my kitten just doesn't listen.

[Purrsnickitty]

My Poe, 4 months old, is the most rambunctious kitten I have ever seen! She isn't allowed up on our kitchen chairs or our table, but she's up there anyway. She'll attack Sammy (my 13-year old cat) and try to play with his tail, to the point where he will hiss and claw at her until she stops. We have a small hibiscus tree in our kitchen, and she likes to climb it to the top, and she's even broken off the branches before. She isn't de-clawed, so she uses our sheer curtains as a scratching post. We've tried everything to get her to just calm down. We've tried putting her in a dark room for 'punishment' , sprayed her with a spray bottle (she reacts to it, but keeps doing the same thing), & when she does something good, we give her positive reassurance. She has toys that she plays with, yet she still goes back to these bad habits. I've heard that cats don't learn from negative things that you do or say, only the positive. Is there any truth to that ? When we found her at 6weeks, she was a stray, so I'm not sure if it's feral cat in her, I don't know if this is a kitten thing or just the way that she's going to be. Either way, I need to know how to get her to stop doing these things! :/ I'm afraid she's going to hurt herself one day. She has already gotten dirt in her eye, causing it to swell up & her unable to open it. After a few days her eye was fine, but still...

Any help?

Cats see better in the dark. Very little light is needed for cats to see. However, i am having the same issues with Griffin. He will not stop getting up on the counter. I have said it a thousand times a day for the last 100 days. I have grabbed them by the tough of his neck and pulled him off the counter in frustration. I have read different articles about keeping the cat off the counter. Only to look up and see the cat on the counter again. I keep the counters clean I keep the sink clean food free morsel free and crumb free. I feed him about 4 Cans of food a day and he still wants to eat. I take him to the vet the vet tells me he has no worms. I started to feed him a raw diet every other feeding to see if that will change anything in the thing has changed. His poop still stinks really bad and it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I contacted the vet again today to get him to look at another stool sample and send it to a lab. I am frustrated and beyond pissed off to the point where i dont want him. This makes me sad. I have done ALL I CAN DO. There is no way of keeping him off. Grannicks Sour Apple, to now, yelling and pounding my fists and stomping to scare the holly snot out of him. I dont want to toss him out. My aunt used to have small kittens and she was a big believer in declawing. Im not, but every cat who she declawed, that cat became another cat. Calmer, no longer were they spiteful and they became malable to train. I have read 900 reasons why not to. I understand it completely. And what they go through. Is it better then hating this cat? I adopted my last cat at 9mo who was alread declawed and he was not this hard to train. I really have tried everything. All the suggestions. If his deal is worms, then i hope thats all....because i can not do this any more

 

[talkingpeanut]

Cats see better in the dark. Very little light is needed for cats to see. However, i am having the same issues with Griffin. He will not stop getting up on the counter. I have said it a thousand times a day for the last 100 days. I have grabbed them by the tough of his neck and pulled him off the counter in frustration. I have read different articles about keeping the cat off the counter. Only to look up and see the cat on the counter again. I keep the counters clean I keep the sink clean food free morsel free and crumb free. I feed him about 4 Cans of food a day and he still wants to eat. I take him to the vet the vet tells me he has no worms. I started to feed him a raw diet every other feeding to see if that will change anything in the thing has changed. His poop still stinks really bad and it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. I contacted the vet again today to get him to look at another stool sample and send it to a lab. I am frustrated and beyond pissed off to the point where i dont want him. This makes me sad. I have done ALL I CAN DO. There is no way of keeping him off. Grannicks Sour Apple, to now, yelling and pounding my fists and stomping to scare the holly snot out of him. I dont want to toss him out. My aunt used to have small kittens and she was a big believer in declawing. Im not, but every cat who she declawed, that cat became another cat. Calmer, no longer were they spiteful and they became malable to train. I have read 900 reasons why not to. I understand it completely. And what they go through. Is it better then hating this cat? I adopted my last cat at 9mo who was alread declawed and he was not this hard to train. I really have tried everything. All the suggestions. If his deal is worms, then i hope thats all....because i can not do this any more

Your cat sounds like a completely normal kitten.

I do not see anywhere in your post that you interact with him in play or to entertain him. He sounds bored and is looking for any reaction, which you are readily giving.

How much are you feeding him? Is he hungry?

Declawing is mutilation. A kitten might be more subdued after a declaw because it is in pain, and because you have taken away part of its inherent nature as a cat. Do not consider this. It is cruel.

