I wonder if anyone can help with a behaviour problem which is growing increasingly exasperating. Our two 6 month old Burmese kittens will insist on jumping on and walking all over the dining table whilst we are eating. They are so cheeky they will go for food on the plates we are actually eating from and help themselves if they are not stopped. They lick up bits of food on cutlery or that the children spill around their plates and generally disrupt all mealtimes. They knock sauces, cornflake boxes, milk bottles etc over as they go from one place to another trying to get at anything edible.
We have NEVER fed them titbits from the table, so have never encouraged them to start begging. I always feed them before we eat, so they don't have the excuse/reason of being hungry. They will not be distracted by toys at all, when there's food on the scene.
We have tried just removing them, constantly putting them on the floor and saying nothing, but they just jump straight back on, actually clawing their way up someone's leg or leaping on to someone's lap to get there. We have tried hissing at them or speaking in a cross voice, but they don't care a button. I have been trying to avoid the water squirt route, partly because I know some are of the opinion this is not a good thing to do and partly because sitting around the dining table, we'll be squirting each other as well!! I know there's the option of simply shutting them out of the room while we eat, but unless we shut them somewhere such as the bathroom upstairs, where they can't do any damage, they know what's going on and yowl and scratch the carpet at the doorway. And it's a pain having to round up the kittens and shut them up somewhere, when you're trying to round up the kids to come for their meal.
Our 18 month old male, Raffles, just watches looking aghast at their behaviour - and he was a stray from the RSPCA, but somewhere picked up perfect manners. When we first brought them home we thought it was just kitten behaviour and they would calm down and grow out of it. We thought that although they were bred in a house, perhaps they hadn't experienced family meal times. There's no sign of them growing out of it and it's worse because they're a lot bigger now. I'd be really grateful for any suggestions.
Oh, everyone's neutered by the way (except us!) just in case anyone thinks it might be relevant.
We have NEVER fed them titbits from the table, so have never encouraged them to start begging. I always feed them before we eat, so they don't have the excuse/reason of being hungry. They will not be distracted by toys at all, when there's food on the scene.
We have tried just removing them, constantly putting them on the floor and saying nothing, but they just jump straight back on, actually clawing their way up someone's leg or leaping on to someone's lap to get there. We have tried hissing at them or speaking in a cross voice, but they don't care a button. I have been trying to avoid the water squirt route, partly because I know some are of the opinion this is not a good thing to do and partly because sitting around the dining table, we'll be squirting each other as well!! I know there's the option of simply shutting them out of the room while we eat, but unless we shut them somewhere such as the bathroom upstairs, where they can't do any damage, they know what's going on and yowl and scratch the carpet at the doorway. And it's a pain having to round up the kittens and shut them up somewhere, when you're trying to round up the kids to come for their meal.
Our 18 month old male, Raffles, just watches looking aghast at their behaviour - and he was a stray from the RSPCA, but somewhere picked up perfect manners. When we first brought them home we thought it was just kitten behaviour and they would calm down and grow out of it. We thought that although they were bred in a house, perhaps they hadn't experienced family meal times. There's no sign of them growing out of it and it's worse because they're a lot bigger now. I'd be really grateful for any suggestions.
Oh, everyone's neutered by the way (except us!) just in case anyone thinks it might be relevant.