, or spray bottle. Make sure theres water inside. Also when spraying him make sure he cant really see you or squirt bottle. Than squirt him on the head and say NO!
- You can also shake the can of coins when he goes up. Make sure you dont show the can and try to keep your self as hidden as possible.

All these methods will catch on to your cat in 2 or 6 days or so. Depends on your cat. It hung on to my cat pretty quick and hes 10 months old right now and hes my little angel.

Hope this helped. If you need any more help email me.

God Bless you, your family and your cat.

May all go well.

Answer 2

Having a new kitten or puppy can be very much like having a new child. And just like you would do for a child, you should "kitten-proof" your house as much as possible. Put your garbage can away in a closet, or under the sink where the cat cannot reach it. If your cat's a Hudini like mine is, you might need to get child locks. If you have any long curtains or electric cords, loop them up and out of reach, at least until the kitten is older. For the scratching, purchase a nail clipper at your local pet store. Gently press on each of the kitten's "fingers" to expose the claw and clip them as short as possible - but make sure you don't clip into the quick! This won't stop him from scratching, but it will minimize the damage. (If this still doesn't help consider declawing the cat - front claws only. But only do this if the cat is strickly going to be an inside cat.) Purchase a small spray bottle and fill it with water. Whenever you catch the kitten on the counter or anywhere else it shouldn't be, spray it with the water bottle. Though considering your cat's penchant for water, this may not work. You might also consider purchasing a cat repellant. I have never tried them, but Petco sales several varieties. But use it only for the kitchen counter - overuse will decrease it's affectivness. And lastly, make sure your kitten has plenty of toys to amuse himself with. One that I highly recomend is the donnut with the ball inside (sorry, don't know the proper name). The fuzzy mice are also a big hit with my cats - and they're cheap.

here is a link for the donnut toy
http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_R_1031_PC_productlist_Nav_210_N_23+101_cp_4_Nao_36_sku_97624_familyID_1729.aspx

here is a link for the cat repellent
http://www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_R_3543_PC_productlist_Nav_207_N_23+140_sku_333220_familyID_9036.aspx

Answer 3

The trick is to break the bad habits.
(1) To convince him that the leather chairs are not ggod to scratch, cover the chairs with ordinary packing tape - not completely covered of course - just tape up your chairs in horizonatal or vertical strips... cats don't like the texture of tape as scratching material. Better yet, use double-sided tape. You need only have the tape cover the chairs for a few days - just long enough for kitty to realize that the chairs are no fun anymore, then he'll forget about scratching them

(2) at the same time, get kitty an appropriate scratching post. experiment with different materials - carpet, wood, cardboard - to see which surface he prefers to scracth

(3) Cover the kitchen benches with double-sided tape. Cats do not like thinbgs that stick to their paws. He'll avoid jumping up the kitchen bench next time

(4) Thaw your meats in a covered plastic container, if that is a worry.

Your cat is a very active and playful kitty. He'll calm down as he matures... another 6 months and he'll be much much better. Don't give up too soon and break the kids' hearts.

I have two male neutered cats (one is 8 and the other is just over 1 yr). I have a leather sofa, arm chair and ottoman. I did the taped-up thing BEFORE my cats could discover that scracthing the sofa or chair might be fun.

Answer 4

Raising a kitten into a cat is just as challenging (and rewarding) as raising your children.

Kittens need to be trained. They are trained to use a litter box, to stay off of counters, to scratch in designated areas only, etc.

One great training tool is to get a spray bottle of water. Every time the cat is doing something it isn't supposed to do, spray it once with the water, but try to make it so the cat does not see you with the bottle. Eventually, the cat will associate him/her doing bad things with being sprayed, and he/she won't do it anymore.

If your cat loves water so much that he/she doesn't mind being sprayed (though I haven't met such a cat yet), then buy some of that 'cat off' spray at any pet store. You'll have to spray your furniture at least once a day, but it is a good temporary fix until it has learned the correct behaviors.

