My kitty is as wild as a buck!!! She needs discipline!!

[dmcwlvssr]

I have this problem too. I found this thing called tattle tale it is run by a battery and you put it where you don't want them it is very sensitive so as soon as any vibrations alert it,it beeps then resets itself for the next beep. I have one on the counter and I put on on my waterbed, It keeps them off pretty much but it still goes off every once in awhile. Might be worth a try to start using it. My babies are 1 & 2 now. Kittens are babies that need to be worked with. Good luck

[Phoebe's human]

Wanda, I just saw your post in this thread. I hope you won't mind if I disagree with you about swatting your kitty.

I just don't think it's wise to hit a kitty. I've never tried it but I've heard that it can turn a playful cat into an aggressive one.

--Just my opinion, for whatever it's worth.

[Wanda]

Hello Phoebe's mom, no I don't mind you disagreeing with me at all, I knew some would not agree, no problem. I do hope all understood though by swatting I did not mean hitting. I would never hurt Dolly and don't even have a switch now. She is 2 years old now and almost a perfect lady, we had a bathroom tissue problem for a couple of weeks but that is fine now, she was just wanting more attention. I never have to worry about her getting on the table or counters whether there is food on them or not. She knows she is loved beyond measure, everyone that sees her is impressed. She is not aggressive, flops down in front of you on her back to get her belly rubbed. lol Of course she still occassionally has her mad cat attacks running wild through the house, but thats just play. So, certainly don't try my way if not comfortable with it and for sure don't take me to mean to hurt a kitty, I never meant that. It worked with my kids which are adults now and neither was in any kind of trouble, so I thought it might work with her. Thanks for your thoughts, Wanda

[boxofmuses]

Haha my kitten is about four months old and is extremly friskey. It wasn't until I got a new kitten about her age. That she started to calm down. They were scared of each other at first but after getting used to each other's scent and sharing each others food dishes, they started to play with each other.

I think you need to get another kitten her age so that they can play. Either that, buy alot of kitty things to keep her busy.

As for the jumping on the table, I have found out that cat's HATE the smell of minty things, such as mouthwash. What I did was mixed mouthwash and water together and spritz is around the table with it (not the kitty!!). It winds up smelling minty. It doesnt have to be a spray either it could be a number of strong smelling minty deoderizers you can probably find at any store. Pick up your cat and put it on the table when it smells minty. Your cat will scowl and run away for dear life. Even when it's on the floor near the table, pick it up and put it on the table to smell the minty-ness. Again it will run for dear life. Eventually the cat will learn that if it's even NEAR the table it will be subjected to smell mint.

Hope this helps!

[marvin]

nurse_jamie

i read your posts about your frisky 4 month old, and i have to say i can identify with your frustration!
i rescued a kitten who was a stray when he was only three weeks, and even then i could tell he was going to be a handful.
he was my first kitten, so i asked a lot of friends for help, but mostly had to make do on my own.
one major problem i faced was exactly what you describe.
i am away ay work most of the day, and my poor little guy was too young to understand why i wasnt home with him. (imagine how a kindergartner feels when he is sent to school for the first time - now imagine theres noone else at school but the toys!)
i understand if this is not something you are ready/able to do at this time... BUT...
what i ended up doing when my baby came running at me crying for attention whenever i came home (after scratching the couch and things, of course!) is... i got him a playmate.
there is a site here about introducing cats to eachother, and it is MUCH easier when they are young (mine were 6&7 months, old and new)
if you wait until your little baby is old enough to be fixed, then can afford/are able to get a playmate about its age, your kitten will have living companionship, and hopefully that will distract them from being destructive.
as far as the squirt bottles, we have two. one for the plant, one for the cats. this, in MY opinion is not cruel. if you had a 2 year old, you might spank him lightly to reinforce him not doing something dangerous. personally, i use a method of two strikes, youre out. i will tell the cat no in a firm voice twice, then squirt him. pets are too small to ues a spank, as it can be damaging to their nervous system, but dont believe for a second they cant learn!
when i come in and my cat is on the coffee table, he gets a guilty look and jumps right down!
in any case, i wish you luck with your kitten, and a helpful guide to the age/mannerisms of kittens are often in pet stores and grocery stores. the magazines on kittens often tell you when they can be trained and what their energy levels are like at certain ages.
Good luck!!!