Lessons You Can Teach Your Cat
Ways to Help Kitty Behave
Despite popular belief about the incorrigibility of cats, there are a few lessons you can teach your little four-legged friend. If you kitty can't stop chewing on her tail or paws and you don't think a medical condition is to blame, try using oil of cloves. You can purchase it at drugstores, and the taste is not appealing. Your pet will avoid biting the area if you apply the oil of cloves daily until your kitty no longer tries to bite the concerned area.
Lemon juice is a great instructional item for cats. The smell is unpleasant for most cats. You can soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and put it near an area where your cat urinates - besides the litter box - to teach your cat that he or she should not relief himself or herself in that area. If you want to keep the cotton ball there for an extended period of time or if it's in a hard to reach spot, simply put the cotton ball in a lidded tea strainer. You should be able to hang the strainer near the area to keep kitty away.
If your cat has the habit of jumping on the counters or table in the kitchen, you can use lemon juice here as well. Put a bit of lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray down the area twice a day for a week. Your cat should not want to continue to get on the area because the smell of the lemon juice is repugnant to your cat. If you notice that your cat starts returning to the spot, pull out the spray bottle and have another go at it.
Citrus fruits can work well outdoors, too. If your furry friend won't leave your garden alone, especially young and tender plants, put the rinds of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit in the soil where you don't want your cat to play. He'll get the message and stay away. You can freeze these rinds as well, so you can keep them over the winter to use in the summer months.
Some cat owners have discovered that double-sided tape can work to keep misbehaving kitties from clawing furniture or carpet. This method does not work for all cats and can be a pain for humans, but it does work in some cases. Put the tape, which will be invisible when you press it on, wherever you don't want the cats to claw. The tape will stick to their paws, and they will learn to avoid the spot. The place can become yucky, though, as the cats may continue to try and get the tape dirty in the process. You will need to be prepared to replace the tape often.
Another way to keep cats from furniture is to use aluminum foil. Cats don't like the sound, and they won't continue to go where you have it. Before you bring a baby home, you can ball up pieces of aluminum foil in the crib - to be removed when baby arrives, of course. When the cats jump into the crib, the noise will frighten them, and they should avoid the area afterward. You also can wrap pillows on your couch in aluminum foil, and the same lesson will apply. Don't worry, though. You don't have to leave the foil there for long. Cats really are fast learners.
These simple techniques should help you with your kitty's behavior problems. Remember, though, that cats are very different from dogs. They tend to hear humans but not pay attention, so don't be surprised if it takes your cat time to catch on.
Lemon juice is a great instructional item for cats. The smell is unpleasant for most cats. You can soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and put it near an area where your cat urinates - besides the litter box - to teach your cat that he or she should not relief himself or herself in that area. If you want to keep the cotton ball there for an extended period of time or if it's in a hard to reach spot, simply put the cotton ball in a lidded tea strainer. You should be able to hang the strainer near the area to keep kitty away.
If your cat has the habit of jumping on the counters or table in the kitchen, you can use lemon juice here as well. Put a bit of lemon juice in a spray bottle and spray down the area twice a day for a week. Your cat should not want to continue to get on the area because the smell of the lemon juice is repugnant to your cat. If you notice that your cat starts returning to the spot, pull out the spray bottle and have another go at it.
Citrus fruits can work well outdoors, too. If your furry friend won't leave your garden alone, especially young and tender plants, put the rinds of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit in the soil where you don't want your cat to play. He'll get the message and stay away. You can freeze these rinds as well, so you can keep them over the winter to use in the summer months.
Some cat owners have discovered that double-sided tape can work to keep misbehaving kitties from clawing furniture or carpet. This method does not work for all cats and can be a pain for humans, but it does work in some cases. Put the tape, which will be invisible when you press it on, wherever you don't want the cats to claw. The tape will stick to their paws, and they will learn to avoid the spot. The place can become yucky, though, as the cats may continue to try and get the tape dirty in the process. You will need to be prepared to replace the tape often.
Another way to keep cats from furniture is to use aluminum foil. Cats don't like the sound, and they won't continue to go where you have it. Before you bring a baby home, you can ball up pieces of aluminum foil in the crib - to be removed when baby arrives, of course. When the cats jump into the crib, the noise will frighten them, and they should avoid the area afterward. You also can wrap pillows on your couch in aluminum foil, and the same lesson will apply. Don't worry, though. You don't have to leave the foil there for long. Cats really are fast learners.
These simple techniques should help you with your kitty's behavior problems. Remember, though, that cats are very different from dogs. They tend to hear humans but not pay attention, so don't be surprised if it takes your cat time to catch on.
Published by Brandi Brown
I am a former reporter who currently works as a web content writer while building my freelancing career. I am working on a children's book, Asia's Adventures, as well as several adult pieces. I live in Frank... View profile
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10 Comments
Post a CommentYou need to act quickly, cats need food and water in order to be able to run off and die somewhere else. If you dont act fast she will die outside your house and stink the place up. I recomened boiling water in a water gun, this should give her enough cause to move away from your house if you apply it correctly spraying her liberally in the face or gentials.
PS. I bet she hasnt been growling at guests in your house lately has she.
Thanks Cat Expert%2C%0D%0AI followed your advise but she has been standing at the back door for over 3 days now just meowing and squarking. Last night she just lay down on the back step. I dont think she is feeding herself. What can I do%3F
Madison
Is your cat a house cat?
If so, the best practice is to kick your cat out of a an open upstairs window next time she growls. Dont let her back in, and if possible do it at night when its raining. She will soon get the message she shouldnt growl when she relises she needs to spend the rest of her life outside by her self.
I have a cat question..
My 5 year old cat has a territorial problem. She is the sweetest cat until someone else enters the house. She even starts growling at the sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway. Is there anything I should be doing to teach my cat that not everybody is a threat?
Hi Chianne,
For your little kitty.
Rule #1 - don't play with the cat with your hands - ever! Don't tease the cat with your hands - wave them in the air in front of them etc. They will think your hands are "prey" or a "toy" Use a cat toy instead to play - hands are only for petting and grooming.
Rule #2 - when a cat bits you hold your hand still in its mouth and blow in its face. This will cause the cat to relax it jaw and pull back its head. You can now safely release your hand.
Rule #3 - say "no' or "owww" whenever the cat bites. They do not mean to harm - this is their play. They will often release your hand themselves.
Rule #4 - be consistant. It will take time to retrain the kitty of any bad habits. Everyone in the house must do the same thing. If one person plays with the cats with their hands it will never change.
hi i have a 11 week old kitty and im getting irrated that she keeps biting me hard and i want her to stop biting me... how can i make her stop biting me? also we are very good close friends... i know i m werid so please email lilangelpinay83@hotmail.com mahalo.... chianne
i need advice on stopping my manx cat from jumping on furniture,counter tops, top refrigerator,top entertainment center (6 Ft. tall) any high places. He is smart but this is his bad habit. Anyone have any ideas?
He has been declawed on front paws.
i need advice on stopping my manx cat from jumping on furniture,counter tops, top refrigerator,top entertainment center (6 Ft. tall) any high places. He is smart but this is his bad habit. Anyone have any ideas?
I'm trying the lemon spray on my tabler tonight.
I had no idea that cats don't like the scent of lemon. Have you ever heard that they don't like ginger?