Cats NEED to scratch. I would suggest buying a box cat scratcher, as they simulate natural wood (which is best for a cat's claws). Some come with cat nip to be sprinkled on top, to initially attract the cat. You can also get a scratching post. My cats love both. Realize that most shelters forbid you to have your cat declawed, even when they are indoor pets. It is cruel and unnecessary. Most shelters will not take the cat back if it has been declawed.

For your kitchen, try cleaning with orange scented cleanser. Cats are disgusted by the smell of orange, and it is a safe bet he/she won't want to be anywhere near.

In the future, realize all kittens and puppies are BABIES. They need to be loved, nurtured, and taught. They deserve FOREVER homes--places where they are integrated into the family and not taken back to the shelter at the first sign of trouble.

If you are getting a pet just for your children, this is a bad idea. Children are not able to care for a pet the way it needs to be cared for through its childhood. You must be up to the challenge of raising another baby. I think you'll find that in the end, it will all have been worth your temporary discomfort.

Answer 5

Aw, don't take him back. You've given him a nice home with children-- he will grow out of the stage. He's being a kitten and they're really curious which makes them really bad! If he's tearing up the chairs-- there is this product that you can buy at Petsmart, or stores like that, called "Boundary." You spray it on stuff that you don't want the cat/kitten to get into. We have a 9 month old kitten so I understand your worries-- but understand what would happen to him if you took him back--- no-kill shelters have a huge waitlist and kill shelters--well, there would be no guarantee he would be adopted.

... Just keep your patience. The kitten stage ends at some point and they become lazy cats!

Answer 6

I have 4 cats and over the years have had over a dozen. Some love water. I had two who would clinb in the shower with you and sit there. Another would sit under a running faucet. Almost all of them love raw meat. They are carnivores, hunters and thats natural for them. Put the meat in the ice box to thaw...cats exhibit this kind of behavior. They are highly curious and all the "wildness" of thier ancestors has not been bred out of them. They are doing what is natural for them. Minimize the daamge by giving as few oppertunities as possible. Beyond that enjoy it. Its what cats do.

Answer 7

Your kitty is just being a kitty. Thaw your meat in the microwave, you can put it in, shut the door and he can't get to it. Get him a "Turbo Scratcher" it will give him something to scratch on and it has a built in toy. Some cats love to play in water, ALL cats prefer running water to still water, PetMate kitty water fountain, and you can leave a plastic cup in the sink with water in it that he can knock over and play in. It also sounds like your kitty needs a companion, over my 40 some odd years of being owned by cats, I've discovered that two cats are actually easier than one because they entertain each other and will harass each other instead of my plants and trashcans. Try getting him a buddy. Just remember, it's a general rule that cats don't adjust to people, people adjust to their cats.

Answer 8

Try disciplining him. One thing you need to do, is be patient. I took in 2 cats about a week ago and they both had natural instincts when I first got them. But I trained them and they are perfectly fine now.
Whenever your cat does something you dont want him to do, you look him in the eye and firmly say ''NO.''. He will soon get the idea that your not happy with him being naughty.
Or if that fails, you get a water bottle and squirt him when hes doing things you dont like. He wont like the water and will know not to do the same thing again, for fears of being squirted.

Answer 9

People will often tell you the crates are a must with puppies but even sometimes with kittens its a good idea.

Is he altered? If not think about a front declaw while he is under anesthesia for the neuter. Some shelter do not do prepubescent altering but you should receive a voucher to get him altered.

Answer 10

Oh-No!!!! Please dont take him back!!! I too have a six month baby boy kitten Jabbers...Funny..I thought my kitty was the only one who liked takin showers with me !!!! haha! Well, at six months hes still a baby.....You should enjoy all his crazy- hyper modes now,,,cause when he gets older he will be a lazy thing on the floor!!! I suggest trimming his nails every two weeks...be very carefull when you do it..buy him a scratching post....rub cat nip on it to attract him to it.....try to cover the meat better when its left out..[you dont want him to get worms; trust me!!!!] And maybe hide the garbage can when your not home in a hallway or closet so he cant get to it.....and is he nuetured??? He should be by now...that will calm him down some....Good luck and dont give up on your little one!!! He is still a baby ......he will grow outta it! Just keep giving him lotsa love!!! God Bless.