Boyfriend Is At Wits' End With New Cat

[Yoda and Vader]

So we got a new cat after one of our other ones passed away. He is around 6 months old and someone I worked with found him outside. He is totally healthy and gets along with Yoda well. The issue is that he is chewing cords and going on the counters when he clearly knows he shouldn't be. He seems to behave worse for my boyfriend than he does for me and my boyfriend is about ready to give him away. I'm looking for ways to try to train.him to not do those things or maybe for something to calm him down because he is very high strong and maybe that would help stop the issue. Any advice would be great I am not willing to get rid of him but I don't want my boyfriend to be upset.

 

[Maria Bayote]

You may check on this link. There may also be some articles here in TCS which you can search.

How to Prevent Cats from Jumping on Counters

Your cat is only 6 months old and is naturally high in energy. You might want to get him cat trees and toys that he can be occupied with. Cats also do not know that cords are not for them to eat, so you should just put them in areas he cannot reach, or put covers on them ( I forgot what it is called but my husband puts some sort of a plastic covering on our cables).

When you are preparing food you can also lock him up in another room for a while so you can do what you need to do in the kitchen or dine peacefully.

I do not know with others here, but for me giving away a cat because of these reasons only is sad to hear when we have other ways to counter the issues.

Goodluck.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Maybe kitty is jealous of your boyfriend ? I like Maria Bayote advice .
Remember you can always get another boyfriend.

 

[danteshuman]

Let me start with your boy could be teething! My punk jr just went through his teething (at 5.5-6 months old) and he chewed through my phone cord!!! I found giving him large plastic straws and silvervine sticks to chew on helped. I gave him a few cat teething toys but he didn’t go for them or the chew sticks that much. You can try those thin rawhide sticks, I have had success with teething kitties using those in the past. (they sell them for dogs.)

* you can ask your vet about Prozac if his chewing becomes a PICA thing but this really just sounds like teething/kitten behavior.

I think unfortunately part of the problem is your bf. If he is not consistent in telling him to get off the counter or if your bf is stressed out/high strung all the time your cat is going to sense it and act out. That said I think what you are going through is normal cat teen/these are the rules stuff. Ssssscat might be a way to train him to stay off the counter.


Lastly I think it is telling that your bf is talking about giving him back. A cat is not an inanimate object, he is living breathing being with feelings _you_ made a part of your family!!! I have only given one cat back and I tried for 6 months first!!! If I had had access to this site I would have been able to keep her (she was an outside mainly cat stuck inside an apartment all the time!) Also I re-homed her. I didn’t just abandon her, she was adopted out in the family where she lived happily roaming the neighborhood then coming inside to sleep/eat.

*my twerp was returned after we adopted him out because she stupidly/predictably stressed him out with a resident cat and he peed a couple times. So I adopted him myself. It stressed him out for a couple of months and he was glued to my side afraid I would leave him. He was only gone for a few weeks!

 

[di and bob]

Your cat is in the teenage time of it's life, they are high strung, full of energy and hormones and getting into trouble is what they do. Remember this if you ever have children, patience is needed, not giving them away!
There are cord covers, and sprays that can be applied taht taste terrible and discourage chewing, antiitch sprays at your local farm supply store like Tractor Supply that have a bitter aftertaste in them. As for the counter, lock him in another room when you are preparing food, or feed him so he isn't interested in yours. He may be hungry, kittens should be fed all they want. If he still insists, put him on the floor, EVERY TIME, and say NO loudly. Three times and then lock him in another room. Just like human babies they need to learn what is acceptable and what is not. He needs to be neutered if he has not been already, that calms them down too. Your boyfriend needs to learn patience and tolerance, both important things for a healthy relationship, he may not really like cats, and then you will have to make a decision if you can live with that. i wish you well, I myself would put the kitten in another room when you are in the kitchen, no use getting your boyfriend all upset. The kitten WILL grow up and learn manners in time, it all takes time....

 

[rubysmama]

Congrats on the new kitten. And at 6 months, he is still kitten, so his high energy and mischief ways are to be expected for a while yet. He will calm down once he's older.

Has he been neutered yet?

