he doesn't listen..

And we are trying to tell you he is a typical kitten. Maybe he wasn't with momcat long enough to learn that humans need to be listened to. Maybe he needs another kitten to play with, or he just has all this energy inside and doesn't quite know what to do with it. You are lucky, most people come here with kitten problems that are truly problems, like a kitten not eating, or a kitten that is ill or a kitten that hides from them for months at a time.

Originally Posted by cersiey

All you people are telling me this is typical kitten behavior an such which I know is true but in my life time I have had 5 cats or so, while they were kittens as well and they NEVER jumped up on your tables, NEVER! They would watch us eat, and I don't mind al that much when Maynard watches me I ither prop my leg us so he can't see my face or ignore him, as long as he's out of my sight I'm good. Like I said, I have never had such a bad behaved cat like him before.

Click to expand...

Is that all Maynard does???....Jumpon the table, and watch you eat???

Because I have to say I have met way worse behaved cats.....

Heck when Doofus was a kitten he used to attack our feet when we slept...but as long as they weren't covered by blankets he wouldn't go near them....so it was either have cold feet...or get attacked....

Doofus eventually grew out of that..w/ a bit of time, and training.....

As for Maynard watching you eat....I am not sure why this is so bad....I mean I wouldnt mind it...but I personally love spending all the time I can w/ my kits...they are the joy of my life......

Each kitty has a different personality. It's possible that your new kitty is just more curious and more of an explorer than your previous ones. I would certainly suggest being more patient with him, as he is still quite young and kitties mellow with age and maturity.

I've never heard of the water and vinegar solution. I don't think I would ever employ such a tactic, especially with a potentially harmful product. Cats have an aversion to citrus fragrances, so perhaps setting out something with those fragrances where you don't want the kitty to go will help keep him off of them.

Personally, clapping my hands or rattling a piece of paper real quick and saying a firm "No." has worked with my two. They still occassionaly jump on the kitchen counter, but I discovered that it was occuring more frequently when they found something of interest up there, like the cherry tomatoes that were left sitting there. It looked like a toy to them, as evidenced by the fact that they knocked it onto the floor and batted it around the house through the night. I found it on the livingroom floor with a couple of teeth marks. I'm thinking they stopped playing with it when they got a good taste of it.

If him watching you while you eat bothers you, try feeding him in another room or even nearby at the same time, so he's too engrossed with his own supper to pay much attention to yours.

Try employing some of the techniques and such mentioned throughout the posts here. I'm sure something will help and you'll be happier with your furry companion.

Edit: BTW, while I was out getting new kitty food, I found a "clicker" device for $1.98. It was at Pet Supplies PLUS. If you have one locally, perhaps you could pick one up there to help in your training.

Originally Posted by sumosmom

What I've done with my kitties when they do things I don't like is to simply clap my hands and say "No!" very firmly. When they stop the behavior (which they do immediately because they recognize the word) and walk away from the "scene," I go up and hug/pet/kiss them and say, "Good girl" or "Good boy!" just to let them know I love them.

It might sound crazy, but I really treat them like my children and I also talk to them in full sentences and it makes a huge difference. Cats are very perceptive and I believe the more you treat them with respect, they respond accordingly. Just from the tone of my voice as I'm talking, they understand when I don't approve of something (first I say, NO- and then explain, something like "That's not for kitties" or "That's dangerous, OK, don't go up there" - they recognize the "NO" immediately but also know from my tone that I'm disapproving but still being loving).

Click to expand...

I'm going to have to try this. It sounds like a wonderful idea. My kitties always look so dejected slinking off when they are told "no".

You can hiss at them too, that language they do understand.

Originally Posted by hissy

You can hiss at them too, that language they do understand.

Click to expand...

That's hilarious! I hiss at mine when they're misbehaving. I didn't even think about it. It's like second nature to me after a lifetime of having feline best friends.

Originally Posted by cersiey

Okay one I have had a ton of other cats that knew they weren't allowed on other furniture aside from the couch. They would only jump on the couches and nothing more. Two my cat is not fearful of me. Even after I do those things to him he jumps up on my lap. As soon as I'm done he does this.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but as a lifelong cat/dog owner, I question the advisability of this, and why you should suddenly be encountering "problems" with this particular cat. If you have trouble dealing with your cat's behavior, perhaps the problem is your expectations.

Originally Posted by jcat

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but as a lifelong cat/dog owner, I question the advisability of this, and why you should suddenly be encountering "problems" with this particular cat. If you have trouble dealing with your cat's behavior, perhaps the problem is your expectations.

