Best way to punish my kitty.

I would be careful with the compressed air....there is liquid in those cans that sometimes come out and if you read the warning label I think it's toxic. Please read it.

Originally Posted by alwaysaangel

I used to play with him when he did stuff like this - but I have less time now.

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I know you love your kitty, but he's a baby and very active and demands lots of attention. He simply wants to be with you You are his parent and he relies on you and loves you in his own kitty way.

I know this is something you probably haven't considered, but you might want too...

If you want a cat and you lead a busy life that doesn't give you as much time to interact with a cat as they need, perhaps you should rehome your kitten to a family where he can get the attention and play time that he desperately needs. It sounds like your life style is more suited for an older kitty who is more settled and less active and is happy with one or two play sessions a day and content to sleep the rest of the time.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

I know you love your kitty, but he's a baby and very active and demands lots of attention. He simply wants to be with you

You are his parent and he relies on you and loves you in his own kitty way.

I know this is something you probably haven't considered, but you might want too...

If you want a cat and you lead a busy life that doesn't give you as much time to interact with a cat as they need, perhaps you should rehome your kitten to a family where he can get the attention and play time that he desperately needs. It sounds like your life style is more suited for an older kitty who is more settled and less active and is happy with one or two play sessions a day and content to sleep the rest of the time.

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No offense. But no way. I'm not going to rehome him. I spend way more time with him than any person that works 9-5, which is what the majority of cat owners are.

As I said in my first post - me being home TOO MUCH is what has caused this. I used to play with him probably a total of 2-3 hours a day. And when my bf was staying here he got even more attention. Hell, for the first whole month of having him the longest he was ever left alone in the house was like 1-2 hrs when we ran out to get a bite to eat.

I said I play with him several times a day (meaning 5-6) for like 15-30 minutes each. I doubt there is any family in the world that would honestly give him more attention than that.

I had a FEW DAYS - literally 2. Where I couldn't play with him because I was ridiculously busy, and then lately I've been catching up on the other stuff so he's only gotten 3-4 good play sessions a day. To him thats not enough and he was acting out since it was less than he used to get.

I was looking for suggestions on how I could best get him to not act out just because he feels like he's not getting enough attention (I know everyone here loves cats but sometimes they really are just spoiled and being bratty, they're not ACTUALLY being neglected). I wasn't looking to be judged and told I don't spend enough time with my kitten.

Originally Posted by LDG

Is there any way you can attack a bird feeder (with suction cups) to a window? Squirrels and birds can provide HOURS of "cat TV" that can keep an energetic kitty entertained.

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I've been meaning to do this outside my window - but I have to find a way to pull the screen off first.

Of course, the red dot (laser toy) is easy - even when you're studying or reading - and gives him loads of exercise. That was a great idea. You can also consider putting a couple of treats under a handkerchief and making the game "end" with the dot there some times - this way every once in a while he gets to "catch" something when playing "red dot."

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Yeah sadly the laser thing while I'm studying doesn't work. He knows if I'm paying attention to him or not. If I'm not actually paying attention to him he won't chase the laser or bird toy or whatever.

Also, another idea is to frequently change the toys that are out for him to play with by himself. Our kitties get bored of their toys pretty quickly. We rotate the toys that are out every 3 - 4 days or so. And those little furry mice? See if you can find some that have beans or rice or whatever it is that is inside that make them rattle. For some reason, our kitties LOVE these mice, but won't play with ones that don't make noise. ??? Anyway - take some catnip, and "marinate" the furry mice in a baggy when they're out of rotation.

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I'll start putting some of them away to rotate them. Thats a great idea! Before I was just giving him all of them. As far as catnip - I don't let him have any yet. The people I adopted him from said kittens under 1 really don't need it and you're just torturing yourself by making them that hyper. I figured she has a point - but I'll keep that in mind for when he's a little older.

Another idea, if you're not already practicing this. Don't make a point about coming or leaving - like, don't seek him out with pets and treats for greets. It makes less of an emphasis on your presence being important.

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Hmm interesting - I hadn't thought of this and I do give him treats when I leave and love him/play with him when I get home. I'll start just giving him treats/playing with him at odd intervals when I'm home instead.

Also, if you have the space, consider rounding up a bunch of boxes big enough for him to get into. We make rather large kitty "condos" - more like mazes, though we get them up to three stories high - by cutting holes and taping the boxes together. Hide treats in some of them before you leave in the morning. Gives him something to explore. And change the configuration frequently. If he's playing with a ball or a mouse or something, you can toss it into the maze, and he can go looking for it. This will also help him to do things on his own.

