First Step to Make a Change in Cat?

Pet

First Step to Make a Change in Cat?

January 24, 2008

With all this training talk for pooches – and sharing of our doggies' naughty habits – it's time to give those kitty owners a chance to vent. I've listed some of the most common cat problems I've had people complain to me about, and I want to hear which is the first on your kitty training to-do list? From too much meowing to cats that scratch your furniture, I want to hear what you're working on in your fur-filled homes!

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27 Comments

kimmbot 5 years

Biting and climbing up to inappropriate places - like the top of my china cabinet, which houses my wine rack (my heart stops every time I come into the living room and find her up there), and the kitchen counter. She's not a bad scratcher, because I keep her claws clipped and she has two scratching posts to keep her occupied. But she doesn't seem to realize that Mommy and Daddy don't have thick fur, and that when she gives us little "grooming bites" or uses our hands/arms as playthings to chomp down on, it hurts like a mofo. She usually only does it when she's hyper though, so I like to either calm her down by holding her in the air away from stimuli for a minute, or finding a way for her to burn off the excess energy that doesn't involve chewing on my arm. One of the girls at the vet's office taught me how to give a kitty back massage too, which is amazing for calming her down. She mellows right out.

fuzzles 5 years

JessieM, Another thought....you might want to look into trying different litters in your boxes while offering choices between them. A fragrance or the texture of the litter may be irritating Big's paws. Cats. Enigmas wrapped in riddles! But that is why we love them! :)

fuzzles 5 years

JessieM, First, I'd keep on doing what you are doing by keeping the place as "pile free" as possible. If that doesn't work, contact a vet to make sure nothing is medically wrong with your baby. And in the meantime, check into Nature's Miracle odor and stain remover for cats. Any odor left from a cat taking a whiz on an absorbant surfice will usually attract them to perform the same act in the same place. You can get this stuff from most pet stores. And as a home cook, I can attest to the awesomeness of Nature's Miracle on HUMAN clothing stains! Good luck! :)

5n4k3 5 years

jumping on chairs and counters...and staring at you obsessively...common cat problems.

Jessie M 5 years

No matter how often I change the litterbox, my cat Big doesnt seem to be able to resist a pile of clothes or towels...and pees on them. ONLY on fabrics! I have two cats, and have two litterboxes so they don't have to share(And empty them every third day)...but He cannot seem to resist piles of fabrics. I quickly learned to shut my bedroom door to keep him out of my laundry basket and off my bed! He only does this with piles of fabric (comforters, towels left on bathroom floor, laundry basets full of clothes)...he's never done this with ANYTHING else. Any suggestions?? I've already had to throw out one brand new comforter!

POPSUGAR Pets 5 years

Inappropriate elimination is marking, missing the litterbox, or pretty much leaving kitty "surprises" anywhere she's not supposed to.

designergirl 5 years

Food theft-my cat tries to eat everything I do. Popcorn, tomato sauce, french fries... nothing is safe. She growls at my guests when they come in the door. And she also has developed a new habit of bolting outside if I open the door. She's an inside kitty, and there are a lot of stray cats in my neighborhood. I guess she just wants to make friends. She's pretty rotten, but I love her.

jmolea01 5 years

I'm trying to get my kittens to be less afraid of other people... they're afraid of their own shadows!

fuzzles 5 years

Oliver Man just discovered how to get his lunky butt on to the kitchen counters. He pretty much has free roam of the place, but the last thing I want is for his litter clogs to be tap dancing on a food prep area!

CanadianInVA 5 years

Now that they have learned "no cats on counters". They need to stop the scratching!

CaterpillarGirl 5 years

My 4 month old has a problem jumping onto things, kitchen counters, out entertainment center, he just thinks the whole place is his, i think he will stop once he figures its not that fun.

Kiki tee 5 years

Never mind inappropriate e-mails, what the heck is "inappropriate elimination"??

kiwitwist 5 years

:rotfl: inappropriate e-mails!!! Mine are good. We actually have trained our Aussie (dog) to ring a bell if she has to go out to pee. Now the cat does it when he wants to play in the backyard. :rotfl: It is hilarious! It is fenced and he cannot get out, nor can anything get in. So, dont worry, he is safe.

bluesarahlou 5 years

Obsessive staring. My cat stares at me. She's always watching me. Especially when she wants me to throw her toy (she plays fetch). Even if I shoo her away....she finds higher ground, and stares. I wonder what she's thinking....

TMGirl 5 years

my cat PATS ON EVERY SMOOTH SURFACE LOUDLY. boxes, paper bags, mirrors, doors, walls, it has gotten so irritating and it keeps us up at night. But i love her, so we're trying to figure it out.

MandyJoBo 5 years

Nothing! They are purrfect. :)

naked_american 5 years

My friggin boy cat won't shut up! He is the loudest meower ever and complains about everything. If I don't feed him the moment I get out of bed he follows me around screaming at me. It's pretty obnoxious.

UrbanBohemian 5 years

Biting and running away! She does it out of play though, but sometimes it isn't nice!

Lovely_1 5 years

Scratching and meowing!

king's queen 5 years

Scratching is Garfy's problem. Although he is very good about the furniture, he mostly just goes after carpets. We have to be careful about making sure his nails are clipped often. He is polydactyl, and if his extra claw gets caught, he just goes to town with the scratching. We squirt him with a water bottle if we can catch him in time. Usually, he knows he is bad, and runs off to hide under a bed.

pugglelover 5 years

Meowing for me. That's all my cat does. When she wants in, if her food bowl is not at the appropriate level, if she wants your attention, if you are talking in the room and she is trying to sleep. She meows for everything!

SweetnLow 5 years

Inappropriate emails. HA! I said scratching- because its a problem I have now. But once I really think about it, climbing should be first. We have a strict no cats on kitchen counters or dining room table rule which was probably the first thing they learned. My scratching problem isn't furniture. It's MOLDING! One of my babies likes to sharpen his nails on that and I cannot get him to stop. I think we may have to revert back to the water gun trick to curb it.

aembry396 5 years

HAHAHA! My dog does that too...But I think she is part cat with her interests.

hottpink 5 years

wackdoodle....That is soooooo funny!!!!!

wackdoodle 5 years

Sending inappropriate emails. Not joking. I leave my computer up and Ursula walks across the keyboard typing then somehow hits my contact list selects someone and sends her gibberish to people. I come home and I get phone calls - Are you ok? Your email made no sense at all. I lock the keyboard she unlocks it. My nephews cat Lyra does the same thing - sends out mass emails of cat gibberish. How to stop it? I repeatedly tell her NO in a stern voice and remove her from the desk. When I'm not home I try to remove to remove the keyboard from where she can access it.

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27 Comments