Click to expand...

Very well put....

At 4 months old, your boy is attempting to assert his dominance over you - this is completely normal for him. If you haven't already discussed having him neutered, now may be a good time to do so.

The others have given you excellent advice as to clicker training and other methods of deterring inappropriate behavior, but let me just add mine with regard to the table - when you are getting ready to sit down to your meal, simply fix his food and place it down for him. If he knows he will eat when you do, he may begin to learn not to jump on your table while you are eating. Just a thought and worth a try. Best of luck,

~gf~

I poured and throughly washed out the vin. and water bottle but I did refill it with water. I yell "no" or "excuse me?" to him and if just sits looking at me like I'm dumb I then kindly walking over to him and squirt him with the water. Over the net I've been to many local site and haven'r found a clicker but I will go to the local Pet Supplies Plus and see if they have some there. See with his whole food thing, he ALWAYS has food out, he usually eats for about 4 minutes and about 5 times daily. I only put food in his dish once a day and when food goes in it's completely empty. He does very well with eatting not too much. He's 6 pounds and the doctor said it was a good wieght, that he's very healthy. He eats Iams hard food and when we have extra money we get him some meat foods. And he does have snacks, I think I'll take him treats in with me when I eat so he can too. Like I said before he goes back to the doctors in a month so I'll schedule his neuturing then. Aside from him jumping on our tables he's a good cat. We clip the ends of his nails because he's a bit rough with them and he just sits and let us clip them off, without a fuss. I figure I'll give him time as he gets to a year old and see what happens. I am hopeing that neuturing him will lesson him even if it's a little and I'll be good. And I have thought about getting a playmat for him but I'm afraid I'll get another Maynard that want to jump all over everything and that would be so cool to have two Maynard. As much as I love him, one is enough for now.

Ciersey - when you squirt him (even just with water) when he's just sitting down, he has NO idea why you're doing it! He just doesn't. He's not a 4 yr old child, but a little wild animal with NO conception of your 'needs', habits, rules, etc. He absolutely will not fathom what you're doing and all you're doing is setting yourself up for more trouble. If you can't accept him til he's older, maybe someone else will.

This is so sad, poor little Maynard. It sounds like he is a wonderful curious Little Friend who has great spirit. It will be a terrible shame to break this spirit because this is what sets him aside from the others. As you may have observed from this thread, many of us here would love to have a Maynard. From what you have written, it appears that you have the wrong type of Cat, he is still young and maybe you should consider finding him another home. Sorry if this sounds harsh but in our house, the Cats come first.

Originally Posted by James R

This is so sad, poor little Maynard. It sounds like he is a wonderful curious Little Friend who has great spirit. It will be a terrible shame to break this spirit because this is what sets him aside from the others. As you may have observed from this thread, many of us here would love to have a Maynard. From what you have written, it appears that you have the wrong type of Cat, he is still young and maybe you should consider finding him another home. Sorry if this sounds harsh but in our house, the Cats come first.

Click to expand...

While your vet knows Maynard the best, I have to disagree that 6 pounds is a good weight. Male cats, unless very, very tiny in build, should weight more than that as adults. He is a growing boy who plays hard and burns a lot of calories. There is no reason to ration his food due to weight concerns. Why not try giving him his canned food twice per day by splitting a 6 ounce can - give him half at breakfast and half when you sit down to eat dinner. Of course, leave his dry out at all times so he can graze as he chooses. He may be trying to tell you he is hungry when he jumps onto your table as you eat.

They sell this sticky stuff at pet stores that you can put down on things you don't want your cat to jump on. You can also get packing tape and double it over so the sticky is out. Put it where you don't want your cat to jump. It should deter him from the spot since they don't like sticky stuff on their paws.

You might also try putting some pebbles in an empty (& rinsed/dried) aluminum soda can. Duct tape over the opening. When you see him somewhere he's not supposed to be, say "NO" and shake the can. The sound should startle him enough to make him jump down.

Stephanie

I have a male kitten at the same age (he just hit the 4-month-mark this weekend), and I think I can understand a bit where you are coming from. They are naughty at that age, aren't they ? I never had a kitten before, and as much as I was driven to exhaustion this weekend, lifting him off and out of places saying "no, the dustbin is not a good hiding place", he is still the sweetest cat ever. I could never hit him or deliberatly scare him with a water bottle. I don't even like to clap to tell him off, especially as we use clapping to tell him it's play-time. I just lift him off (or out) and tell him "no". It does work after a while. Allthough this weekend he decided that "no" is something to be completley ignored. I guess it's a phase he will grow out of. All Teenagers rebel and no longer understand that word.

