Training a kitten
By courtknee525
@courtknee525 (3742)
United States
February 21, 2013 12:04pm CST
In a couple of weeks I should be getting my kitten. The breeder says he's been raised in her home with the rest of her family so he's used to be out and about in the house. I've never had a cat before and I'm really worried about the scratching. My mom will be mad if the kitten tears up her furniture and I also don't want the cat scratching people or my dogs. Someone had said to get a little scratching post and place it where the kitten knows about and has access to scratch at it. I had originally thought about declawing, but after doing some research I feel terrible of even thinking of doing that and I'd like to see if I can first train him to use a scratching post.
Another thing I'm worried about is him jumping on the counters and shelves. My mom thinks it's gross to have the cat on the counter because they walk around in the litterbox. Since he's young, I think we'll be able to train him to stay off the counters and tables. We won't mind him getting on the couches and stuff, but we just don't want scratching.
My mom has had cats before but I'm a first time cat owner and I'm trying to plan everything out before he gets here so I'll some idea of what to do. If anyone has any suggestions for training a kitten, they'd be much appreciated! Thank you :)
5 responses
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
23 Feb 13
Hi Court. It's important that your cat have a place to perch above where people are. They like to be up high. Some cat owners build or buy cat walks for them. They also like cat trees to perch on. If you have enough high places for your cat to go to you can keep him off the counters by saying NO and putting him on a cat tree or cat walk. Once he knows what places are his you shouldn't have much problem.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
24 Feb 13
What I think I'll do is ask my dad if he could make a cat tree or something, he's pretty handy with building things and carpentry. I know they can be expensive and it would probably be cheaper to make. I just want something he can jump on and a place where he can watch things. My mom, dad, and I will try to keep an eye on him when he's first here so we can make sure he knows where he's not supposed to go. I think he'll be fine once he learns. I'm so excited for him to get here, I wish the time would go by already!
1 person likes this
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
25 Feb 13
Thank you :) I'm so happy I can finally get a kitten. As long as my dad sees an example of a cat tree, he'd be able to make his own and we could customize it to match in our house. It definitely comes in handy to have a dad that is good at building things
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
24 Feb 13
I'm excited for you too! Yes it would be lots cheaper and sturdier to build it I bet. My dad was a builder too. He built all our houses. He built 3 of our houses in my lifetime. He could make anything.
@lacieice (2060)
• United States
21 Feb 13
You really don't have to do much to train a cat. The scratching post is probably a good thing. It will keep him from scratching other things. A bit of capnip on it will attract him. As far as staying of counters and tables, after he gets hollered at and lightly smacked a few times, he will probably stay off them, at least while you are home.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
21 Feb 13
I've heard of either rubbing catnip on the post or even using a "catnip spray"? This will be my first cat so I don't know much about catnip. There is almost always someone home at my house so we'll all just have to keep on top of it and make sure we keep him off the counters somehow. The first few days he's here I'll probably keep him in a small area before letting him have full roam of the house
@lacieice (2060)
• United States
21 Feb 13
Actually, keeping him in a small area is recommended since cats don't handle change well. Catnip attracts cats, so putting a small amount on a scratching post will encourage him to use it. Don't worry, cats aren't as dumb as some people think they are...he will learn quickly to stay off the counters.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
22 Feb 13
I'm glad I'm thinking on the right track, I've never had a cat before so I'm just kind of going off what I think makes sense. I'm sure they're very smart, a lot of animals are and it's surprising. I think that since I'll have him when he's young, he'll be able to learn pretty fast. As for the counters, I don't want to do anything that will scare him so I don't want to yell at him or make loud noises. I'll probably use a spray bottle because it seems the least scary and give him a little tap to tell him no. I don't want to be mean to him lol
@subhojit10 (7375)
• India
21 Feb 13
Thanks a ton for sharing this discussion. Well i can understand your situation very well and i know u must be very much excited for the new kitten. I think u should be extra cautious while getting a kitten so that your mother does not have any complaints after getting the same. U have to deal with them properly.
What say?
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
22 Feb 13
I am glad that you have decided on a scratching post rather than declawing the cat which I agree is not a kind thing to do. If your cat gets out of the house and into trouble with dogs the first thing he will head for is a tree or somewhere he can jump to. He will need his claws for that.
Kittens do not stray far at first so it may take a little time before his territory includes the kitchen. He will soon understand what is forbidden and after a few reprimands he will stop jumping on surfaces. Your mother is right about him having germs on his feet.
My cats seem to do most of their clawing first thing in the morning when they stretch and wake up and last thing at night. It might be worth watching to see what their habits are in this respect.
Isuggest that you get him a little cat bed from the beginning that will deter him sitting on sofas. If he is a long haired cat you might not like that once he gets his adult coat and sheds his fur wherever he sits.
@courtknee525 (3742)
• United States
22 Feb 13
I never used to think much of declawing, I thought it was mean but I never really researched the potential risks associated with declawing. Reading about it made me feel awful and I decided I'd like to try scratching posts and regular nail trimmings first. If anything gets to be a problem I will have to consider other options.
When he first gets here I'll slowly introduce him to things. At first I will keep him near my area of the hallway so he can go in and out of my room and the hallway. I'll show him where all of his food, water, and litterbox will be so he knows everything. I'm not sure what he'll be like yet but if he's not a shy and timid cat I'll let him visit more places in the house and let my dogs interact with him.
I do want to get him a bed of some sort and I was even thinking of having my dad build one of those "kitty condo" things. Nothing big, but just something so that he could have his own little space and a place where he can sit and see everything.
@LoKoMoMe (511)
• Belize
22 Feb 13
it is hard to teach a cat especially in a kitten stage..
maybe you could try it when in adult stage. i have a cat also and i train it by when I don't like what its doing then I make a slap on it until they realize what you mean and what you want it to do..
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
23 Feb 13
You don't hit your cat do you?! A cat or dog should never be trained by punishment. They just get scared of you.
