Destructive & naughty behavior

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

I dunno where to start so I think a good place is to give background. Skye has never been allowed to jump onto the counter tops in the kitchen nor the bedroom night stands. Too much stuff to knock over and it seems un sanitary to let her roam where I prepare food. Recently my SO and I went on a small vacation to Big Bear we were gone 3 days. I closed the bathroom door to deter her from destroying the toilet paper. My mom came in once a day to check her food water and litter box. While we were gone she managed to completely chew through my SO's leather business card holder I mean it's totally un-usable, she got into my makeup bag and ate my makeup brushes/applicators, hair ties, took the lid off a jewelry box and had broken it. Since we got back her behavior has gotten worse. I come home from work and she is chilling on top of the kitchen counters, in the mornings she gets on top of my dresser and chews anything within reach. I'm at my wits end with the behavior especially since she knows she is not to be doing these things and we broke these habits months ago. Please help me break these habits especially the chewing of things she is a year old and has no business destroying things.

jack31 · Jul 12, 2008

You said you broke these habits months ago--how did you break them?

It seems you may have to start over, I wonder what sparked her into doing them again? I'm assuming she is an only cat, so someone else didn't tempt her...

Sorry I can't be much help, there is no counter surfing in this house.

Leslie

jen · Jul 12, 2008

Does she have toys and things she CAN chew? Is she hungry?

IMO your house just isn't cat proof. With some cats you just cannot leave that kind of stuff within reach. Start putting things you don't want her getting into out of reach. Get her a cat tree/condo that she CAN climb on. Leave plenty of toys out all over the place. Put cat nip in the places you would prefer her to lay.

I don't know about the counter surfing. I say no when mine get up there but they don't just GO there unless they are trying to get to whatever I am doing. OR unless they want to get to the top of the fridge where they LOVE to lay. I just clean the counter when I need to cook.

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by Jack31

You said you broke these habits months ago--how did you break them?

It seems you may have to start over, I wonder what sparked her into doing them again? I'm assuming she is an only cat, so someone else didn't tempt her...

Sorry I can't be much help, there is no counter surfing in this house.

Leslie

We were using the spray bottle and would give her a firm "no!!" when we gave her a squirt. And yes she is an only child.

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by Jen

Does she have toys and things she CAN chew? Is she hungry?

IMO your house just isn't cat proof. With some cats you just cannot leave that kind of stuff within reach. Start putting things you don't want her getting into out of reach. Get her a cat tree/condo that she CAN climb on. Leave plenty of toys out all over the place. Put cat nip in the places you would prefer her to lay.

I don't know about the counter surfing. I say no when mine get up there but they don't just GO there unless they are trying to get to whatever I am doing. OR unless they want to get to the top of the fridge where they LOVE to lay. I just clean the counter when I need to cook.

Her super power is the ability to open drawers and doors on occasion. So even if we put thing away she can maneuver her way into them. She has an entire basket of various toys and many more thrown here and there. I even went out and bought her Da Bird and it has become a regular daily exercise toy. She is a very spoiled little girl. My SO built her her own little kitty town complete with plenty of twine of various heights a little house and not too long ago we bought her a kitty tent which she loves.

mews2much · Jul 12, 2008

I think you going away for three days started her off. Does she have any toys or anything to play with? My sisters cat is that bad also. She destroys everything but its because the people were she came from let her.

jack31 · Jul 12, 2008

Get the spray bottle back out.

Alot of people use children's safety locks to prevent their cats from accessing cabinets and drawers. I would be very worried that she could get into a cabinet or drawer that contains something that could really hurt her.

Leslie

mbjerkness · Jul 12, 2008

Have you thought of getting her a playmate? Maybe she is lonely.

brokenheart · Jul 12, 2008

She probably got really panicky when she was left alone for such a long time. Three days is a LOT for a young solo cat, especially if it was the first time you were away -- cats have no way of knowing we're "just away."

I kind of hate the idea of first her going through a traumatic experience (humans have to go away sometimes, but from the cat's POV, they don't know what the hell has happened) and then being plastered with water because it freaked her out. How about just letting her feel safe again (yay her humans are home) and then gently moving her away from the stuff you don't want her to do. And cat-proof the environment more. There's only so much you can train them, because of their brain structure, not because they're rebels.

At one year, they're more like a teenager than a grownup, too. Don't expect her to think like a grownup human. The alternative, I guess, is that while the humans were away she metaphorically smoked some cigarettes and took the car for a joy-ride and now it's going to take her a while to be "good girl" again.

