First Time Cat Owner Dealing With Hyperactivity

[Oakely76]

Hey there, I just got a new cat today from a shelter, her name is Leah!

I was given a full behavioural disclosure from the adoption people and the declaration was her high energy, which meant for stimulative play and daily routine to keep from frustration and boredom.

Leah completely skipped the sanctuary process, (keeping the cat in a safe environment before full introduction into the home and to others) she was highly eager to leave my bedroom, and would get frustrated despite my attempts to play with her in the room, wanting to leave and explore. (She was very explorative and didn't keep to one part of the house)

I'm wondering about the following;

• She's taken a liking to our furniture, a little so much that she's indulged herself in using it as a scratching post, despite stern "No's" like recommended, it didn't stop her from continuing. How can I prevent her from doing this?
• Stern "No's" haven't stopped her from climbing around things she shouldn't, is there a better alternative that's not a water sprayer?

 

[Oakely76]

In addition; She's a 1.5 years old siamese mix.

 

[BlueJay]

Put scratching posts and carboard scratchers by those spots. You can spray the furniture with scratch repellant stuff, but I've never done it, only seen it. I've heard using double sided tape on the spots You don't want her to scratch helps too. Its to train them, hopefully you won't need to leave it on there forever. Cats do need to scratch though, it's healthy for them. Maybe one with a little ball on top would appeal to her since she's active? Sometimes sprinkling catnip on the scratcher encourages them to use it more. Put treats by it/on it. There's an article somewhere...

 

[Oakely76]

Put scratching posts and carboard scratchers by those spots. You can spray the furniture with scratch repellant stuff, but I've never done it, only seen it. I've heard using double sided tape on the spots You don't want her to scratch helps too. Its to train them, hopefully you won't need to leave it on there forever. Cats do need to scratch though, it's healthy for them. Maybe one with a little ball on top would appeal to her since she's active? Sometimes sprinkling catnip on the scratcher encourages them to use it more. Put treats by it/on it. There's an article somewhere...

Yes! I have heard about these tips and I will most definitely be pursuing the options! If you have any tips on obedience such as no cats on the counter that would be excellent and very appreciated!

 

[BlueJay]

23 Proven Ways To Stop A Cat From Scratching Furniture

 

[BlueJay]

The Dos And Don'ts Of Cat Behavior Modification

 

[Oakely76]

The Dos And Don'ts Of Cat Behavior Modification

Both of these help a lot! Thanks a lot!

 

[BlueJay]

Solving Cat Behavior Problems: The Key Ingredient

5 Reasons To Never Spray Water On Your Cat

These are some ones I recently read. We're still working on the counter thing. As with providing an alternative place to scratch, the articles mention that teaching cats to use an alternative using positive reinforcement is often most effective. So in our kitchen, I cleared off a stand that is about the same level as the counter, taller than our table, but is away from where we prepare and eat food. I have designated it as her shelf since this afternoon. I put a box up there(she loves those) hung a scratching thing, put a toy there, and then added a few treats. Now instead of simply telling her no and removing her from the counter, I put her on her shelf with a treat as a friendly reminder of where she should be instead. Too soon to tell if it is helping, but the other method was having some negative impacts on behavior like increased biting.

 

[Oakely76]

Update: She's gotten a little better with behaviour, but it seems she doesn't listen to me very well!

 

[BlueJay]

It can take anywhere from days, weeks, or months to adjust behavior.

 

[war&wisdom]

She may not know the word "no." Try hissing; it's what another cat would do to correct unwanted behavior.

 

[Kflowers]

When we had a batch who climbed the curtains, I put the curtains on dowel rods and put the rods on open hooks. That meant the first time a kitten started up the curtains the rod slipped loose covering the kitten in yards of fabric. I suspect a bit of a bump from the rod so be sure to use the smallest dowel rod you can if you do this.

Note if you also have a dog, there is a chance the dog will eat the dowel rod when she finds it on the floor. Not that I would personally know a dog who would do that. No, not at all.

 

[Oakely76]

We managed to fix the scratching by getting a scratching board and getting bitter apple, anyone know how to get a get to not bite at chords....?

 

[Hellenww]

Since you're lucky enough to have a cat who doesn't think of Bitter Apple as a condiment you can spray some on the cords. He's an article also

My Cat Scratches, Jumps or Chews Things : The Humane Society of the United States

 

[war&wisdom]

You can also get cord covers from a hardware store or from Amazon.

 

[LTS3]

Aquarium air line tubing works well. Hardware stores have thicker plastic tubing if you have an aggressive chewer. Slit the tube lengthwise and tuck the cords inside.

Bored cats often chew on cords. Make sure to play with your cat daily. If it's an option, adopt a second cat. Two cats can keep each other company.

 

[war&wisdom]

I just want to say that your cat doesn't have to be bored to chew on cords -- my kittens have tons of play time with us, toys, and a cat tree, and they're frequently wrestling with and loving on each other. They're still attracted to cords once in a while, especially when they're hanging/moving.