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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / January 2006Is there any way to train a cat?
The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't caught them jumping up there in a very long time... they creep into the kitchen when they think we're not looking and come slinking out when we yell at them, but they stick to the most important rule of not going in there when I'm cooking - it's not that I don't want them around, but it's a very small kitchen and having them underfoot is dangerous! Anyway, we finally got ourselves a dining table and we're trying to teach them to STAY OFF! But it's not sinking into their tiny little furry brains... I think one 'keep out' rule was all there was room for! Every time we turn around one of them is up there either walking across or sprawling out comfortably... ARGH! I don't want litterbox residue where we eat! Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any more - they just laugh at us and do what they want!  Signature~Karen aka Kajikit Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life http://www.kajikitscorner.com Online photo album - http://community.webshots.com/user/kajikit > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! LOL, I can relate, but to the BATHROOM counters, not the kitchen. My kids climb on the bathroom counters and love to bat my contact case around. Kind of scary when the contacts are *in* the case. kili >>The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not >>allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > climb on the bathroom counters and love to bat my contact case around. Kind > of scary when the contacts are *in* the case. I finally solved that (if you can call it a solution) by keeping the lens case in a drawer. (Of course, the bottle of lens solution is a regular casualty - they keep knocking it off of the dresser and losing it under the bed.) >>The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not >>allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > kili > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! Good luck! My cats have never been allowed on the kitchen counters or the kitchen table. However, I've had cats that liked to lie in the kitchen window. Since the window is over the sink, they have to get on the counter to get there. I've never seen any of my cats on the kitchen counter, though. I had one cat who knew perfectly well that she wasn't allowed on the kitchen table, but every couple of weeks I'd see her there, meatloafing. When I'd yell at her, she'd just look at me and say, "What's wrong?" Lindy decided to change the rules about the kitchen table. First, she decided that the rule was, "No cats allowed on the kitchen table unless they're lying on the newspaper." I pile newspapers on the table for recycling and put them out every few days. Once she got me trained to that concept, she changed the rule to "No cats allowed on the table unless they're lying on something." Mail, books, anything I happened to put on the table were fair game. The current rule is, "No cats allowed on the table if there is food on the table or it is set for eating." I'm sticking to that one, and she generally obeys it. I seldom use the table for eating, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Quite. ;-) Joy >My cats have never been allowed on the kitchen counters or the kitchen >table. However, I've had cats that liked to lie in the kitchen window. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >I seldom use the table for eating, so it isn't as bad as it sounds. Quite. Why am I reminded of the rules for the care and feeding of stray cats :P Since there are only two of us and it's a big table, I have two placemats at the end corner for us, and the back half of the table is usually blank (or has papers piled on it...) Silly and Scout think that means that half the table is for 'us' and half the table is for 'them'! Signature~Karen aka Kajikit Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life http://www.kajikitscorner.com Online photo album - http://community.webshots.com/user/kajikit > >My cats have never been allowed on the kitchen counters or the kitchen > >table. However, I've had cats that liked to lie in the kitchen window. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Why am I reminded of the rules for the care and feeding of stray cats > :P Probably for the same reason I was reminded of those rules early in the process. ;-) Joy > Since there are only two of us and it's a big table, I have two > placemats at the end corner for us, and the back half of the table is > usually blank (or has papers piled on it...) Silly and Scout think > that means that half the table is for 'us' and half the table is for > 'them'! <snip> > Why am I reminded of the rules for the care and feeding of stray cats For those that haven't seen the rules. _STRICT, UNBENDING RULES FOR DEALING WITH STRAY CATS_ 1. Stray cats will not be fed. 2. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food. 3. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with a little milk. 4. Stray cats will not be fed anything except dry cat food moistened with warm milk, yummy treats and leftover fish scraps. 5. Stray cats will not be encouraged to make this house their permanent residence. 6. Stray cats will not be petted, played with or picked up and cuddled unnecessarily. 7. Stray cats that are petted, played with, picked up and cuddled will absolutely not be given a name. 8. Stray cats with or without a name will not be allowed inside the house at any time. 9. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except at certain times. 10. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house except on days ending in "y". 