Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/25/2008

Question
dear Tabbi,
its kc again. thanks for the tips. they have dry food and water in the bathroom up stairs, my room and my sisters room cause we got three cats. a really old one,cali and my other kitten simba. anyway, we use this blue beeper thing that is for dogs only but it scares our dog cause it is a high pitched noise that tells dogs that they are doing something bad . when we pick it up to shake it at the cats our dog goes nuts!! how else can we get her from climbing the counter. one more ting, cali or kitten the one with problems. she sleeps in our hair and moves as if she is suckiling on her mother in our hair is that normal!!??
-KC

Answer
KC,

One suggestion would be to get a BIG kitty condo that you can put near a window that the cat can run up and down on and sit up high to look out the window.

THEN start "yelling" at him everytime he gets on the counter or table. Yell "NO! OFF THE COUNTER!" so your voice scares him off (a rolled up newspaper helps too). Then when he jumps down, wait a little bit then love on himto show him he is a good kitty. That way  he won't be scared of you...except when he is on something he is not supposed to be on. He will catch on pretty quick, but will probably still test you periodically. Be consistant though. Don't let him get away with it once then yell at him the next time or it will never work. It may take awhile because bad habits are sometimes difficult to modify. But giving him an alternative places to 'get high' helps.

Wooden mousetraps are another device to give your cats the message about being where they should not be. Get a few of the kind that aren't prebaited and set them uPSIDE DOWN on the countertops or in small (preferably metal) wastebaskets set on the counter, with a sheet of newspaper or a brown paper grocery bag taped down over them (to double the safety factor). The traps ARE NOT meant to hurt your cat or trap a paw. Just to startle them. After they bump a trap, it jumps and closes with an noisy crack, helping to convince your cats that the area you've booby-trapped is scary and it's better to stay away from there.

Another option is to get a good squirt gun and stand where the cats can't see you. When they get on the counter squirt them with the water gun but staying hidden while you do it. That way the cats associate being on the counter with getting squirted and do not associate it with you.

You can also sprinkle or spray a citrus cleaner, or orange/lemon peels in a little water blended in the blender on the counters. Cats hate the smell of citrus.

When a cat kneads, like in your hair, that mean it is completely content.

I hope this helps further.

Tabbi