The first thing you must understand about your cat- male or female, large or small, purebred or pure mutt— they are the ruler of the household, the guru and sultan of all they oversee. They don’t care about obeying you (as evidenced by the kitten that just walked across my keyboard). They want what they want, and they want it yesterday.
So how do you make a cat do anything? Simple. You don’t.
You have to trick a cat into behaving- let it believe that what it’s doing is what it wants. Below are some simple tips to help you do just that.
GETTING ON THE COUNTER/TABLES
This is relatively easy to solve. Simply put a couple of mothballs into an old baby sock or other small, cloth wrapping and place them around the areas you don’t want your cat to get into. The smell will keep them away.
CLAWING THE FURNITURE
There a few things to do about this. First, make sure your cat has a scratching post. The upright model wrapped with fibrous rope are the best kind- give them a flat scratching pad and they’ll just tear the heck out of your carpets.
Second, reward good behavior, and discipline bad. When you see your cat scratch its post, give it a treat right away. If this means carrying treats in your pocket, do so. Your upholstery will thank you. The same goes for discipline- say “no” as soon as you catch them clawing the furniture and place them in front of the post.
Don’t scratch the post yourself, or put the cat’s paw on it. They’ll see this as an insult (ruler of the house, remember?).
EATING THE PLANTS
Cats need some sort of vegetation in their diet. It helps them to digest their food, and provides nutrients. Most pet stores will sell something called “cat grass”- this is just wheat grass that grows very quickly and is okay for the cat to eat. Get some of this and put it near your cat’s dish. Then, try moving any houseplants to high places, out of jumping/climbing distance of your fuzzy rascal. Imperfect, but it can work.
NOT USING THE LITTER BOX
Be careful about disciplining your cat for this! It may be some sort of health problem. Get your cat checked for urinary problems, and also for sores on their feet. If digging in the litter is painful, the cat will avoid it.
If you have more than one cat, make sure you have more than one litter box, and place them in separate rooms- even on separate ends of the house. This will cut down on the chances of one cat not allowing the other to use the box.
OTHER TIPS
NEVER, EVER use a squirt bottle to discipline your cat. Water can get in the ear canal and cause an infection.
When introducing a new cat into the home, make sure to let them socialize only when supervised at first. Put the new cat in a large dog crate or room of its own at night or when you’re not home. This will keep them from harming each other, and also reinforce your first cat’s superiority.
