Waterpistols

[Angeladeedah]

I've always sprayed mine with water if they are doing something bad - it's always worked.    Mine would never dare jump on the kitchen worktop now (although I'm sure they will sneakily jump up there when I'm not in or in bed).

[Wibblechick]

   Know the feeling - It gets tedious, doesnt it?  Ive never had kittens of my own (well of course not, Im a human!! ) but Ive fostered them .... hooray, hooray for the kitten pen.  Until they outgrew it .... 
I reckon its just as "hard"  with older cats - Im no longer fostering because we have 2 older rescues and before them I had another couple of oldies (both now at the Bridge).  Its all about them learning about me and me learning about them  Funnily enough, i found the foster cats easier.  perhaps becuase I knew there was an end in sight ..... Or maybe because I was 25 years or so younger than I am now when i had the most cats!!

[BlueHeather]

Tell me about it - but I do love them dearly the little sods 

Today I picked levi up and put him down again 8 times with a firm NO naughty boy - and he still just jumped back up again - no wonder i'm going grey 

[Wibblechick]

Ah - BIG difference!!!  16 year old who REALLY knows how to behave but is trying his luck and new little kitties who think everything is one big game ....  Its still worth trying the disapproval thing, though.  Im convinced most cats want to please their owners and those that seem not to are just like kids that dont know when enough is enough!  I know its a pain in the b*m but try scooping them off the counters and walking out of the room for a bit. (Unless they are going to create total mayhem in that brief period you are not there !! )

  And good luck - kittens are lurvlee but da**ed hard work!!

[BlueHeather]

OMG can I hire you for a week please to get my two kittens in line- have tried everything and they still jump on the counter tops. 

[Wibblechick]

When we first had Mr T, nearly 6 months ago, although he is 16 he pushed his luck and tried all sorts of mischief.  Exploring his "inner kitten" and all that   

I have found the best way is to say "No" firmly -  and to gently stop him doing what he isn't meant to (clawing the sofa for example) and walk out of the room.  He soon learned that if he did something that displeased his mobile, interactive play thing (me!) games stopped and the fun was all over. 
He still occasionally does something he knows he shouldn't as an attention seeking attempt.  I find now that just looking at him over the top of my specs and going "Ahem!", like a rather annoyed primary school teacher, is enough to stop him 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

I tend to agree ... I'd move the plant pots, buy some sticky paws for the sofa and let the cat be a cat 

[Millys Mum]

What do you do instead?

Let the cat get on with being a cat! the other cat isnt trained not to do it, they choose to do it when no one is looking 

[Leanne]

Milo always adored being squirted with water!!!! It never worked for us 

[2d]

Very occasionally if mags gets into my sewing room I chase him out with the spray bottle (of water) I have on the ironing board.

When I was a kid my cats loved it when I played with them with water pistols.

But in reality the only thing that'l ever work is what gill says.  Perhaps - cats will be cats     - except George - am sure he's part dog... far too easy to train....

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

You get back to basics and tell him no and move him from where he was and keep on doing that gentley and patiently.

You can aslo use stimuleting toys to play with him to distract him from doing this.

I presume he has toys, they do play with him and he has a scratching post?

[mallory]

My neighbour has been telling me about some problems she's having with her new cat Bozo. (He was initially named Briar... but everyone calls him Bozo, apparantly he's a little daft). Bozo has been jumping on the kitchen bench, kocking over potplants and scratching furniture, all natural cat-like behaviours that their other cat has been trained not to do.  So they bought out their waterpistol, and started squirting Bozo to discourage these behaviours.  Unfortunately, Bozo seems not to mind, and may be actively provoking, getting shot with the waterpistol.  As soon as the squirting stops, Bozo will resume his prior activity. He has also started jumping (all four feet) into the waterdish and splashing water everywhere.

Does anyone else find waterpistols ineffective? What do you do instead?