It would be best to rehome if you are not the best fit for one another.

Abuse and threatening abuse is no way to live.

 

[Purrsnickitty]

Your cat sounds like a completely normal kitten.

I do not see anywhere in your post that you interact with him in play or to entertain him. He sounds bored and is looking for any reaction, which you are readily giving.

How much are you feeding him? Is he hungry?

Declawing is mutilation. A kitten might be more subdued after a declaw because it is in pain, and because you have taken away part of its inherent nature as a cat. Do not consider this. It is cruel.

It would be best to rehome if you are not the best fit for one another.

Abuse and threatening abuse is no way to live.

 

[Purrsnickitty]

We do play together. I have an entire toybox he has. Both cats have toys and interaction. One on one and together. I do pet sitting and care. I know each animal is different. Every cat has his own personality. I have so muvh patients. Just never out of all my catd have i had one so demanding and obsessive. My other cat is nothing like griffin. He submits easily. I am afraid this one is gonns get hurt. This is why i went back to my vet. Im not convinced that there is nothing wrong. His behavior is polyphagia but he is just to young for that. So the frustration may be a thing i have to work on....but loving him will be forever. Rehome is no option

 

[Yanaka]

Please don't declaw a cat, ever. Declawing is amputation of the actual finger tips, it's not juste "pulling out" their claws.

I see in your two posts that you keep comparing your cats. This might be your mistake; every cat reacts differently to stuff, and, as you said, your first cat was probably traumatized and changed by the mutilation.

I have two kittens, and it's a lot of work, especially with one: playing, making sure all is safe, and if not, putting stuff out of their way, not sleeping entire nights because I get worried if there's a significant noise etc. I need to become creative the more he grows. E.g. my plants were safe on the counter until now. He is big enough to climb there, and I rearranged my entire kitchen so he wouldn't get on anything annoying. I moved everything around and it took me several hours--that's the level of work! And I'm not done, because he's now interested in climbing even higher.

Give your kitten a break. Play with him. Like actually stand up and run around with a toy--make him jump and climb on cat trees. Change toys, put boxes away for a little while and put them back out. Cut holes in Amazon packages and have them hang around in your home.

When he's doing something bad, forget punishing--it's too risky for your relationship. Throw toys around so he gets his mind on something else, put him back on the floor, rearrange your home. They're cats, they're much less domesticated than dogs and they climb and chase.

If he does have issues eating a lot of stuff, he might have stomach discomfort. But, if not, then he's just a silly baby who eats stuff. Mine do that too... I have to be sure that all cardboard boxes are tape-free because they eat the tape, for instance.

Good luck with the baby; but please if you want to declaw, please consider rehoming him instead. Better do that than mutilate him...

 

[bluebirdy]

My cats wanted to be countertops surfers, particularly in the kitchen when I was preparing food. How I dealt with that was by placing a cat tree area in the kitchen area and, when the cat climbed on the counter, I would remove them to the nearby cat tree. They were content to stay there because they could see everything I was doing, and didn't feel left out of the action. They almost never climbed on the countertops in that place.

Since I moved to my new apartment I allow them on the counters because the largest window in the place is adjacent to it, with a huge ledge that they can recline on. I just wipe down the counters before I prepare food.

 

[Kefa]

I used a can of pennies to teach Homer NO. He hated that noise. I taught him only 1 no though, don't play with the wires behind the computer, which he only did when I was using it, so it was easy to grab the can, say NO and shake it. I don't believe in spraying water on them or my computer wires. Now I can just say No, and he looks at me and puts his ears back but he doesn't do whatever it was he was about to do. PS. If they have already done it it is too late to say no, they won't get it. You have to read their diabolical little cat minds and get your No in before they act out.

 

[Purrsnickitty]

Kefa....
Yes i like the penny jar idea! That the noise that will spook him and get his attention. Im on top of that absolutly!
As far as declawing. My moms cats were all declawd. They did fine. I wont do it though. It was just a thought while frustrated. I have hit the counter tops but he looks at me thinking, " Hows that feel Stupid?" As he sits there. Then i squirt him and he licks it again he looks at me and thinks, " lady, seriously, did you forget water doesnt bother me like it may bother the other guy, i get in the shower with you!". As he licks his thigh...
Now his newist behavior....bolts for the front door. He has an enclosed patio..i just dont leave the door open and he crys. Its 20 degress...
My cat has stinky rancid poop. Its very bad. I gag. I keep the littr spotless all the time. I sent a second poop to my vet, he lookd at the first, and said there was no worms. Another artical is keeping me thinking he has worms over whats been told. Docs sending this sample to the lab. Polyphagia ( unable to feel fool) is a concern but i never heard of a kitten having this. My cats get fed a raw dish once or twice a day with classic pate by Fancy feast. He is not so hungry but still scouting. Sour apple in sprayd in the sink to keep him out. He hates it. I will try the pennys. You all have been very helpful. Ty

