Water & Cats??

Question

I have 2 cats they are not scared of water!!! We are trying to teach them not to jump onto the kitchen bench,or hot stove with a water pistol, but they love it,they find it quite amusing just sittn there gettn soaked!! I asked my vet & he suggested i make a loud noise with a roll of newspaper, not even that seems to work, so if anyone has a magic way to tell the little darlings to get off certain surfaces in the household i would definately be trying it.....

Oh yes & they are constantly playing with their water bowl, i put a bucket of water out & they loved it , jumped in,splashing around, i will try it all, thankx guys much appreciated . cheers ;)

Answer 1

put some pennies in a plastic bottle (like a gaterade bottle or a coke bottle) and slap it in your hand when they are doing something you don't want them to do. this was taught to me for my dog at obiedence classes, but maybe it will work with your cats. the loud noise and you telling them no might just do the trick.

Answer 2

Have you tried adding a little vinegar to the water? I was thinking that something with a strong odor that they do not like might work. Spray a towel with something strong and leave it on the bench. Or you could even use lemon juice in the water gun so that they would realize that it's not just water and you mean business. You could also try a product from the Drs Foster and Smith website or catalog. They have an 800 number where you can get advice as well.

Answer 3

Aw, curious cats! But curiousity can kill the cat, no pun intended.
I have 3 myself. Kitchen counters where food is out seems to be a favorite spot.

I still have an adult that wants to explore the kitchen. I assume you do not have the feed bowls on the counter? I use the washer/dryer for food/water bowls as have dogs also and they love cat food. Anyway, it took persistance and constantly taking them off and away from a undersired area, over and over again while verbally fussing and telling them not to. Finally, they got the hint.

Try to child proof kitchen area and put foods away, etc. That is so tempting!! Cats can learn and listen, just stubborn. They already know they are acting up by doing this. Keep a firm tone while removing them to a O K spot. Be affectionate when they are where they should be. Keep at it. They are not stupid, just overly curious.

Answer 4

Spray vinegar instead. The smell will make them sneeze and also make their coats shine.

Many people don't think cats like water, but they do. Wild cats like leopards and tigers adore baths. My friend is a surrogate for the zoo and gets baby leopards and tigers all the time. Sometimes I'll go over to her house for their bath time just because they act so funny. Most of them will get limp and fall asleep as she's washing them in warm water, while others will start to swim.

If the vinegar doesn't work- try to put a bowl of water somewhere in your house that they are allowed to play with. They'll be so busy splashing and having fun that they won't bother the areas you don't want them.

Answer 5

Some pebbles in a tin can to be shaken will help. Also, try blowing up a few balloons, if your cats have claws, and setting them where they jump. When they hit them, the claws come out instinctively, and the balloons pop, scaring them. That quickly discourages them. For me, suprisingly, my last two cats are afraid of bubbles, as in the kind you blow with a wand. So I would blow them at the cats and they would run.

Answer 6

Forget the vinegar! Put a bit of tabasco sauce or something that will make them think twice about getting up there again!

Answer 7

Here is a good article by Feline Behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennett that should help:
http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,26b8,00.html

Answer 8

Add 3 drops of peppermint oil to the water spray and good luck. have a purrfect year.

Answer 9

give me your cats i would adore them! its ok