11. Stray cats allowed inside will not be permitted to jump up on or sharpen their claws on the furniture. 12. Stray cats will not be permitted to jump up on, or sharpen claws on the really good furniture. 13. Stray cats will be permitted on all furniture but must sharpen claws on new £114.99 sisal-rope cat-scratching post with three perches. 14. Stray cats will answer the call of nature outdoors in the sand. 15. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the three-piece, high-impact plastic tray filled with Fresh'n'Sweet kitty litter. 16. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the hooded litter pan with a three-panel privacy screen and plenty of head room. 17. Stray cats will sleep outside. 18. Stray cats will sleep in the garage. 19. Stray cats will sleep in the house. 20. Stray cats will sleep in a cardboard box lined with an old blanket. 21. Stray cats will sleep in the special Kitty-Komfort-Bed with non-allergenic lambs wool pillow. 22. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed. 23. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed, except at the foot. 24. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers. 25. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers except at the foot. 26. Stray cats will not play on the desk. 27. Stray cats will not play on the desk near the computer. 28. Stray cats are forbidden to walk on the computer keyboard on the desk when the human is asdfjjhhkl;ljfd.;oier'puyykmm4hbdm9lo9j USING IT. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >Lindy decided to change the rules about the kitchen table. First, she >decided that the rule was, "No cats allowed on the kitchen table unless [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >there is food on the table or it is set for eating." I'm sticking to that >one, and she generally obeys it. Will seems to understand and respect rules, and even understands that rules have reasons. This can be a good thing. He knows that cats are not allowed on the kitchen table and he never transgresses that rule. -- Well, *almost* never. He knows that the rule has something to do with food, and even though he is *very* interested in human food and meal times, he never puts his nose up over the edge of the kitchen table while we are eating. But a little understanding can be a dangerous thing. One day there were a number of the extended family in, and we were gathered around the table for conversation, no food in sight. Will had been sitting on someone's lap for a while and decided to try a different lap -- one that happened to be directly across the table. He who had never set foot on that table before, calmly arose, walked across the table and, amidst our startled remonstrations, calmly and unrepentantly settled in the new lap. It really seemed that he had worked it out in his mind that the rule should not apply to that particular situation and was not to be persuaded that he had done anything untoward. SignatureWayne M (indulged by Will and Heidi) >He knows that the rule has something to do with food, and even >though he is *very* interested in human food and meal times, he [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >mind that the rule should not apply to that particular situation >and was not to be persuaded that he had done anything untoward. LOL! But Daddy, there wasn't any FOOD on the table! Signature~Karen aka Kajikit Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life http://www.kajikitscorner.com Online photo album - http://community.webshots.com/user/kajikit >Lindy decided to change the rules about the kitchen table. First, she >decided that the rule was, "No cats allowed on the kitchen table unless [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >there is food on the table or it is set for eating." I'm sticking to that >one, and she generally obeys it. LOL! What an adorable little lawyer kitty! > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! I'm not sure there IS a way! About the best I've ever managed is to train them not to let me CATCH them doing whatever I don't want them to do. (Not exactly the same thing.) > I'm not sure there IS a way! About the best I've ever managed is to train > them not to let me CATCH them doing whatever I don't want them to do. > (Not exactly the same thing.) That is the same system our three cats have us using in our house! Charleen Mr. Pumpkin Aggie Marble Victor Velcro > > I'm not sure there IS a way! About the best I've ever managed is to train > > them not to let me CATCH them doing whatever I don't want them to do. > > (Not exactly the same thing.) Super Soaker. All ours know that there is an armed Super Soaker in the kitchen. It took only a couple weeks for them to figure out that the stove, kitchen counters, kitchen sink and dining room table are off limits. Since the initial squirtings, there have been NO cases of us catching cats on the kitchen counters, stove or kitchen sink. Smokey likes to push it with the kitchen table. He knows that we don't care if he's in our lap and puts a paw or two on the table top...then he oozes a third paw, then a fourth.... Sometimes he thinks that sittin' pretty on the placemat counts as "being good," and when he does it, the bitties try it. It's worst when we've got potentially interesting food. Smokey's gotten damp a bit in the past week. --Fil >>>I'm not sure there IS a way! About the best I've ever managed is to train >>>them not to let me CATCH them doing whatever I don't want them to do. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > took only a couple weeks for them to figure out that the stove, kitchen > counters, kitchen sink and dining room table are off limits. I have them all over the house! I also carry one back and forth to the car, to discourage "escapes" that require me to chase her up four flights of stairs (hoping the door to the roof is not open) when I come home after work. However, some cats would rather get soaked than stop doing something they want to do - I gathered that was the case here. > Since the initial squirtings, there have been NO cases of us catching > cats on the kitchen counters, stove or kitchen sink. No cases of your CATCHING them, you say - has anyone interviewed the cats to find out what goes on when you're NOT where you can see them? ;-) >> Since the initial squirtings, there have been NO cases of us catching >> cats on the kitchen counters, stove or kitchen sink. > > No cases of your CATCHING them, you say - has anyone interviewed the cats > to find out what goes on when you're NOT where you can see them? ;-) We had friends come to visit one Sunday. They asked how it was that the cats didn't jump up onto the counters or table. I very confidently told our friends that these cats were trained not to do so and they didn't. My lady friend asked, before we all went out for ice cream, if I would dust the counter with flour and see for sure if the cats didn't get on to the counter. Silly lady! Well, I dusted the counter with flour, we went out for ice cream, and on our return we found three lovely cats with flour covered paws napping and the counter covered with paw prints!! Just have to love these sly, crafty, tricky critters. Charleen and the critters alluded to above Mr. Pumpkin Aggie Marble Victor Velcro >>> Since the initial squirtings, there have been NO cases of us catching >>> cats on the kitchen counters, stove or kitchen sink. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >covered paws napping and the counter covered with paw prints!! >Just have to love these sly, crafty, tricky critters. ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Usually the only way we know that a cat has been in the kitchen is that they've tried to open the cupboard under the sink... they just can't resist it :P And as for the table, well the papers or coasters tossed onto the floor is a dead giveaway... Signature~Karen aka Kajikit Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life http://www.kajikitscorner.com Online photo album - http://community.webshots.com/user/kajikit > >>> Since the initial squirtings, there have been NO cases of us catching > >>> cats on the kitchen counters, stove or kitchen sink. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > sink... they just can't resist it :P And as for the table, well the > papers or coasters tossed onto the floor is a dead giveaway... You've got cabinet openers, too? I want to laugh, but then again I don't because that's where we store all the chemicals like bleach and such. I wouldn't care if mine hid in the cabinets except for the fact of the cleansers in there. Mine know cabinets are off limits, but they seem to have so much fun *trying* to open them, that when they succeed, they hide out. Then they cry because they don't realize all they have to do is bat the cabinet open. :~) Tricky little bastards. :~D kili > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! Keep a table cloth on the table when you aren't using it. Take it off when you use the table. Or try to at least get them to stay on their own side of the table while you eat. This is the second reason I like cats that go outside. You can kick them out when you are eating and they are happy about it. Jo > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! Ha! I can't even keep them off of counters or tables *when I'm there* much less when I'm not (ask Victor how well they listen to me! ;>). SignatureHugs, CatNipped See all my masters at: http://www.PossiblePlaces.com/CatNipped/ > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't > caught them jumping up there in a very long time > Anyway, we finally got ourselves a dining table and we're trying to > teach them to STAY OFF! But it's not sinking into their tiny little > furry brains. (snippage) Good luck! If the spray bottle trick doesn't work I'm afraid I have no suggestions. I'm very fortunate in that Persia has never jumped on kitchen counters or tables; she just seems to know better. She does get up on the bathroom counter sometimes, but not often. It's the reason I bought her a Drinkwell fountain... she kept wanting to take sips while I was brushing my teeth. Jill > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! You can't train a cat the way you train a dog... I don't think you can train a cat to "play dead", "roll over" or anything like that, but you can teach them some basic things. The key words are patience and firmness, and to react in the same way every time you want to tell the cat something about behaviour. This means you can not throw the cat off the table one day and then allow it on the same table the next day. This will only confuse the cat, and it will choose the most convenient option... I start early, teaching the cats the meaning of the word "NEI!" (Norwegian for NO!). Usually followed by a firm removal of the cat from the place where it doesn't belong. After a while the word 'NEI!' will do the trick alone. Teti liked to jump up on the table while I was preparing special snacks for him and Tinùviel (tuna fish...), so I had to teach him two more words "GÅ NED!" (pronounced something like "gaw ned" with a long e in 'ned'), which means GET DOWN or STAY OFF if you like. Then I pushed him down from the table, not worrying about how he landed. Now he understands that as well, some days ago he climbed up on my shoulders when I didn't want him there. So I just said "Gå ned!", not in a very sharp voice, just enough to make sure he heard me. And down he went, immediately! :-) So it works, but it takes time. If you like, you can teach you cats other small tricks as well. I trained Loomis (Teti's father) to be my wheelbarrow, grabbing his hind