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Oooh this is great!!! He already loves boxes - it hadnt occured to me to tape them together. Thanks!

Originally Posted by SiddyMeowmy

it's true that you can't really punish cats like you can dogs, and that it's much, MUCH harder to get them to connect actions with consequences, but it can be done- if the reaction is IMMEDIATE. i've found that the best way to communicate to my fuzzy little brats is to keep a can of compressed air (the sort used for clearing dust out of electronics) on hand, and whenever i see them climbing up to a table they're not supposed to be on, trying to get into the garbage or people food, etc, i grab the can of air and press the trigger. i don't even have to do it in their general direction; the intense hissing noise is enough to make them freeze and immediately abandon their mischeivious plans. it's very rarely that they don't get the hint, and when they don't, i spray the bottle towards them so that they feel the very cold air. (cold because it was compressed.) THAT really gets it through their skulls. you have to be incredibly vigilant, though, and react WHILE the cat is doing something they're not supposed to. once they're not doing it any more, it's too late to teach them.

also, spraying a cat with a water bottle causes them to relate getting wet with being in trouble.... makes giving them a bath a whole lot harder lol

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We do that to, but modified. My wife uses the spray bottle (the water spray sounds like a hiss). while I...
...actually hiss.

Yes, hiding dry food tidbits in boxes or "tunnels" (which are also excellent for sheer playing) or in whatever other corners around the house is a very good idea. Even in brown paper bags that you could scatter here and there around the house. This whole thing I think should be done while reducing the amount of food you actually put in his food bowl - the idea is to make him "forage" for his food. It's not starving him, just using the (dry) food "hiding" to keep him busy looking for that. For all the energy he has (it's normal for his age), he will eventually get hungry and making him "search" for his food may be turned into something a little more interesting, to match his activity needs.

Just as Momofmany said, he was given plenty of attention and now he expects you to continue to do the same, every time he wants to be active. I know it's easy to theorize, but maybe it's time to gradually diminish the attention you've given him and direct his playing needs elsewhere where he can be kept interested and active.

Get "Cat Confidential" and "Cat Detective" by Vicky Halls. They are amazing books on cat behaviour counselling.

Originally Posted by alwaysaangel

No offense. But no way. I'm not going to rehome him. I spend way more time with him than any person that works 9-5, which is what the majority of cat owners are.

As I said in my first post - me being home TOO MUCH is what has caused this. I used to play with him probably a total of 2-3 hours a day. And when my bf was staying here he got even more attention. Hell, for the first whole month of having him the longest he was ever left alone in the house was like 1-2 hrs when we ran out to get a bite to eat.

I said I play with him several times a day (meaning 5-6) for like 15-30 minutes each. I doubt there is any family in the world that would honestly give him more attention than that.

I had a FEW DAYS - literally 2. Where I couldn't play with him because I was ridiculously busy, and then lately I've been catching up on the other stuff so he's only gotten 3-4 good play sessions a day. To him thats not enough and he was acting out since it was less than he used to get.

I was looking for suggestions on how I could best get him to not act out just because he feels like he's not getting enough attention (I know everyone here loves cats but sometimes they really are just spoiled and being bratty, they're not ACTUALLY being neglected). I wasn't looking to be judged and told I don't spend enough time with my kitten.

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I don't think Natalie_ca was judging you by ANY means. It was simply a suggestion and I think it was a good one at that. There is no need to get fiesty.

I think you have received many good suggestions on here and these girls definately know what they are talking about. Maybe you try a couple and see how it works out for you and your kitty

Loud noises don't work for Popsie. He just ignores it. I actually have to move toward him before he knows I'm serious and he better stop. I do find that when he's walking around getting into things it means he's bored so I play with him and then he konks out.

Originally Posted by Oscarsmommy

I don't think Natalie_ca was judging you by ANY means. It was simply a suggestion and I think it was a good one at that. There is no need to get fiesty.

I think you have received many good suggestions on here and these girls definately know what they are talking about. Maybe you try a couple and see how it works out for you and your kitty

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She wasn't judging, no, but to suggest to rehome a kitty because it's getting a little less attention than usual is a tad harsh - I can understand the reaction. There are people out there who actually do mistreat and ignore their cats who would be better advised to rehome than someone who's main problem is that their cat is too spoilt.

This, to me, sounds like a beautifully looked after kitten who - yes, it can happen - has been spoiled, and needs some behaviour modification. It's not acceptable to have an animal that cannot entertain itself and constantly relies on your attention, and therefore becomes destructive when it doesn't get it all the time. Like dogs, like children, cats need to have boundaries, they need some level of independence, otherwise they can get depressed and destructive. Apart from it not being good for your things, it's not good for the cat itself - and can lead to anxiety.

