Training / Disciplining a cat?

The Cool

My housemate and I have a 8 month old male cat that I've recently been having problems with.
He's mostly been well-behaved, and from the start he knew where his area was, and where he wasn't allowed. However, for the past couple of months - and more frequently recently - I've come home to find cat hairs on the table and counters, clothes ripped off the clotheshorse and covered in hairs (he's white so this is a real pain!!), lamps knocked over, glasses knocked off the coffee table...
He knows he's not allowed to do stuff like that or climb on tables or on the kitchen, as he usually only does it when he knows his two mammies aren't around. However, he does occasionally try his arm with me, but never with my housemate.
A friend of mine advised me to try spraying water in his face when I catch him at whatever, I've been trying this but it doesn't seem to be getting me very far.
Any suggestions? The sitting room-kitchen is the only room we can keep him in as we both refuse to let him near our bedrooms, but it's really grinding my gears finding things I've left in there ruined, and having to disinfect the kitchen all the time. I'd really appreciate any help!

SamSamSammy

can't control him while you're not there. he'll do whatever he likes.

Heroditas

Sounds like the poor guy is lonely and bored during the day when both of you aren't there.
If you don't want him knocking stuff over, either deny him access to the room or stop leaving stuff where he can knock it .... it's as simple as that.

We have three cats ... and they're all indoor cats.
We keep them out of the living room during the day when we're at work because there is too much stuff in there they can break.
Apart from that, they roam the rest of the house.
We don't allow them on the counters in the kitchen but we know damn well that they jump up on it. It's fairly obvious when we see the paw prints!
As for the hairs, invest in one of those sticky roller brushes that remove cat hair from clothes and get a special hoover head that will remove the hair from carpets, curtains and cushions.

This is all part and parcel of owning a cat. You'll just have to get used to it, I'm afraid.

Apart from that, remember that you can't rain a cat and you're lucky the cat allows the two of you to share the house with him.

BengaLover

Cats are their own persons and if they want to do something, they'll do it regardless, unlike dogs that can be trained.
Its probably out of boredom and the need to run and play and climb thats making them do it.
Maybe if you have a spare space you could make a playroom type area, and hang lots of toys around, maybe a hammock, a large tree branch if you can find one..
A cat needs energetic play..are you able to install a catflap so he has access to a garden?

echosound

You've heard the saying "curiosity killed the cat" - well they do tend to be curious little creatures
Clothes hanging up on clotheshorse = oooh look, they left something comfortable and warm out for me to sleep on, better pull it down.
glasses knocked off coffee table = what is the shiny shiny, oooh look if I pat it, it moves, better pat it off the table for a better look.
tabletops and countertops = yay! exciting new vantage point for surveying my kingdom, and possibly sit and stare out the window for a while too.

I don't think there's anything you can do bar cat-proofing the rooms he's kept in. They are just naturally inquisitive! My own cat does all you've mentioned, he will even reach out right in front of my eyes, and pat my rings/the remote/pot of lipgloss down off the coffeetable, just because they've caught his attention. Lipgloss is a favourite as it rolls when it hits the floor, so it becomes a new toy to pat around on the floor, and to ultimately hide under a sofa, where I won't find it for weeks. Rings are great too as he can hook them up on his claw for a closer inspection.

One memorable time, we didn't have time to clean out the fire before leaving the house, and came home to a previously white cat turned pure black with soot and ash. Rings of black on the sofa, bed and carpet where he'd had a little lie-down after his hard work. He'd decided he was going to investigate why the heat was not coming out of the fireplace, pulled the fireguard down, pulled a few embers out of the grate, patted them around a bit on the carpet, climbed into the grate for a closer inspection, curled up on the ashes, found there was no heat left, so curled up on the sofa to wait for us. Was fun trying to wash the soot out of his fur :rolleyes: but had to be done as he'd end up sick from grooming the soot off himself.

Ours is a total indoor cat, although he has access to large gardens and fields. He prefers to stay indoors when we go out rather than being stuck outside, so we leave him in and just shut the sittingroom door so he can't get in at the fireplace, or the leather suite of furniture (which make ideal scratching posts for cats). He has a few toys (he loves those tiny balls you can get with a little bell inside) if he feels the need to pat something around, and he also has a dog to tease and throw shapes at :P Another simple thing is to leave a cardboard box, or a large paper bag out for him, as they love to crawl in and hide, and scratch the living daylights out of it as they attack imaginary foes.

I'm afraid you're just going to have to make sure that you put valuable things away off the table, leave the clothes-horse in another room, and resign yourself to automatically wipe down all countertops every time you go to use them!

As for the white hair being on everything - with a white-haired pet in the house, the hairs will get absolutely everywhere, so hoover every day and get a lint-brush to clean off curtains/cushions/sofa/clothes with. If you notice hairs on clothes and have no brush to hand, stick your hands under a tap, flick the excess water off, rub wet hands down the item of clothing, hairs will stick to your palms, and you can rinse them off.

Sounds like a pain but honestly, you will adjust and get into such a routine that you'll hardly notice you're doing it after a few days! Small price to pay for the company of a cat, who'll give you endless hours of entertainment, cuddles and fun

The Sweeper

I put every scrap of underwear and socks in this house into the washing machine one day after a holiday. Washed em, and filled an entire fold out clothes horse with them.

Came home from work and there was one - ONE - sock left hanging up. Cleo had spent a super-exciting day underneath the clothes horse, leaping for treasure. When I found her she was under the clothes horse, fast asleep on a pile of knickers and socks, smelling sweetly of fabric softener.

BengaLover

LOL aint cats great..:D
When you get something new or different they just HAVE to claim it by either ripping it to shreds playing with it or sleep on it.
Its defintely true that cats are regal kings and queens and everything is their kingdom.
You gotta go with it im afraid...

The Cool

Ha, loving hearing your cat stories! Such great animals!
Sounds like all I can do is leave extra toys, bags etc lying around for him to play with, to distract him from the other places! Thanks.

Sundew

The only thing I've managed to train my cat to do is use the loo.
Do go easy on the disinfectant it can irritate the pads on their paws.
Had to bring my fellow to the vet to have them looked at.......using too much strong disinfectant in the bathroom!
If kitty is being naughty I use the spray bottle, however I wouldn't spray him in his face. I just lightly mist the air and he will run. Actually I only need to take out the bottle now and shake it at him and he stops being naughty.......well for a few minutes anyhow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn2h3_aH3vo

BengaLover

So...how did you train him to use the loo?

The Sweeper

Litter quitter? (Seriously, it's a product that you can put over a toilet seat to train your cat to use the loo.)

Shazanne

Hi there. There is a very simple answer to your question! You can't train a cat!! Unless, of course, the cat wants to be trained to do something - and then they'll do it when they feel like it!
Always remember - you dont OWN the cat - it thinks it OWNS you!
I love cats - they are so full of personality!

Lawrence1895

Looks like, the little rascal is bored. I had the same with mine, and he is the same age. He emptied dustbins, took off wallpapers, and growled at visitors.
I decide to let him out...well, he always comes back (he always finds his favourite food though) and the amount of carnage got much less.

Cats are great indeed, and you just have to trust them