As for chewing on cords, he could be teething as was mentioned up thread. You can buy cord covers.
Amazon.com: cord protector for pets

Does he only jump on counters, when you're preparing food? If so, it could be due to his being a stray, and he still has "stray cat food obsession", where he's not yet used to food being available all the time. If it is, he should get over it in time.

Here's a couple TCS articles you may find helpful:
How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat | TheCatSite
Cats And Discipline Don't Mix | TheCatSite

gets along with Yoda well.

Just wanted to mention, that it's great that he get also well with Yoda. It doen's always work out that smoothly when a new cat comes into a home.

 

[catsknowme]

Thank you for giving your new boy a real home! You are getting some wonderful advice here. I believe that Rubysmama is onto something about the counters and "stray cat/feral cat food insecurities". I provide free-feed kibble, at least for awhile, for my rescues and young cats.
I have a few more strategies to try, that may or may not have been mentioned yet:
Tricks: Beginning with a "performance spot" such as a small table or stool, I teach the command "up". Then I go to "circles" or "tailwhips". Other people prefer "shake/give me paw" or "high 5". Some cats like treats as the reward but some prefer a quick comfort grooming over food. Tricks are big confidence boosters and, especially with guys, can encourage trust & relationships.
Fishing rod/extended wand toys: I am a huge fan of using wand toys attached to retired fishing poles, lunge whips (for horses), and similar extensions. These toys greatly increase the diameter of the exercise area, allowing for across- the- room, full-bore sprints and high leaps - both are natural to hunting. It's important to let the kitties catch the "prey" fairly frequently so they don't get discouraged. These toys, especially the fishing rods, are lightweight and are ideal for children (helps them keep away from claws) and adults with neck/shoulder issues (excercises the cat with minimal strain on the human).
Comfort grooming: I use a cheap plastic or rubber human comb for comfort grooming. Using short, light "J" strokes, I groom behind the ears, all around the face (especially the forehead and "temples"), between the shoulders, under the chin and all around the ruff. This mimics the licking that a mother cat greets her baby with and it fosters bonding. It will give your cats a sense of calm and security plus it feels good to them to have those areas groomed (places that they can't easily reach themselves). Some cats love all down their spine to the base of their tail groomed (a little back-combing there helps remove dandruff and hair buildup and helps prevent furballs).
Please keep us updated on how things are going and what works for you - we love getting new ideas and suggestions to try!

 

[kittyluv387]

Sometimes I do think there are good reasons to rehome a pet or to return a kitty you just adopted. To me, this isn't one of them. Jumping on counters and chewing on cords...kitty is just doing what kitties do. You can try spraying some bitter apple spray on the cords. You can attempt to train him for the counter thing but a lot of cats are strong headed and cannot be stopped. I'm wondering if your bf just didn't want another 2nd cat? Or maybe he just needs to be reminded that kittens are rambunctious and not all of them are the same about counter surfing? I really hope you don't get rid of this kitty for just breathing.

 

[Yoda and Vader]

Thanks is for all the advice! I think my boyfriend is just frustrated and doesnt really want to get rid of him. When we got Yoda and Vader neither of them really had this kitten phase. I've tried explaining to him that he probably will grow out of it and that this is normal but I think it has helped him seeing so many other people saying the same thing. They have lots of toys and get plenty of food in addition to being on a wet food only diet. They are SPOILED. I am going to try cord protectors or some hot sauce I've seen that a lot in other threads. I think the counter thing may be a food obsession thing because he definitely eats enough but he did used to be outside so he may be afraid it wont be there every time. I think the ssssscat is probably our best bet. I will attach a picture of the culprit for your viewing pleasure.

 

[kittyluv387]

Thanks is for all the advice! I think my boyfriend is just frustrated and doesnt really want to get rid of him. When we got Yoda and Vader neither of them really had this kitten phase. I've tried explaining to him that he probably will grow out of it and that this is normal but I think it has helped him seeing so many other people saying the same thing. They have lots of toys and get plenty of food in addition to being on a wet food only diet. They are SPOILED. I am going to try cord protectors or some hot sauce I've seen that a lot in other threads. I think the counter thing may be a food obsession thing because he definitely eats enough but he did used to be outside so he may be afraid it wont be there every time. I think the ssssscat is probably our best bet. I will attach a picture of the culprit for your viewing pleasure.

