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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Cat starts crying and climbing whilst cooking

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 3/4/2009


Question
I have just got a 13 week old Bengal kitten.. he has been fantastic so far, very cuddly, quietly talks with us and has no issues with his feed times - however I have a problem when I start to cook for myself.  He starts to go mad, doing anything he can to get up on the surface and yeoling really loudly. I try to ignore him, but it's becoming a problem.  What should I do?

Answer
Stephanie,

You don't say whether he has kitten chow available free choice so he can munch when he is hungry.

A trick I use to keep cats busy when I'm cooking is to put a small stripe of mayonnaise or butter down each front leg. It helps with hairballs and the cats lick it, and it's greasy, so it keeps them busy cleaning their legs.

I would keep a rolled up newspaper handy when you are cooking and when he starts misbehaving pop him one with the newspaper. It doesn't hurt them but the noise scares them. Cats go by association and pretty soon he will associate the newspaper with trying to climb where he isn't supposed to be. After you pop him wait a few minutes then love on him. You want him afraid of climbing, but NOT afraid of you. If he does again, repeat until he learns that is not acceptable behavior.

Just for your information and reference here is a good site about bengals:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole link into your address bar)

http://www.hdw-inc.com/homepage.htm

I hope this helps.
Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

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Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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