"Cat Call" + Scolding Question

Hi All,
Heres question somehow mixed in with a grand observation.

So i've recently moved to a new place...that allows for my 4th month old kitten to roam freely in the house (my old place...with an anti-pet roomate, so had to keep him regulated to 1 room when he was at home)...

So all is dandy, except NOW I have a new BED. It's actually fairly old (but just bigger), and has a few rips under the base cloth. Which means that the kitten can climb onto it and roam around in the springs area of the bed. sure the kitten is always one too climb underneath beds, but USED to come out just a few minutes after being ignored. Now, unfortunately they're thi swhole new world of walking around underneath there. So now my worry is that I'll unknowingly lay down, with her inbetween, and could get her caught in the bed springs?? And, I have no idea what's underneath there...maybe she could get caught in there anyhow!

So of course I chase her...and like a kitten, when you're trying to get them, they run away, and stay for even longer. So now I manage to get her out via some kind of "cat" sound effect that I've figured out -- I pull her out then scold her, and she goes on her way running out of the room.

edit*A simple solution I guess....I will simply keep my bedroom off limits to her.

1) Will this scolding damage our relationship?

I'm worried that she doesn't really understand what she's doing wrong...though her scolding always follows her going underneath there. This morning after grabbing her, had to yell at her (in her ear loud of course so she knows it's bed)....so loud that she leaped out of my hand. She went into her spot, and sat there (like a kid would when sulking). I kept trying to pet her and all, and did successfully. She didn't run away, swat, or try to bite (so far so good I guess in teaching her that fingers aren't for swapping, even when she's sad/angry), just sat there as if to say "You yelled at me". Of course I had to leave to goto work so I gave her her food, and picked her up and all to make sure that she wasn't planning on attacking me or anything 'next time' I pick her up.

2) This "cat call" that I've discovered to get her to come to me (when in vicarious spots)..consists of me putting my bottom teeth underneath my bottom lip and breathing in...making a strange "squeeling" sound. Hard to describe...but the only way I could why it "always works" is because maybe it sounds like a bunch of cats meowing/crying?

Anyone know what I'm talking about, or have any other similiar observances?

Hi-


I wouldn't scold her or chase her first of all. I have cats and kittens that crawl into the bedsprings all the time, and I just let them. You can provide other alternative comfortable dark areas for her to explore and sleep in www.felinefurniture.com has some really good, inexpensive cat condos that kittens love.

I also would not grab your kitten unless he is in imminent danger. You will only succeed in making her afraid of you.

Thanks.

I agree. Just to be clear, I never "grab" her outright. My wording was a bit careless there. Actually I always pick her up gently and never once forcefully 'grabbed' her.

Someone who I think is an idiot tol dme that the bed spring thing was a bad idea. It's not dangerous, is it? They are freakin' hard springs! they shouldn't "collapse" or anything like that. Hopefully not, b/c then I can remove the bugs and stuff that I put underneath there to keep her out....

And yup. I have a cat condo, in the living room.

Duct Tape could be used as a temporary repair for the holes in the bedsprings.

Or put a thin slab of plywood underneath... or the bed on the floor (temporarily).

Originally Posted by Larke

Or put a thin slab of plywood underneath... or the bed on the floor (temporarily).

Click to expand...

I vote for plywood! Just make sure it covers the bottom completely... if there's the slightest gap, you know she'll find a way through it! :-)

As for your "catcall" -- I tried it with my babies, and... nothing. But I do have two things that work for me:

Clyde will come when I do my uncannily perfect imitation of the call of the ringneck doves my long, long, long-ago exhusband and I used to keep as pets...

And when I start to sing Gershwin's "Summertime," little Pearl comes running, hops onto my chest, and lays her paw on my mouth.

I'm not sure how to take that, actually...

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

And when I start to sing Gershwin's "Summertime," little Pearl comes running, hops onto my chest, and lays her paw on my mouth.

I'm not sure how to take that, actually...

Click to expand...

Great image, Carol!

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

I vote for plywood! Just make sure it covers the bottom completely... if there's the slightest gap, you know she'll find a way through it! :-)

As for your "catcall" -- I tried it with my babies, and... nothing. But I do have two things that work for me:

Clyde will come when I do my uncannily perfect imitation of the call of the ringneck doves my long, long, long-ago exhusband and I used to keep as pets...

And when I start to sing Gershwin's "Summertime," little Pearl comes running, hops onto my chest, and lays her paw on my mouth.

I'm not sure how to take that, actually...

Click to expand...

Yup..hard to describe the call. But it works everytime for me!

Well I have had up to five kittens in my bedsprings at night while I was asleep and no crushing injuries yet

Thanks for clarifying the "grabbing" remark

Originally Posted by BARASHIN

Hi All,
This morning after grabbing her, had to yell at her (in her ear loud of course so she knows it's bed)....so loud that she leaped out of my hand.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't shout into her ears either. She'll dislike your voice, she'll learn to dislike you.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

And when I start to sing Gershwin's "Summertime," little Pearl comes running, hops onto my chest, and lays her paw on my mouth.

I'm not sure how to take that, actually...

Click to expand...

It just means: "sing more, mom!" of course.

I think that scolding your cat, especially by yelling in her ear, could definitely damage your relationship. I really doubt that she knows what she is doing is wrong and will cause you to do that, or else she wouldn't keep doing it. All she knows is that you take her out of 'her spot' then yell at her.

I would find a way to keep her out of there so you don't have to worry about it. I wonder why she finds it so fascinating in there! Maybe you can try to find a way to similate it by draping blankets over something to make a hidey spot.