Disciplining a Cat - I NEED HELP! (NEW CAT OWNER - Any help will be good help!)?

Question

We have taken in a stray cat who is not very old. We live near a college area and believe a student may have left her at the beginning of the summer. After months of debating we decided to take her in for good Monday night. I went to the vet (she is scheduled to go in Fri) to get the Frontline to de-flea her - it worked well. But, during the night she jumps up onto our bed and wants to play, lightly clawing to get our attention or burrowing under the sheets. What method of discipline should we use to keep her off of the bed? We wouldn't mind having her up there if she would just sleep... but since she doesn't we need some way of trying to solve this issue -we are in a lofted apt. for 6 more weeks and there is no bedroom door so we cannot just shut her out. We have been up all night the past couple of nights in a losing battle of putting her on the floor and at the end of the bed. This is our first cat so we are still reading and learning a lot. Any help would be wonderful!

Answer 1

I agree with the squirt bottle, but I also suggest playing with her as much as you can in the daytime. If she spends alot of time sleeping throughout the day, she's all wound up and ready to play at night, and she sees you as the perfect playmate. Just get some fun kitty toys and play with her until she's pooped out! Don't worry, as she gets a little older she won't be as rambuncious, and bless you for adopting her!

Answer 2

You've gotten lots of help, but I am going to put in my two cents. Your kitten is coming on to your bed to play with you because she considers you her family and she is just thrilled about that. Nighttime is her high activity time, so she is coming onto your bed to play with you like the siblings she believes you to be. It is her only way of showing her connection to you.

So when you do discipline her, don't be angry or nasty with her, and do provide her with an alternative. I really do recommend a Cat Dancer, a wonderfully simple toy that is just a piece of cardboard on the end of this wonderful wire that is curved and bounces outrageously when touched, so the little piece of cardboard on the end bounces like crazy and seems like an insect in flight. But an insect that can never get away and will never stop moving and can never really get caught.

I fostered a kitten once who literally played with that thing day and night for three days taking breaks to use the litter, eat and snooze. It costs about $8, and should wear her out once you get her off your bed.

Which you really should do with a water pistol, but with this addition: That when you release the water, you say "NO!" in a sharp, distinct voice reserved for her when she is doing something wrong. This way, you will be accomplishing two things: You will be getting her off the bed, AND you will be teaching her the meaning of the word no -- a very, very important word indeed. And if you use the word and the water simultaneously and consistently -- when she drives you nuts at night; when she hunts and attacks your ankles as you traipse to the loo in the middle of the night; when she scales the curtains -- after a while, you won't need the water pistol. The word no will suffice.

Learn to trim her claws so she can't claw furniture and won't be able to break your skin when she play-smacks you. Get her a good sisal scratching post, the uglier the better, and rub it with catnip, so she loves it from the first.

Always be gentle with her. Don't read human motives into her responses.

The fact that she is behaving as she is behaving is really a very good thing. It shows she is crazy about you. You are going to have a wonderful friend for many years to come.

Answer 3

There are a couple things you can try:

1) A squirt bottle--squirt her with water when she jumps on the bed.

2) If the squirt bottle doesn't work, you can try shaking a big jar of coins or something else noisy. Hopefully it will scare her away from jumping on the bed.

If that doesn't work, you might have to just put her in the bathroom with a litterbox and food/water bowls at night. Just put some toys in there for her. She'll be fine.

Answer 4

Try engaging the cat before you go to bed. So, that you're done playing at least 30 minutes before bed time. Talk to the cat while you're getting ready for bed. Do you have a bedtime ritual, checking the front door to make sure it's locked, brushing your teeth?

If all else fails, purchase a cat hotel. The cat will play with that...rather than your toes.

Answer 5

Ah yes, the joys of kittenhood (young cats included). Cats are often naturally a bit on the nocturnal side, so expect her to end up playing SOMEWHERE.

When I was growing up, we often enfored the squirt bottle method. Leave a squirt bottle on your nightstand, or floor beside your bed, and when she hops up there and wakes you up, squirt her. This also works well for dogs, as neither animal likes being sprayed with a shot of cold, hard water.

It's a little more humane than spanking, and a lot more effective for cats.

Answer 6

Thats just what kittens do. It goes away after about a month or two. You can everytime it gets on the bed instantly kick her off. That works after a while but when you want her on the bed she wont get on it. Squirt bottles work also. She will stay clear away from the bed with the squirt bottle

Answer 7

This is so typical of kittens! For the first year it is totally normal behavior and just means that your new kitty loves you! Discipline isn't going to help very much. Instead just try to play as much as you can right before bed time. Really tucker your little friend out and hopefully she will sleep soundly!

Answer 8

Welcome to cat ownership.

There's no sure way of stopping this other than too much love (I will hug him and squeeze him and call him 'George'---). Next time grab the kitty, bring her close and clutch her to your chest/stomach and try to fall asleep. You'll be considered 'Aww MOM!!!" inside of 5 seconds and the kitten will move away from you in disgust because you didn't play right.

You can try exercising her right before bed too, to get her tired out. A laser pointer light on the floor is best.

Answer 9

Cats are nocturnal so try keeping her up in the daytime and then she will be tired at night. The spray bottle works well too.

Answer 10

in the beginning trim his nails so he can no longer climb the curtains. Get him used to having his feet touched and performed with whilst he's a kitten and he will sit down there and permit you to trim them whilst he's older. do no longer bypass previous the crimson line although, it truly is the fast and in case you do, he would be in a lot of discomfort and could bleed. commence by way of dealing together with his paws, gently massaging them and only getting him used to having his paws touched. oftentimes you ought to use a nail clipper made for a cat yet I only use a regular human clippers and that they paintings only fantastic. For the 1st time only trim off the place the nail starts off to twist and enable it bypass at that, do no longer attempt to bypass any shorter on account which you will could desire to get it executed rapidly, on account that he has plenty potential he could be no longer hassle-free to hold onto for extremely long and you are able to could desire to get somebody that may assist you carry him. As for leaping on the textile cloth wardrobe try piling some pennies up there which will fall whilst he jumps up, it is going to scare him and he will possibly no longer do it returned. you additionally can attempt to place some double stick tape on authentic of the textile cloth wardrobe or counters. make an excellent loop with the tape and whilst he jumps up his paws will hit the tape, cats do no longer basically like the sensation of it on their paws. additionally getting him neutered till now he's 6 months of age is amazingly significant. in case you wait till after he's 6 months he will how you may spray and as quickly as he learns it he won't supply up. My male have been given neutered after 6 months and he nevertheless tries to spray even although no longer something comes out. Neutering will additionally help calm him down too. Hmm thumbs down using fact I spoke back from journey, thrilling.