 

[Ardina]

Here's what I did to keep my cats off the counters and dining table: I set up a small table to the side next to the windows that they're allowed on. Next to that table is the dining table, which they're not allowed on. They're always tempted to jump across, so instead of trying to train them not to, I just put a lot of stuff in that corner so there's no easy place to jump across to.

Similarly, for the kitchen counters, I put a chair next to the sink area, so they can sit up there and watch me as I cook. Next to that chair, I put the dish rack, so there's no easy way to jump up to the actual counters.

This way, they can be up high, watch all the action, and be out of the way. And after I've reprimanded them a few times for jumping up to where they're not allowed, they've kept to their allowed spaces.

 

[Nala2017]

Poe and owner.
I am having the same struggles. To the point of want to beat the car senseless and open the front door and letting him (Griffin) go play on a busy street. "For fk sake" is a common slurr. I dont have any clue as to whst to do. Read things like "Figure out why he wants up there" to "laying foil on the edge of the counter". To squirting him with herbal sprays they dont like that he licks as you drench him. Now he is soaked and still on the fking counter! And id be laying 60 ft of foil a night. Tried the foil once, i was kept up all night and now griffin has the biggest ball of foil to bat around.
I bought him a claw post. I acually made it with nice 1 inch thick hemp. Wrapped it around his neck several times, tight (not really but thought of it briefly).....no no no
around the two nailed together 2x4s that were placed on to an old table top as a base with 2 L brackets. As much as id never hurt him, the desire is big but wouldnt happen. I have control but its really slimming. I can not hold back for much longer. Every night and day and middle of the night when i find my well behaved perfect cat in the sinks window and knocks over my vase into the sink where my favorite coffee mug was and along with the dominoe of shit falling went my Dept.56 frog i loved. All in pieces in the sink. What the hell. My cat Dex thinks its ok to surf the counters for food. NO WAY. I clean the food from.making dinner so Griffin has Nothing while he is behaving badly. No food in the sink drain, not a small crumb anyehere. I called my vet today fed up. I am having him checked out again but deeper for worms. He has an out GIANT appetite and is constantly seeking food. I was told he has no worms. His poop is like soft serve and he can wipe out an entire room people with the smell. I am demanding the vet send his sample to a lab. He just will not stay off the counters and is just driving me to believe that maybe if i declaw him, he will chill out. I do not beleive in it at all. But i have seen younger cats calm down after its done. Please dont be upset with me for thinking this. I have used Grannicks Bitter Apple on tje counters and drains. And he still licks it. When i was young, my aunts had cats who were little shits. They chased everything. When they would get declawed, it was like they became little lovers. I know those in this group will jump on me for thinking it, but i feel the relationship is bad and going to become worse the longer this gos on. My other cats understood after 100 times of "stay off the counter" we are at 150k. He is on my counter....