What’s a cute boy! Thanks for the pic. He is obviously taken care of and loved. I definitely think your new kitten is normal. Some cats are also pigs and food obsessed. My cat was brought in to the shelter at 3 months so he never really went hungry. I’ve had him from 5 months till now at 4 years and he would eat himself into obesity if I let him. And none of my cats will stay off the counters lol. But the chord thing he can grow out of with some discouragement.

 

[pearl99]

I got some stuff called "Bitter Yuck!" from Petco that has kept my kitty when she was a kitten from chewing on some cords. Tastes awful. It's a spray. It also keeps her from chewing on my african violets. Worked for her!

 

[pearl99]

Thanks is for all the advice! I think my boyfriend is just frustrated and doesnt really want to get rid of him. When we got Yoda and Vader neither of them really had this kitten phase. I've tried explaining to him that he probably will grow out of it and that this is normal but I think it has helped him seeing so many other people saying the same thing. They have lots of toys and get plenty of food in addition to being on a wet food only diet. They are SPOILED. I am going to try cord protectors or some hot sauce I've seen that a lot in other threads. I think the counter thing may be a food obsession thing because he definitely eats enough but he did used to be outside so he may be afraid it wont be there every time. I think the ssssscat is probably our best bet. I will attach a picture of the culprit for your viewing pleasure.

Handsome guy! What is his name?

 

[Yoda and Vader]

I got some stuff called "Bitter Yuck!" from Petco that has kept my kitty when she was a kitten from chewing on some cords. Tastes awful. It's a spray. It also keeps her from chewing on my african violets. Worked for her!

I have wiped the cords he normally chews with hot sauce and he seems to not even like the smell so fingers crossed!

 

[Yoda and Vader]

Handsome guy! What is his name?

Boba. We have a Star Wars theme going on here lol.

 

[pearl99]

Boba. We have a Star Wars theme going on here lol.

Cool. I have a food thing- waffles, mooshoo, milkshake, snickers, mocha, brownie, oreo, taffy...past pets.

 

[danteshuman]

Boba looks cute as can be! I’m relieved to hear your bf isn’t serious about returning him ; sadly it doesn’t seem to be that way in these threads to often. I think everyone is right that it is just a kitten thing (I’m trying to train my almost 7 month kitten to stay off the counters and I have been trying since he was 3 months old! He just looks at me when I shake the penny can a little and doesn’t move until I start to get up ...... just like kids do with their parents. ) I also think hopefully the food obsession, if that is why he is counter surfing, will go away when he realizes he has food all the time and set feeding times. A small puzzle toy with some dry food in it may help ..... I had one cat that freaked if he could see the bottom of his bowl and started guarding it from the other cat ...... his entire life!

My boy stopped the cord chewing when I started hiding the end part he wanted to chew on in a tissue box and gave him the silvervine sticks ..... he gnawed on his favorite size stick so much he removed half the bark and left a little blood stain from his teething....... poor little guy. They sell the silver vine / verlium (sp) sticks on Amazon, they are cat safe and alternative to catnip for the rare cat that does not like catnip.

In 6-12 months he will calm down and you will mostly forgot all his naughty ways. In 10 years you will laugh about it.

 

[kashmir64]

I have a cat that loves cords. I went to the auto store and bought some wire harness, doused that in Bitter Apple, wrapped the cords all the way to the plug and covered the surge protector with an area rug. This was the only thing that stopped her.

 

[catsknowme]

Boba is beautiful + !. He is truly living the high life.

but I have no idea who "Boba" is in SW....pretty pathetic considering that I chose to spend my 21st birthday watching the first Star Wars and bought the soundtrack ALBUM and 8 track tape

 

[lutece]

Boba Fett - Wikipedia

 

[catsknowme]

Boba Fett - Wikipedia

Yay!! I have seen Boba Fett but just didn't realize it yet!

And now I know why TCS kitty Boba earned his name, being all white (I had to watch "What Only True Star Wars Fans Know About Boba Fett" on YouTube). Considering the namesake, it makes sense that Boba is such a rambunctious, independent boy He's already avoiding the chili flavored cords so he is a savvy kitten as well