Kittenly behaviour...

[Squirrel]

OK... So Cloud is heading up for 3 months old and naturally acts in a very kitten like manner - sometimes is a right laugh!

However, there are certain things I've come to realise I cannot let her get away with:

climbing/chewing my legs/arms/hands/feet because this is sore

playing with electricity cables as they are dangerous - and a right hassle if less dangerous ones break!

climbing the curtains, cause I'm, not sure that they'd be able to hold her in the long term.

Anything else pretty well I've come to look on as being just normal kitten, and I'm pretty easy going about things such as climbing the furniture and running around the room like a mad thing - if it's out, she can play with it... But how best do I discourage the behaviours that I feel are not to be encouraged for safety reasons?

[dandysmom]

Climbing, biting and chewing: stop her, say NO! loudly and give her a very gentle tap on the nose, the way the mum cat would to discourage behavior. Or distract her with something, a toy for example.

Chewing wires: the theory is, paint them with something that tastes bad like hot sauce; alternatively there are covers that can be fitted over the wires to protect them; suspect that might be a bit pricy.

Never had a curtain-climbing cat; I'd try plucking her off with a NO!! and nose tap.

Hope others have some more practical tips ...

[angieh]

Before I got Pip I looked into covers to protect electrical cables just in case he started chewing. They make just the product in USA but it is (or was) hard to get here. But do you know the curly wire tidies that you can buy at DIY stores to keep cables tidy? That would work just as well. It is quite a hard plastic and would probably stop Cloud biting them. As it happened, my Pip is not a cable chewer.

I have never had a cat either that climbs curtains, although I believe it's not uncommon! Hope someone else may be able to help with that.

Kittens always try to climb up your legs and if you have jeans on it probably doesn't hurt - but DON'T LET THEM do it, because once their claws start to harden it will hurt even more. Lift Cloud off, put her on the floor and tell her NO. As soon as she looks as if she will try and climb, stop her immediately. Tell her NO and place her on the floor again. It may take a while but it will work eventually. Distraction with a toy is a very good way of averting this behaviour. I used to make sure that I had a small mouse toy in my pocket most of the time, or a screwed up tissue that Pip loved to chase.

Good luck!

[Velvet]

She sounds like Tim! lol

If he got away with it he would still climb up my body like a tree. Firmly as soon as he starts I unprise his paws & say NO. Its rarely he does it now he is 6 mths but forgets himself sometimes! Its like training a puppy, repitition "No Tim"

We have lost count of the number of mobile phone chargers we have bought. You can buy cable tidies in Argos. I can sympathise with you as Tim has always been obsessed with wires

Curtains: Yep he sometimes does that too but they know how high they can go without mishap.

I find a good distraction is one of the laser mouse toys - they love chasing the red light, they stop doing anything to chase the light -

[lynz85]

hi there, i feel your pain, literally from the scratches on my knees! pip wasnt getting the hang of the 'no' but he is coming around now, or a sharp 'it'. if he starts biting, i say no! and put him down, he usually comes up and does the same thing if he starts playing with my curtains i say no, and move him away and distract him with a toy. just keep thinking, if you dont nip it in the bud now it will be worse when they're older!

[Squirrel]

Thanks for all the advice... was already trying most of that, but decided it would be best to check and see what others had found effective... good to know that the sort of response i was giving was more or less corredct! Now just to make it consistent!

Re: putting nasty tasting stuff on wires, I see that cats don't really like citrus in general... would using a lemon wipe - or even lemon juice - on them work in that way? If not, is there something else people would reccommend?

[Velvet]

The only thing is the cable tidies - for us its the only thing that worked :/

[pamela81]

we use a water bottle to deter harris and its worked, he no longer tries to get behind the tv, if we even go to lift the bottle, he runs, a great deterent eventhough we have never actually sprayed water on him. We have sprayed it near him

[dandysmom]

The citrus on wires might work, worth trying. I've never had a wire chewer but would probably go with the tabasco or similar hot sauce. I have no idea how long it would last or need to be re-appliesd, however.

I might add I've always had a problem with the squirrels eating the small decorative pumpkins I put on the porch steps and tried the tabasco to deter it and .......... it didn't work!

[Squirrel]

Eeeeek! I've now got something else to add to the 'don't do's' - And stopping it may be a bit of a night mare... try "climbing the walls" on for size... Miss gets herself as high up as possible - on a sofa, on the top of some 'cat furniture' I got cause she really does love climbing, or even just on the floor - takes a huge leap up, and starts to try and claw at the wall paper... and of course, inevitably comes down, sometimes from a rather great height! She really must have a guardian angel watching out for her the way she has so randomly done this. Wish I knew what was up so high that she wants to get at so much!!!

Luckily enough she is fairly easily distracted, but often she's done it before I've had the chance to move - and then I freeze in shock!!! Bit harder to pluck her from a wall she's no purchase on than from the curtains!!!

Think this young lady will turn my hair grey by the time she's an adult cat!!! Mind, am wondering if the wind is at least partly responsible, she's shown far more interest in the gas fire than usual, cause the wind keeps rushing down the flue!

Least distraction still works, if I catch her early enough!