legs and letting him walk forward on his front legs only. He enjoyed (and still enjoys) it very much. But again, I started to work with him when he was just a kitten, and it has always been a game with lots of cuddling in between. Before he grew too fat, he was also an excellent jumper, he could jump 5 feet straight up from the floor to catch bottle caps I held up for him. My opinion: Training pays off! Hans >You can't train a cat the way you train a dog... I don't think you can train >a cat to "play dead", "roll over" or anything like that, but you can teach >them some basic things. The key words are patience and firmness, and to >react in the same way every time you want to tell the cat something about >behaviour. Actually, a friend of mine did teach his cat to roll over, shake hands, etc. He works only part-time due to medical problems, so he had the time to spare. Each time the cat did an action on command, he would immediately give it a kitty treat, thus encouraging it to do the action on command next time. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria I have my cats trained no joke to come on a certain whistle tune when I do the whistle all will come running straight to me I better have a treat ready for them or they let me know I am a bad daddy > Actually, a friend of mine did teach his cat to roll over, shake > hands, etc. He works only part-time due to medical problems, so he [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > -- > John F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com The *only* parlor trick any of my cats ever learned was sign language. It was Yoda, he was about 1 or 2 and the kids were very young then and messed with him a lot. My daughter would make her hand open & shut like a fish's mouth, then say "Fishy treat!" over, and over, and over, then give him a treat. Eventually he learned the sign, and she didn't even have to say the word, he just came running to the pantry. He's 14 now, kids are long grown & gone, and has forgotten his parlor trick. Sherry Personally, I don't bother. Vino's allowed anywhere he wants. Just too stressful to constantly be yelling and chasing when you know they go where they want the second the front door closes behind you. I figure I've probably ingested my share of kitty fur and maybe even litter, but I'm still alive, so not worried about it. SignatureBritta "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! > Personally, I don't bother. Vino's allowed anywhere he wants. Just > too stressful to constantly be yelling and chasing when you know they > go where they want the second the front door closes behind you. I > figure I've probably ingested my share of kitty fur and maybe even > litter, but I'm still alive, so not worried about it. When I think about Vino I often think of the picture of him in the wok. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera) A House is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk >> Personally, I don't bother. Vino's allowed anywhere he wants. Just >> too stressful to constantly be yelling and chasing when you know they [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >When I think about Vino I often think of the picture of him in the wok. This happens to me too, but it's usually after I've been shipwrecked on a deserted island for a few weeks. :) >>> Personally, I don't bother. Vino's allowed anywhere he wants. Just >>> too stressful to constantly be yelling and chasing when you know [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > This happens to me too, but it's usually after I've been shipwrecked > on a deserted island for a few weeks. :) TAK!!!! Don't you dare ;-) Of course I know that you are not likely to be shipwrecked on a deserted island on a regular basis ;-) SignatureBritta "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album >> Personally, I don't bother. Vino's allowed anywhere he wants. Just >> too stressful to constantly be yelling and chasing when you know they [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >When I think about Vino I often think of the picture of him in the wok. Yummy! ;) Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > >When I think about Vino I often think of the picture of him in the wok. > > Yummy! ;) I found Tyche in the crockpot once. --Fil > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > -- > ~Karen aka Kajikit Wish I could help, but we just gave up years ago. We don't even pretend to have rules anymore. Now we just try to remember to act shocked if company is over. The kitchen table, they aren't interested in. LUcky for us, because thats' where we eat. The dining room table only gets used at holidays, so they're all over it most of the time. I felt a little guilty the other day when I was cleaning with it *with a lint roller*. I shouldn't admit that. But I'm sure my secret's safe with you all. :-) Sherry > The girls have free reign of the house with one exception. They're not > allowed in the kitchen ESPECIALLY on the kitchen counters... I haven't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > Can anyone give us any suggestions? Water doesn't seem to work any > more - they just laugh at us and do what they want! Can you try double-sided tape? They do so hate sticky stuff on their pads. But do it quick, because if they get used to getting up there, you'll have to have double-sided tape on the table for life. Chak SignatureWriting is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards. --Robert A. Heinlein >Every time we turn around one of them is up there either walking >across or sprawling out comfortably... ARGH! I don't want litterbox >residue where we eat! On the positive side, since you got the girls tested you know that the residue will be free of worms. ;) |
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