Hi all. Nala my kitten is almost three months old now and getting rowdier everyday. She has a tendency to always jump on the table while we're eating (and cooking) and we're trying to educate her to not do this but nothing seems to be working... any advice? I don't want to go too hard as I've heard cats react badly to being disciplined, but what's the best way to teach her it's not ok?? Thanks for your help!
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Disciplining Kitty - Is It Possible And What's The Best Way?
- Thread starter nala88
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Hmmm there's not much you can do. Cats jump on high stuff, it's in their nature! Do you have a cat tree? It helped a little with mine. Keep her distracted, maybe with toys at hand that you can throw in the room so she gets off the table naturally?
I'd advise you not to try and discipline a kitten, let alone so young. They don't understand "discipline" anyway. You might kill her spirit, and she will learn to distrust you. Then you might end up with "that" cat!
I'd advise you not to try and discipline a kitten, let alone so young. They don't understand "discipline" anyway. You might kill her spirit, and she will learn to distrust you. Then you might end up with "that" cat!
Have you seen this article?
Get Off! How To Discourage Your Cat From Jumping On Counters
Get Off! How To Discourage Your Cat From Jumping On Counters
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- #4
Thank you both - that's very helpful, especially that last article! I may try the sticky tape solution 
My boyfriend has a dog and so is used to ways of disciplining them, and I am trying to educate him on how cats are entirely different creatures! I've sent him all your advice so hopefully now we can start training our kitty to not jump on the tables. Thanks for all your help.
My boyfriend has a dog and so is used to ways of disciplining them, and I am trying to educate him on how cats are entirely different creatures! I've sent him all your advice so hopefully now we can start training our kitty to not jump on the tables. Thanks for all your help.
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I am not a fan of disciplining cats, i don't think it works for them. Distraction is the best, in my opinion. don't leave thing on the table that would entice her, if you don't want her up there make it a boring place. when she does get somewhere you don't want her then move her and get her interested in something else. give her places of her own so she can get up high, such as a cat tree, or her own shelves, make those attractive to her. she is young, and very active, she will want to be right in the middle of all the fun and activities now, she will calm down as she gets older.
You can also have several cat trees--I sure intend to have more than one, once I move out of this apartment! Maybe a high cat tree close to your dining table can help. She might climb there and observe from above instead of jumping right in the middle of your dinner. Good luck, and keep us posted!
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- #7
I will keep you postd, thanks for all the advice!
Pick her up off the table and put her down. Pick up up off the table and put her down. Repeat every single time. After about the thousandth time she will start to learn she can’t go on the table -at least while you are present.
A kitten only 12 weeks old will not learn what you want with physical discipline, you can break a dog's spirit, but not a cats, it just makes them afraid and sneaky. If they jump on the table, you clap your hands, say NO very loudly and put them in a locked room if they persist.They WILL learn, especially when they get older, but 12 weeks is a little young, just like a one year old child. You might try putting her food down for her right before you eat to make her less motivated, cats LOVE food at that age. You have to be firm and consistent, over and over, just like with a baby, one time of letting her get away with it and you have to start over. You can't let her become a brat, but you have to learn about the ways of cats too. A cat taken from the family before twelve weeks of age needs the humans to teach them limits in playing without scratching and biting, etc. because between 6-12 weeks is when they learn this from their mama and their siblings. Please have a little patience, kittens are MUCH more motivated towards play and active than puppies at that age, they seem much more advanced, and they are. An older cat is much calmer and laid back. All the luck!
It's not as harsh as physical discipline, and time outs are just that, ten minutes tops and let him out again, any longer and he forgets why he is in there. If you don't want to do that, then you'll have to remove him over and over until he understands, or distract him with a new toy or food.
Mine get distressed when they're locked up in a room, especially if I put them there (I tried when I wanted to feed the sister separately from her brother). OP can try, but I don't recommend it if the kitten doesn't take it well. Also, I highly suspect the kitten will run and jump back on the table as soon as he's "freed." Not sure he will understand the correlation.
