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- May 16, 2017
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My cat, Binx, is two years old. I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old and lived in four separate places with him without any issues. He uses his litter box fine, and until now has never tried scratching at anything other than his cat tower/scratching post.
He seems to be acting out for our attention, or if he wants to be fed. He knocks things down, and when we get up to stop him, he chirps and runs away like we’re playing a game or runs immediately to his food bowl. He recently knocked down and broke a very expensive speaker. I stood up to scold him, and he ran to his food bowl expecting food. Yelling at him does not work, shooing him away does not work. We tried spraying him with a squirt bottle, but he seems to enjoy that and also treats it as a game. He usually starts by knocking small things down. If he’s ignored, he starts knocking bigger things down until we get angry enough. He jumps onto bookcases and places he knows he should not be, because he knows it’ll get a reaction out of us. It’s gotten bad enough now that I’ve started locking him in the bathroom when he acts out.
He has also started tearing up the carpet. He hasn’t done any significant damage yet, but I know he will if it continues. He seems to be doing that for our attention too. Yelling at him or walking toward him makes him run off for a bit, but a minute later he’s at it again. When he’s scolded, again, he chirps and runs off.
I’m getting really frustrated with him. We live in an apartment and we can’t afford to have him tear the carpet up. He’s incredibly stubborn and clearly too smart for his own good. How can I get him to stop?
He seems to be acting out for our attention, or if he wants to be fed. He knocks things down, and when we get up to stop him, he chirps and runs away like we’re playing a game or runs immediately to his food bowl. He recently knocked down and broke a very expensive speaker. I stood up to scold him, and he ran to his food bowl expecting food. Yelling at him does not work, shooing him away does not work. We tried spraying him with a squirt bottle, but he seems to enjoy that and also treats it as a game. He usually starts by knocking small things down. If he’s ignored, he starts knocking bigger things down until we get angry enough. He jumps onto bookcases and places he knows he should not be, because he knows it’ll get a reaction out of us. It’s gotten bad enough now that I’ve started locking him in the bathroom when he acts out.
He has also started tearing up the carpet. He hasn’t done any significant damage yet, but I know he will if it continues. He seems to be doing that for our attention too. Yelling at him or walking toward him makes him run off for a bit, but a minute later he’s at it again. When he’s scolded, again, he chirps and runs off.
I’m getting really frustrated with him. We live in an apartment and we can’t afford to have him tear the carpet up. He’s incredibly stubborn and clearly too smart for his own good. How can I get him to stop?
