How to minimise destructiveness

[whiskylollipop]

Last year, we fostered (with intent to adopt) a stray teenager kitty. It did not go well. Among a bunch of other behavioural issues, he hated being indoors and would become very destructive, especially when he was home alone. We live in a city apartment so it wasn't possible to let him go outdoors. Fortunately, he was soon adopted by a suburban family, but the experience put my husband off fostering. Which is balls because I love cats!

Surely having shredded curtains, bedframes, carpet and couches isn't something all cat owners simply put up with. How do you minimise the destruction? Having two cats instead of one, so they play with each other instead of the curtains? Getting an old cat who isn't very active?

Any ideas I can float by my husband to keep him amenable to kitties without fearing for our apartment is much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[tulosai]

1. Yes, older cats tend to be more docile, and having 2 cats instead of one can help.  However, all cats have to be trained.  If it seems you've gotten a non destructive one, what this really means is that someone else trained the cat in the past.

2.  Even when trained, cats need alternatives.  Did you have scratching posts that the cat could use to scratch on instead of the furniture? For really active/'destructive' cats it may be necessary to have 2 scratching posts in EACH room- one vertical so that the cat won't scratch the furniture, and one horizontal so the cat won't scratch the carpet.  Cats actually NEED to stretch and scratch so if you aren't offering them something to do that on that isn't your furniture and rug your furniture and rug are going to get it no matter how well behaved the cat wants to be.

3. In terms of the 'training' bit, what is usually best is, when the cat begins to scratch a 'non- approved' surface, to say 'no' firmly, and physically relocate the cat to the scratching post nearest to them.  You may have to demonstrate scratching it with your nails, but the cat generally will quickly understand (even if they don't 'obey' that oh, hey, I can scratch this thing! Praise the cat when he scratches the posts, both with warm verbal praise and with treats.

4. Leaving out toys, having perches where the cat can see out the windows, having spaces the cat can climb, and even leaving the tv on some nature channel are all things you can try to minimize a cats destruction while you are at work.

5.  Playing with the cat interactively for as long as you can each day is also very important.

I am sure others will come by with more suggestions soon!

 

[p3 and the king]

With cats it's all about compromise.  Some people just can't.  And if your husband just can't, cats are not for him.  I am sorry.  But you have to think about the welfare of the animal BEFORE you get it.  Can you accommodate him/her reasonably?  Can you compromise without destroying the spirit of the animal?  Certainly not ALL cats are prone to destructive behaviors.  The last foster sounds like a rescued feral and not just a stray (completely different). 

Cats are very much individuals and each has their own personality.  My Persian, Piper, is very much a diva and very laid back.  She kind of likes to relax and chill a lot.  She doesn't like destructiveness from the others.  She doesn't really like heights too much, either.  So she'd be the perfect kind of cat for your household.  But just seeing Persian isn't enough.  Unlike with dog breeds, cat breeds are a little harder to pin point on temperament and personality.  My other Persian, Phoebe, is the exact opposite of Piper (her sister), she loves heights and is very much everywhere and into everything.  So I make sure she can use the top of the fridge, rather than the countertops and she has her cat trees to make other compromises for other spots.  She is not destructive but she loves to scratch, so plenty of scratchers at the angle and type she prefers is a must.  Again, each cat is different. 

So you need to be able to compromise with your kitty after assessing whether or not he/she is a good fit for your home.  Does she like to scratch? What angle and type of fabric does she like?  Does she like to be up high?  Cat trees and cat furniture will be a must. 

It's all about assessing your boundaries and finding a kitty that can fit in with your home and that you can accommodate.  Best of luck to you.

 

[ruaryx]

First of all, I think it would help for the cat to have things that it can "destroy."  Lots of scratching posts and cat trees and toys.  Older cats are definitely less active and they can make great lap cats!  Also, older cats are less likely to get adopted so it would be great satisfaction to adopt one.  In regards to having two cats, I don't have any experience so I can't answer that.  

Not all cats are the same.  I've had naughty, destructive cats before, but I've also had cats who weren't really interested in destroying things.  

I know that really young litters of kittens often need foster homes as shelters are too stressful for them.  If you're just fostering, this might be a good option as they are young enough to stay pretty close to their homebase.  You could always isolate them in a closed off room too. 

Good luck!  

 

[whiskylollipop]

Thanks everyone!

I would love to give a kitty a permanent home, we just started off with fostering to see if a cat would be a good fit with our household. Sadly my husband, who is a cat person but a very strict disciplinarian neat-freak, just doesn't want to have to deal with ruined furniture a second time. I think if I could show him a kitty that seems really laid back, he would be more agreeable. I am absolutely for adopting a docile older kitty, but upon more thinking I don't think my husband would agree.

Some more background - we have two house bunnies, a minilop and a netherland dwarf. They live in a cage but we make a point to let them stretch their legs and tear around the apartment for a couple hours every evening. Our last foster's other big behavioural issue was that he would stalk them. The bunnies ignored him entirely and would just bounce past him like he was another piece of furniture, but he was VERY interested in them and there were moments when his butt started wiggling and I had to remove him for fear he would pounce.

So coming back to the point, my husband believes that if we do open our home to another kitty, it should be a kitten that is currently smaller than the bunnies, so he/she would grow up with a healthy respect for them and know that these weird bouncy fluffs are definitely not for eating. Also, we can start training early before he/she gets too strong and destructive. I would of course make sure toys, scratching posts and such were available.

Leading to my question: how reliable an indicator of future temperament is a kitten's behaviour? If a kitten is the most lazy and laidback of his/her litter, will he/she remain the same way once grown? P3 and The King, did Piper and Phoebe exhibit their behaviour differences from the start?

 

[p3 and the king]

Oh yes!  Phoebe was very much a social butterfly and "talkative" and into everything.  Whereas Piper was more laid back and kind of shy and quiet.  She doesn't really like anyone else except me.  She will tolerate others but she is definitely a mommas girl.  She is really funny, too.  She hates dirt!  It's quite funny and she has her little quirks for sure.  But don't laugh at her!  She hates that!  Also, she is the alpha of my fur clan.  She is very much a leader and lays down the law.  I chose two different ones on purpose... It just works.  They balance each other out, I like to think.  However, I now know it's not the best way to go about it.  I just got lucky.  Probably because they are related. 

Persians are usually a good fit for a home like yours.  They are more laid back and prone to non destructive.  But not always.  Like I said, the temperament list for certain breeds cannot always be relied on.  Piper is a perfect example.  Whereas Phoebe is the total opposite of the Persian description!

Piper does have one vice... She's not really into toys but she loves catnip.  And Cosmic Catnip is her favorite. 

 

[whiskylollipop]

That's adorable! If Piper goes missing someday, don't check my house, she's definitely not here

I am thinking of getting either a Persian or a Ragdoll...probably Ragdoll for the less shedding. Did I mention I'm allergic to cats and utterly in denial about it. Lol. Hives, no, my skin was born like that.