Some of the things you have written though, do bother me. A cat isn't a dog, and they will jump on the furniture (allthough they may learn not to do it while you are around). They can't be trained like a dog (it takes much more patience and positive encouragement). They do what they want, they just train you to think it's what you wanted them to do in the first place

What's the problem with him watching you when you eat ? If he is sitting on the table while he does that, I can understand, but you can teach him not to jump on the table while you are eating? If he sits on the floor, just ignore him (yes the scars on your lower legs will eventually heal...) ? Or just send him out the room before you start eating, instead of making it stressful and sending him out later because you don't like him watching? Cats at that age must be where the saying "curiosity killed the cat" comes from. They just love to watch what you do and need to be involved all the time. Getting in your way, and taking the socks back out the drawer, just after you put them all in....

I have had an exhausting weekend with my cat as well. I tried to do the big pre-xmas clean.... I gave up after 2 rooms, as the cat helping wasn't making it a very successful event
But he is also soooo funny. The kind of faces kitten can make and the energy they have and the stuff they do is really adorable. And even after a whole day of saying "no", the best thing is, when he curls up next to me in bed and purrs so loud, that he keeps me awake for another half hour !

Give it another month, and really think hard what you want from a pet. A cat might just not be ideal, if you need obedience and a quiet life, at least not until he is much older. In the meantime, try to chill out. What is bothering you so much about him jumping on the table (while you are not eating) ? Cats don't carry much more germs than humans, and you can always clean the table before you lay it ? Once you stop trying to keep him off it, he probably wont bother jumping on it anymore anyway. At the moment he thinks it's a game, and cats (just like children) just like to do the stuff they aren't allowed to do. I have noticed my cat doesn't like tablecloths. That's another way to keep them off (but don't be annoyed if he keeps pulling it down for a couple of days... it takes a while for them to realize that it's slippery, and not an aid to pull himself up).
Try and put some of the energy wasted on scaring him into playing with him. It's more fun and he will be too exhausted to be naughty. It worked wonders for me this weekend. I chased him through the whole house for 30 mins, and he was sleeping long enough after that, so I could clean the kitchen floor. (playing with the cat was much more fun, but he had enough )

so, put the water bottle away, get the camomile tea out and relax. Be patient, make sure you are consistent (don't allow him to do something until he annoys you, he is either allowed to do it or not), and just think, he will grow out of it - eventually. One day, when he is old and lazy, you will look back and think "can you remember when he used to drive us nuts doing xxx ?"

Have fun

Well beckiboo it seems like you and kittygonewild are the only two people that really understand where I'm coming from. I am try and am going to continue try different things with him. I'm going to get him a little remote control toy and a bunch of others that hang down for him to play with. I was thinking of buying him a big cage for our sleep time but I'm going to see what happens for now and after he gets fixed. All in all he's a good cat and I love him very and I do not intent to give him up or give up on him. He's just a HUGE handful but very loveable, when he wants to be. Again, Thank you.

I think the bottom line is that all cats are different. You said your previous cats NEVER did this kind of behavior but they are like children. Some peoples kids act one way and some act completely different, even in the same family.

You could have a lot of fun building thinks for him to climb and play on. I saw a commercial one time with platforms and ramps and tunnels throughout the entire living room. This is a bit extreme but you could always get a few slabs of wood and cover them with carpet and attach them to the walls like a bookshelf and put a longer piece in between and make fun things for him to play on.

For easier things, I would just wait it out. Many kittens are like this. He will grow out of it. You might want to neuter him sooner too, that seemed to mellow out some of my cats because they don't have all the crazy male hormones. I am also afraid he may start spraying too if you wait all the way til 6 months to neuter him. He is sexually maturing right now and he may start to spray. If you don't enjoy him jumping on counters and watching you eat, I am wondering how you will handle him spraying pee all over your house. He could start this early like 4 months. He CAN be neutered now. I do my cats at 8-12 weeks old just to avoid any of the unwanted behavior.

Oh and if you want a clicker, Pet Supplies Plus should have some. If you can't find one, I can send you one. Just send me a PM and tell me ya want one.

Originally Posted by cersiey

I'm going to get him a little remote control toy and a bunch of others that hang down for him to play with.

Click to expand...

That is a cool idea! I understand where you are coming from. I had 6 kittens in my spare room a year ago. The room was empty besides a ton of toys and litter and food and they still DESTROYED the room. Kittens are a handful, you are lucky to have had kittens previously who were calm. Sometimes, you get a mellow kitten...thats cool.