discipline a cat?

What is the best way to discipline cats? I have a 10 month-old (Ripley) and a 8 month-old (Cali) cats. I adopted both of them 7 months a go. Ripley has been fairly good about following the rules since the day we got her. Cali on the other hand, still has big problems following the rules. The cats have free reign of the house EXCEPT the bathrooms, table and the counters in the kitchen. We can not keep Cali from jumping on the table and counters. We spend all day chasing her off.

We have tried ignoring her but then she starts pulling and pushing things off. We have tried just taking her off and walking away but she just gets back up there. We don't think that spraying her with water would work because she LOVES water, she would just think the spray is a treat. Is there anything that we could do keep her on the ground in the kitchen?

First, stop looking for doggy 'obedience'. Cats are different and don't 'behave', but do what makes them feel good, or drives you crazy, whichever comes first :0). Seriously, you can try (til they stop bothering) double sided sticky tape along the first couple of inches of the counters - a nuisance, but effective. There are other ways too... wait for more mail.

I will give it a try. I will try ANYTHING. Thanks for the tip. Keep the tips coming.

Below is a link to the Drs. Foster Smith web site page with cat training devices:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?c=3261+1894

I have several devices similar to their "Tattle Tale Alarm" that were very effective at training my cats to stay off counters. Mine use a high frequency sound that can't be heard by humans but can be heard by cats. I don't remember where I got them but if you Google around I'm sure you can find them if you want silent ones.

You have to give them an alternative. I have a cat tree that is slightly taller than the kitchen counters in my kitchen. When they are on the counter, I redirect them to that tree. If you are completely consistent doing this, they catch on.

I don't discipline. I redirect. Cats are all about "what's in it for me?".

Originally Posted by Momofmany

You have to give them an alternative. I have a cat tree that is slightly taller than the kitchen counters in my kitchen. When they are on the counter, I redirect them to that tree. If you are completely consistent doing this, they catch on.

I don't discipline. I redirect. Cats are all about "what's in it for me?".

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This is exactly it. That said, at 1:00am when Flowerbelle is meowing in my face for attention, I don't have the energy to redirect. I blow a short, sharp puff of air directly into her face. She knows that means no.

The problem with counters is that you're not there all the time to redirect or blow a puff of air in the face and set them on the floor. I read where someone with this problem solved it in a rather unique fashion - the removed everything from the counters for a month. The counters became boring, and kitty stopped hopping up there.

Laurie

Originally Posted by LDG

The problem with counters is that you're not there all the time to redirect or blow a puff of air in the face and set them on the floor. I read where someone with this problem solved it in a rather unique fashion - the removed everything from the counters for a month. The counters became boring, and kitty stopped hopping up there.

Laurie

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Maybe that is why it works in my house - I don't keep much of anything on my counters! But there is rarely a time when there isn't a cat in that tree in my kitchen.

We rescued one of those laptop tables from someone's roadside garbage, cleaned it up and put it in the middle of the kitchen floor instead of an island for us - so kitties don't have a cat tree in the kitchen, but they've got their own table.

Laurie

yeah redirect..

Zoey eats on a counter so there is the why cant I be near the stove... but she is trained to go back

Thank you for all the WONDERFUL advice. I will try them to see if they work. The tree and the table sound loads of fun. My counters and table always have pappers and magazines on them. I will work on getting them cleaned off.

Don't be discouraged if "training aids" don't do the trick, they often don't. It is possible to train cats and best to start young! Usually when cats start feeing comfortable on counters, at some point there was an invitation......... at some point maybe you thought it was cute or they were just kittens and you fed them there, at one time this wasn't off bounds. This doesn't matter, what does is that now it is and they need to respect this. You have to think like a cat, so much is about respect when it comes to discipline with cats. You can't yell, squirt with water, pick them up and put them down, this simply moves them through fear, frustration or outside forces. They have to do it themselves, if they jump up on the counter in front of you, immediately firm but calm command them down. At first if vocal "no" and snap finger point from counter to floor, again................if this doesn't work, do what you need to to trick them off the counter. Grab a toy, tease them with something. Only reward if they get off counter with first vocal, gesture command. If you have to tease, trick them off, drop what you used and deny them access back on again. It is best to stop the action before it happens if you can.