Sometimes with cats you just have to appreciate how funny they are. My cats always leave some vomit in front of the door for me when I'm away, and one of them went through a phase where he would use that time to rip up phone books.

Cats just wanna have fun. And they're born to jump.

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by Brokenheart

She probably got really panicky when she was left alone for such a long time. Three days is a LOT for a young solo cat, especially if it was the first time you were away -- cats have no way of knowing we're "just away."

I kind of hate the idea of first her going through a traumatic experience (humans have to go away sometimes, but from the cat's POV, they don't know what the hell has happened) and then being plastered with water because it freaked her out. How about just letting her feel safe again (yay her humans are home) and then gently moving her away from the stuff you don't want her to do. And cat-proof the environment more. There's only so much you can train them, because of their brain structure, not because they're rebels.

At one year, they're more like a teenager than a grownup, too. Don't expect her to think like a grownup human. The other alternative, I guess, is that while the humans were away she kind of smoked some cigarettes and took the car for a joy-ride and now it's going to take her a while to be "good girl" again.

Sometimes with cats you just have to appreciate how funny they are. My cats always leave some vomit in front of the door for me when I'm away, and one of them went through a phase where he would use that time to rip up phone books.

This wasn't the first time we have left her alone. We've gone on plenty of weekend trips and she has never "acted out" like this upon our return. We always make sure to have someone familiar come and visit her while we are gone as well usually my little brother since she just loves him. I wish we could her her a buddy but as it is we are cramped in out little 600 sq foot apartment and our financial situation doesn't have room to feed care for another the proper way.

enuja · Jul 12, 2008

I have a problem eater who cost me $2200 in off-hours, emergency care to get a drawstring from a pair of my spouse's shorts out of her stomach. As others have said, it sounds like you need to invest in some child drawer and cabinet locks and otherwise cat-proof your house.

You should be able to train her to stay off of the counters just by saying "No" and moving her. My spouse bought a lap-top, and we had to turn a desk that was mostly used for cat-lounging into a desk where cats were not allowed to go. It was remarkably do-able, just by blocking access to the desk, saying "No" (not "NOOOO!"), and removing the cats from the desk.

You say that she already has a kitty town, house, and tent. Are any of these things taller than your kitchen counters? If not, adding a level or two to the highest one might really, really help.

brokenheart · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by SkyeCat0117

This wasn't the first time we have left her alone. We've gone on plenty of weekend trips and she has never "acted out" like this upon our return. We always make sure to have someone familiar come and visit her while we are gone as well usually my little brother since she just loves him. I wish we could her her a buddy but as it is we are cramped in out little 600 sq foot apartment and our financial situation doesn't have room to feed care for another the proper way.

Wow, then ya got me. I don't have a clue why she would suddenly do that stuff, unless it's that she just happened to discover it this time.

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by Enuja

You say that she already has a kitty town, house, and tent. Are any of these things taller than your kitchen counters? If not, adding a level or two to the highest one might really, really help.

It's a pretty tall post already but our counters are really high. Her tallest post is about 3 1/2 feet tall but sadly the counters tower over that by a lot.

proudmomof3cats · Jul 12, 2008

A taller cat tree would help a lot, they like to be up high. One question for you, how old is she?

Manda

laureen227 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by proudmomof3cats

A taller cat tree would help a lot, they like to be up high. One question for you, how old is she?

Manda

she's a year old, i think i remember reading...

proudmomof3cats · Jul 12, 2008

Ok, thanks, I was just wondering if she was around teething age. Hmmmm.... I don't know what else to say, except maybe get a bunch of toys made for chewing like the petstages toys if you have them around you. Our cats adore them. Here is a link to them at petsmart:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754624

Manda

laureen227 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by proudmomof3cats

Ok, thanks, I was just wondering if she was around teething age. Hmmmm.... I don't know what else to say, except maybe get a bunch of toys made for chewing like the petstages toys if you have them around you. Our cats adore them. Here is a link to them at petsmart:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754624

Manda

those are like the ones i linked @ petco - you can get them both places.

skyecat0117 · Jul 12, 2008

Originally Posted by proudmomof3cats

Ok, thanks, I was just wondering if she was around teething age. Hmmmm.... I don't know what else to say, except maybe get a bunch of toys made for chewing like the petstages toys if you have them around you. Our cats adore them. Here is a link to them at petsmart:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2754624

Manda

I'll have to try those. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Destructive & naughty behavior

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