Expert: Ali - 9/25/2008

Question
QUESTION: I read in a previous post that Sticky Paws is supposed to keep cats off furniture. Well it doesn't work. Not with my cat anyhow. No matter how often we put the tape on the chair..he just keeps jumping up on it. He walks across it like nothing..he'll stand on top of the tape and look at me like he knows I was trying to deter him but that I failed. He likes citrus juice and doesn't seem to mind tabasco so I'm fast running out of options. An help is appreciated.

ANSWER: Weebo,

Why exactly do you want the cat to stay off of the chair?
Does your cat have a fairly tall, sturdy cat tree with platforms to sit on and watch the world go by?
Have you tried using a portable air horn or motion activated training device called Sssscat that sends out a jet of compressed air whenever the cat sets off the sensor?
Have you tried placing some partially crumpled tin foil on the seat of the chair?
Is your cat allowed on other furniture?
Have you tried using habenero flakes in a small dish to get your point across?
How old is this kitty?



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Because its my boyfriend's chair..and he isn't even allowed to go near it if Pounce is lying upon it. And he does have a tall cat tree...its one that extends up to the ceiling and its pretty high. He only goes up there to ambush the dogs when they pass by. Its a little shameful to watch a 11 month old German Shepherd cower away from a small cat x.x The air horn doesn't work. It did once..but then he realized that it was just noise. Now if we do that..he just hisses and remains where he is. He likes to lick the foil. Conventional methods don't seem to faze this cat. He doesn't care for the other furniture..he just wants that chair for some reason. We don't have habanero flakes here. I don't think we even have the peppers x.x He's going to be 6 in January.

Answer
Weebo,

I have sort of exhausted the usual tactics to cope with a cat who is misbehaving. This kitty's behavior is very odd, normally cats don't like loud noises, or many of the other things that I suggested. It would probably be a good idea just to speak to your vet and see what his/her take is on the situation because there is something about this whole thing that just doesn't make sense to me. If there are any further details that you can think of that might help me to figure out what's going on I would certainly be interested in hearing about them. Sometimes behavior can be modified by using alternative medicine such as homeopathy. It may be worth consulting with a holistic vet by phone to see if he/she can offer any non-conventional treatments based on alternative medicine. A holistic vet has been trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more forms of alternative medicine such as homeopathy, massage or acupuncture.

For now, I would suggest that you try changing the dynamic in the household when it comes to how your cat perceives you. Food is very important to all animals which is why it would be worth trying to use it to your advantage. If you feed this little guy "free choice" then take up his food dish and measure out his daily ration to keep in a plastic bag in you and your boyfriend's pockets. The idea is to get the cat to make the connection that you are important within the household and that food comes from humans not the floor which then makes you go from the bottom of the household hierarchy to the top fairly quickly. Whenever your cat does something that isn't allowed you will want to pair that behavior with something unpleasant like being squirted with water from a spray bottle, hissed at, told "NO!" in a firm voice or using a shaker can (a pop can with pennies or stones inside of it) to change his focus if he is misbehaving. If your cat gets up into your boyfriend's chair you can use household objects like a broom as an extension of your body to remove him from the situation without the risk of being bitten or scratched. You will need to call the cat to you frequently enough throughout the day to have him eat pieces of food out of your hand and be sure that he is getting proper nutrition. You should start to see an improvement in his attitude fairly promptly once he discovers that the human family members are responsible for feeding him. It is possible that your vet will prescribe medication or alternative treatments to help this cat settle down a bit and not be quite so dominant.