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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: Our 9-month-old
kitten has bad habits we’d like to correct. She gets under the sofa and
runs back and forth, tearing it up in the process. She also scratches
at the carpeting. She’s forever on our counter tops, and in the sink.
One day, she jumped into the dishwater. She doesn’t like to drink out
of her water dish but prefers running water. My sister suggests I get
another kitten, but then I’m afraid I’d have two bad cats. My husband
wants me to whack the cat to teach her a lesson. I use a squirt gun but
she returns only moments later to the scene of the crime. What can I do?
– T.W., Metamora, Ill.
A: Take a deep breath
and find your sense of humor. Even feline behavior expert Kate Gamble
of San Francisco, Calif., can’t help the fact that kittens are active
and curious. And no kitten will understand the rules unless you consistently
teach her.
Whacking your cat
will only serve to teach her that the human hand can’t be trusted. Don’t
even think about it!
As for your kitty’s
propensity to climb, Gamble says this is perfectly normal feline behavior.
Your job is to decide which places she’s allowed to climb and where climbing
is prohibited.
If you don’t want
your cat on the counter tops or kitchen table, that’s fair. But show your
cat how to reach the top of the fridge or the kitchen window ledge. You
may even offer a window perch. Of course, cat trees are wonderful ideas.
Aside from a climbing place, it offers a place to scratch.
Your kitty also needs
of a horizontal scratcher. Whenever she goes to scratch at the rug, say
"no," pick her up promptly and place her on the horizontal scratcher.
Place these scratchers near or at places she’s currently scratching. Sprinkling
catnip inside the grooves of the scratchers may or may not encourage her
but it won’t hurt.
To deter your cat
from counter hopping, use double stick tape on placemats or on car mats
with the nubby side up. Or set up a tower of empty soda cans at the border
of the counters. When your kitty hits the cans, they’ll tumble over.
My personal recipe
is one part Tabasco sauce and one part real lemon juice sprinkled on aluminum
foil and spread over a counter top. You must replenish daily. Scat mats,
available at pet stores, are quite effective. What works to deter one
kitty may not deter another.
As for your kitty
playing hockey under the couch; use wooden boards, rolled up vinyl hall
runners or car floor mats, nubby side up, to bar access. However, it’s
imperative you provide toys. Gamble points out that leaving 20 toys out
isn’t nearly as effective as putting only two or three toys out at a time
and rotating them every few days. Playing with your kitty at least once
daily for 15 minutes with an interactive toy (such as a fishing pole device
with feathers at the end) is a must.
Some cats do prefer
running water. You can buy a gadget at a pet store, a sort of drinking
fountain for cats. Or just leave the water running in a bathroom and allow
your kitty to drink at will. But she may use her water dish more than
you realize.
If you do want another
cat, your sister is correct, this is the time to do it. Your kitten will
have a playmate, companion and great way to use excess energy. But you’ll
have two kittens bolting around the house, getting into mischief.
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