I think some structured time-out is a good way to combat this problem. They do need to learn that they can't have your attention on-demand, because you will have a life and there are things to do and keep you busy. I think it's unrealistic to expect that someone drop everything they're doing (especially in very busy periods) to pander to their cat's desire for attention.

If it's attention that your cat seeks, and if this is leading to destructive behaviour, then withdrawing attention when it does destructive things is the way to teach it to stop. You hit the nail on the head in your first post when you said he is enjoying the attention he gets - even if it's `getting in trouble' attention. And that is spot-on. I disagree that you cannot teach a cat manners or that it is harder for them to link disagreeable consequences with undesirable behaviours. You can teach this to a cat easily. Mostly it's our attitudes that need changing `oh, it's a cat, so you can't train it'. This is simply not true. So is the attitude `it's a cat so it can do as it pleases'. No, it can't.

I agree wholeheartedly with all others here who have given you suggestions for ways to keep your kitty occupied and entertaining himself when you are busy. This is a great way to establish independence. But as soon as he does something you don't want him to do (and remember - it's your house, not his, YOU make the rules, not him) then he gets a negative consequence. This is known as operant conditioning and it is equally effective in cats as it is in any other animal.

The key to it is that the negative consequence happens immediately - as soon as the undesirable behaviour is displayed. With the lamp, my first feeling was time-out. Get him away from the object of his desire, and away from any chance that he will have your attention, either. The bathroom or laundry is a good place. It doesn't need to be for more than 30 seconds to a minute, initially. As soon as he realises he is in a place where he a) can't get up to mischief and b) can't get your attention for doing so, he will stop.

It may take a few tries, but it works beautifully. Not only that, it also gives them an opportunity to get the `crazy' out of their system, and settle down a bit. You may need a minute more, you may need less time. It depends on your cat. When he is persistently misbehaving, you pick him up - no talking, no eye contact, no scolding, no attention of any kind - and pop him in the time-out room. To him, it will seem like this: `playing, trying to get attention, all of a sudden by myself in boring room. Er....'. Don't engage, and don't buy into his behaviour - he is controlling you this way, not the other way around. And like it or not, you are his primary caregiver, so it's up to you to decide what he is allowed to do and what he isn't, and what is best for him and what his boundaries are. At the moment, he is deciding all of these things, and that's the wrong way around!!

So - lots of interactive toys that he can play with on his own, as much structured play time in a consistent manner with you as you can manage, and time-out when he isn't getting the message. It'll work just fine, and as he gets older he will learn these valuable new lessons and settle down anyway. There is nothing cruel or mean in this - it is simply training. And a cat can be trained, there is no doubt about it.

alwaysaangel, just a quick suggestion if I may. From what I learned when I was in a similar situation, too much play time can actually be counterproductive because it will overstimulate the cat. And, as a result, behavior becomes worse, not better.

I said I play with him several times a day (meaning 5-6) for like 15-30 minutes each. I doubt there is any family in the world that would honestly give him more attention than that.

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The first thing I would do in this situation, I would cut down on play time to very short play sessions, no longer than 2-3 minutes each, and use the play sessions only to redirect undesirable behavior. By this I mean, play only if you need to redirect unwanted behavior and use redirecting behavior with a play session instead of other forms of "punishment". This method worked wonders for us, so I hope it will work for you too.

The spray water bottle works every time.

Thank you EVERYONE for your suggestions. Everything has been hugely helpful.

I have taken a lot of the advice.

I have both spray bottle and the compressed air - he will respond to one for a week or two then not care anymore and I swap back to the other - so far its working really well to save my books, lamps, and picture frames.

I have also cut down length of play times.

I haven't had to do time-outs too often. Mostly I've been doing them in the morning when he tries to wake me up at 4 am. But I've just been locking him out of my room. I'll starting putting him in the bathroom for a few minutes when he does it instead - maybe that will teach him better. And I really need to stop petting him when I do it - he's just so sweet and soft whenever I pick him up to lock him out I want to pet him - bad idea haha.

I've also started rotating his toys out so there is always something new and exciting for him. And I'm still buying him new stuff so there is something that is really new.

I'm going to start trying the food thing. I have an autofill feeder right now anyway and I think he's been stuffing himself too much - so if I hide the amount of food he's supposed to eat each day around the house then he'll have to work for it plus won't be able to over eat - so I'll try it.

And I got a bird feeder for him so he would have something to watch in the morning when I'm at school - but unfortunately I haven't gotten any birds to come eat at it so he can watch them yet. But I'm hoping they will soon.

Thanks again everyone - its helping a lot.