Poe and owner.
I am having the same struggles. To the point of want to beat the car senseless and open the front door and letting him (Griffin) go play on a busy street. "For fk sake" is a common slurr. I dont have any clue as to whst to do. Read things like "Figure out why he wants up there" to "laying foil on the edge of the counter". To squirting him with herbal sprays they dont like that he licks as you drench him. Now he is soaked and still on the fking counter! And id be laying 60 ft of foil a night. Tried the foil once, i was kept up all night and now griffin has the biggest ball of foil to bat around.
I bought him a claw post. I acually made it with nice 1 inch thick hemp. Wrapped it around his neck several times, tight (not really but thought of it briefly).....no no no
around the two nailed together 2x4s that were placed on to an old table top as a base with 2 L brackets. As much as id never hurt him, the desire is big but wouldnt happen. I have control but its really slimming. I can not hold back for much longer. Every night and day and middle of the night when i find my well behaved perfect cat in the sinks window and knocks over my vase into the sink where my favorite coffee mug was and along with the dominoe of shit falling went my Dept.56 frog i loved. All in pieces in the sink. What the hell. My cat Dex thinks its ok to surf the counters for food. NO WAY. I clean the food from.making dinner so Griffin has Nothing while he is behaving badly. No food in the sink drain, not a small crumb anyehere. I called my vet today fed up. I am having him checked out again but deeper for worms. He has an out GIANT appetite and is constantly seeking food. I was told he has no worms. His poop is like soft serve and he can wipe out an entire room people with the smell. I am demanding the vet send his sample to a lab. He just will not stay off the counters and is just driving me to believe that maybe if i declaw him, he will chill out. I do not beleive in it at all. But i have seen younger cats calm down after its done. Please dont be upset with me for thinking this. I have used Grannicks Bitter Apple on tje counters and drains. And he still licks it. When i was young, my aunts had cats who were little shits. They chased everything. When they would get declawed, it was like they became little lovers. I know those in this group will jump on me for thinking it, but i feel the relationship is bad and going to become worse the longer this gos on. My other cats understood after 100 times of "stay off the counter" we are at 150k. He is on my counter....

I fully

Poe and owner.
I am having the same struggles. To the point of want to beat the car senseless and open the front door and letting him (Griffin) go play on a busy street. "For fk sake" is a common slurr. I dont have any clue as to whst to do. Read things like "Figure out why he wants up there" to "laying foil on the edge of the counter". To squirting him with herbal sprays they dont like that he licks as you drench him. Now he is soaked and still on the fking counter! And id be laying 60 ft of foil a night. Tried the foil once, i was kept up all night and now griffin has the biggest ball of foil to bat around.
I bought him a claw post. I acually made it with nice 1 inch thick hemp. Wrapped it around his neck several times, tight (not really but thought of it briefly).....no no no
around the two nailed together 2x4s that were placed on to an old table top as a base with 2 L brackets. As much as id never hurt him, the desire is big but wouldnt happen. I have control but its really slimming. I can not hold back for much longer. Every night and day and middle of the night when i find my well behaved perfect cat in the sinks window and knocks over my vase into the sink where my favorite coffee mug was and along with the dominoe of shit falling went my Dept.56 frog i loved. All in pieces in the sink. What the hell. My cat Dex thinks its ok to surf the counters for food. NO WAY. I clean the food from.making dinner so Griffin has Nothing while he is behaving badly. No food in the sink drain, not a small crumb anyehere. I called my vet today fed up. I am having him checked out again but deeper for worms. He has an out GIANT appetite and is constantly seeking food. I was told he has no worms. His poop is like soft serve and he can wipe out an entire room people with the smell. I am demanding the vet send his sample to a lab. He just will not stay off the counters and is just driving me to believe that maybe if i declaw him, he will chill out. I do not beleive in it at all. But i have seen younger cats calm down after its done. Please dont be upset with me for thinking this. I have used Grannicks Bitter Apple on tje counters and drains. And he still licks it. When i was young, my aunts had cats who were little shits. They chased everything. When they would get declawed, it was like they became little lovers. I know those in this group will jump on me for thinking it, but i feel the relationship is bad and going to become worse the longer this gos on. My other cats understood after 100 times of "stay off the counter" we are at 150k. He is on my counter....

 

[Purrsnickitty]

Update on Griffin the out of control cat. He is not getting it. But doing a lot better. He still doesnt listen. But he is a very active guy. I just gave up being so ocd. He is a lover. I still have not opened the door. So its getting better.

 

[Yanaka]

Update on Griffin the out of control cat. He is not getting it. But doing a lot better. He still doesnt listen. But he is a very active guy. I just gave up being so ocd. He is a lover. I still have not opened the door. So its getting better.

There's not much "to get" for a playful kitten. He's being normally rowdy, he has energy. He doesn't need to get that he can't use his instincts, body parts, and joy. Let him be. Keep arranging your home. Keep multiple boxes and toys out even if it's crowded in your living room, and do rotations where some go in the closet and are out again a few weeks later so they love the toy again while others stay out and vice versa. Spend lots of time playing with him, either with a wand, yarn (caution!), a kickeroo, a laser pointer (beware of his breath, they get tired quickly). If you mean controlling by "OCD," yes you'll have to give that up and let an animal live its life of animal as long as it's all normal instincts (climbing, chewing, running, knocking stuff off). That's what young cats do, maybe next time opt for a senior cat who will meet your needs, and needs a home from a shelter.