she jumps...everywhere!

kittys_friend

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Hi everyone,

I'm new here but wanted to join because I really need help figuring out how to handle my kitten. I'm out of ideas. She's six months old and mostly well behaved, except for one thing: she's an acrobat who jumps on the highest, most forbidden surfaces in my apartment. I know you can't control your environment too much with a kitten, but some of what she's doing isn't safe (jumping on the stove!) and I put things I don't want her to chew or break up high--only now she's figured out how to get to them. I've tried using a squirt bottle, but she likes water and doesn't mind being wet. I've tried clapping and yelling "no!" but she's just back in thirty seconds. I've tried giving her time outs in the bathroom, but then she yowls loudly and my neighbors in the next apartment hear her. I've sprayed the stove surface with lemon scented cleaners, but it still doesn't deter her. She's probably bored, but I don't want to let her outside since I live in a a busy area with lots of traffic, and it's not feasible to adopt another cat right now. And the apartment is small enough that I can't close much of it off to her. Help!
 

larke

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You might just have to wait this one out! I'm going through a similar thing with a 7+ mo. old male, but he's starting to improve, and she will too in time. I know that doesn't help much, but you did get a 'kitten' and if you expected her to be a doorstop, that wasn't very realistic :-). Put a little water in empty pots on the hot stove, put away anything you can live without for a while, do get her a tallish cat tree - the best physical thing you can do to wear her out - and roll 1" balls of foil for her to chase (you'll need a lot because they'll end up under furniture). Do NOT let her out whatever you do, even when she's older - traffic won't be any better then, nor will loose dogs, roaming male cats (she IS spayed?) or unintended 'lock-ups'. A younger male of a not too aggressive breed would be a good idea if and when you think you can manage one.
 

stephanietx

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she's an acrobat who jumps on the highest, most forbidden surfaces in my apartment.
Aren't all 6 month olds like this?? She's exploring her environment and learning her boundaries! It's such a trying time in life for you as the owner, though, isn't it?

First of all, invest in a cat tree if you don't already have one. That way, you'll have an approved place for her to be up high. Then, go to Lowe's or Home Depot (or someplace similar) and get the plastic carpet runners and something with which to cut it. Turn them upside down so the nubby side is up, and cut to fit the surfaces you don't want your cat to be on. Put them on said surfaces. When kitty jumps up and feels those uncomfortable nubby things, she'll hop down. (Unless, of course, you have a stubborn cat like I've got!! She did learn eventually, though!) Redirect her to her cat tree, too. As in, pick her up from inappropriate area and place her on the cat tree. She'll figure it out soon.

Also, try an empty soda can filled with coins or dry beans instead of the squirt gun. Tape the top shut and shake the thing when she's on the counter. Sternly tell her "NO!", walk over to where she is, snap your fingers and say "DOWN!" If your kitty doesn't get down, you repeat the command and physically move your kitty. Place her in an appropriate spot. You'll be doing this quite frequently, I'm sure. Soon your kitty will learn. You must be dilligent and consisitent with her, though. Soon, she'll see you coming and she'll hop down on her own. Eventually, the place won't hold much interest for her and she'll not even get up there.

Mostly, be patient and love your kitty. Praise her for the good things she does and provide lots of other appropriate high places for her.

Stephanie
 

xocats

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Welcome to TCS.

Good for you for keeping your sweetie indoors.


Kittens are little furry balls of energy.
They need lots of play time along with vertical (cat tree) as well has horizontal places to enjoy.


It is important to kitten proof your apartment.
Pretend that your kitten is a 2 yr. old toddler who can jump high and climb on anything.
Look around for hazards from that point of view.
The pan on the store is a great idea.
Get down on your hands and knees and look for things could choke (string, little plastic things etc. )or shock your kitty such as light cords.

Be patient...
this phase of your kitten's life is temporary,
enjoy every precious moment of it.
 

zero9243

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try putting some weak double sided tape on some of the surfaces you don't want her on. Something that will make her not like jumping onto those places.

Whoops! Stephanie already mentioned something like this!! Sorry!

I got my cat tree off of ebay. Really cheap (compared to pet stores) and very sturdy and easy to put together! Here's a link:

http://stores.ebay.com/Pet-Supply-Fa...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Base price is very cheap, they get you on shipping.
Again I have one and my cat LOVES it. Spends 10 hrs a day on it at least. The only thing i regret is not spending a little extra for the taller one!!

REALLY easy to put together. REALLY easy. Really sturdy. Lol, i'm a broken record but my duff-duff loves it!
 

audiocat

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I understand what you are going through. Forrest is a little over 6 1/2 months now and is able jump onto everything. My husband and I are very permissive and let him go pretty much where-ever he wants EXCEPT for the center island of our kitchen which has the stovetop.

We keep a can filled with pennies to use if he tries to get up there when we are in the kitchen. Along with shaking the can we loudly say "no" "get down" in deepest voices we can yell out. That deep voiced "no" can then never be confused with our regular playing or talking normal voices.

The first time we did it he was a little freaked out. But, he's not gotten back on the island when we're around. I'm totally paranoid that we could be cooking and he would jump up and get burned. I figure it's better to be stern about where he's not allowed to go now, than to deal with a injured kitty later.
 

xocats

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I have an electric stove.
Once it's top burners are turned off, it takes awhile for them to cool down .
My kitties jumping onto a hot burner is one of my greatest fears.
I always put large clean pans or pots on those hot burners until they are cool again.
 

stephanietx

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Something else you can try, which we did and it worked, but looked cluttered is to save soda cans and place them along the edge of the counter or stove or wherever you don't want your cat to jump. Put them close together, not necessarily touching each other, but close enough so that she can't jump between the cans. We filled them with dried beans and taped the top shut. That way, if she jumped up, not only would we hear her, the noise would scare her and she'd jump back down.

Stephanie
 

xocats

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That is an excellent idea Stephanie.
 
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kittys_friend

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Thanks for the advice, everyone. Yesterday, she figured out how to jump on top of a 6 foot bookcase and promptly fell off behind it! I had to take everything out of the case so I could move it and rescue her. She's fine--and not at all disturbed by her tumble, still leaping everywhere she can. So I'm going to start trying some of these ideas in the hopes that we can avert another disaster!
 

stephanietx

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Yesterday, she figured out how to jump on top of a 6 foot bookcase and promptly fell off behind it!
This sounds exactly like something my Hannah would do!! Leap first, think later and not be fazed if she looks ungraceful or falls off!
 

xocats

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The title of this thread cracks me up.

Kitten proof your apartment ASAP.

Meow!
 

white cat lover

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My only other suggestion is to try tiring her out. Get a wand toy, I love Da Bird, and play for 30 minutes 2x a day-morning & night. Give her lots & lots of toys on the floor....like maybe a turbo scratcher.
 
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