I’m having a bit of a nightmare with my kitten, Marley – he’s constantly going under my bed!
If only he’d behave, but no! 😈
He crawls under the bed, gets onto his back and hooks his claws into the bed base, then runs along upside down!! It’s hard to imagine, I know, but he’s wrecking the whole base, both underneath and on the sides.
The bed isn’t mine, and he knows it drives me up the wall! 😡
He’s got his cat tree right next to the bed, and I can’t put him in another room because I live in a studio flat.
At the moment, I’ve tried putting towels underneath and a fitted sheet over the sides.
I’ve even tried stuffing duvets under there, but that won't last long because he keeps finding ways to push them out of the way 😠
Does anyone have any ideas or advice?
I’ve tried punishing him:
- Scruffing him and hissing at him like a cat... he couldn't care less.
- Pinning him to the floor (not hard, just so he gets the point), but he just attacks me as soon as I let go.
- Using a water spray... he doesn't give a toss, he thinks it's a game!
- Putting him in another room, but he’s not bothered by that either.
Nothing works! I know he’s only a kitten, but that’s no excuse to let him destroy everything!
Translated from French
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Giving a kid a smack isn't child abuse, and some people on here clearly didn't get enough of them!
You can't compare raising a child to training a pet! A child is capable of understanding why they’re being punished, but an animal isn't! You really need to stop getting on your high horse just because you can't handle criticism. My dog and my cats are very well-behaved, and yet I've never been violent with them—not once have I even had to say "no" or use a physical correction! Healthy, non-violent solutions exist; you just have to be patient and stop taking your frustrations out on your pet for no reason.
Honestly, I don't care about your feelings; I'm replying for the sake of the animals, not the owner's ego.
I'm sorry about your kitten, and I hope your next cat stays indoors to avoid any accidents.
Good luck to the others who understand that sometimes you run out of ideas for laying down the law at home with our furry friends!
I really struggle with that sentence... You don't "lay down the law" at home; you just set rules so everyone can live in harmony. What you're saying makes me think of some kind of family hierarchy between you and your pets, and that really bothers me, so I wanted to point that out.
- Picking him up by the scruff of the neck and hissing at him like a cat, he couldn't care less...
- Pinning him to the floor, not hard, but just so he understands, he attacks me when I let go.
He wasn't traumatised, that's rubbish.
Can you at least admit that such violent reactions can traumatise a cat? Or are you too proud to admit it? Some animals are more sensitive than others, but that doesn't mean these methods are in any way healthy! If you'd tried that with my kitten who was a rescue, I can tell you now, you'd never have been able to touch her again. Just because an animal tolerates a practice doesn't mean it's a good one—far from it.
Hello! I’m coming back to this thread as I hadn't seen all these comments after all this time, and I wanted to say that lots of people come here asking for help and advice and there are always those who turn up just to criticise one training method or another! This forum is great but for goodness sake it’s really annoying to constantly hear "oh some people shouldn’t have pets" or "yes it’s shameful to do that!" ANYWAY! Yes, I had a hard time with my kitten, I tried plenty of ways to punish him and he calmed down with time! I’ve had many other pets and they’ve always been happy even though I’ve given them a telling off! When you have a kid and you give them a smack, it’s not exactly abuse, and some people on here clearly didn't get enough of them growing up! To suggest I’m practically abusing my animals makes me absolutely livid! My pets have never wanted for anything! They have food, they live in a clean place and they have every comfort; my cat even got his own Christmas!
Just because you have a pet doesn’t mean they should be allowed to ruin everything in your home!
My little Marley has gone to cat heaven as he was killed on the road recently and I’m devastated; he was my baby, an adorable little cat and I loved him so much! He was the happiest cat and he wasn’t traumatised, that’s absolute rubbish! He was the first one to come to me for cuddles and we were always together! So, I won’t be coming back to this forum for advice anymore since you only get criticism from people who think they know everything! Best of luck to the others who understand that sometimes you run out of ideas when trying to lay down the law at home with our furry friends!
In the worst-case scenario, until he grows up and settles down a bit—if you’re really worried about your rental (which I can understand)—there are caps that you glue onto the claws.
I’m not usually one for that kind of thing, but as a temporary fix while the kitten is still being trained, why not? I don’t think it’s a permanent solution, though.
And if your cat goes outdoors, then forget it, but since you’re already clipping his claws, I assume he doesn’t go out anyway.
Check out some advice on claw covers here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/behaviour/scratching
Am I the only one who finds comments like that shocking?! And then you wonder why your cats scratch everything in sight... it doesn't surprise me one bit. You can't teach an animal anything through violence.
Don't worry, it shocks me too. Hurting your pet for no reason is just selfish and irresponsible, simple as that.
If you really can't manage your cat when they're under the bed, just block it off. I can see how running around like a loon might be fun for a little kitten, but pinning them down, spitting at them... you're heading for a total disaster.
And YES, you really are being harsh! It's frightening because I don't think you even realise it. If I had to choose between losing my £300 deposit and traumatising my kitten or causing behavioural issues down the line, the choice is obvious.
And as for the advice on these sites... I'm starting to get really fed up with the pro-violence tips being shared because it leads to this kind of thing. With a bit of common sense and some perspective, you quickly realise that it's neither a solution nor is it normal, for that matter.
Am I the only one who's shocked by that kind of comment?! And then you wonder why your cats scratch everything... it doesn't surprise me at all. You can't teach an animal anything through violence.
My ginger girl had the annoying habit of scratching everything when she was a kitten, and no matter how much I told her no, she’d just keep doing it – I won't even go into the state of the wallpaper and the rest. Much to my dismay, she’s still doing it now at four years old. (My sofa bed cover is in such a state I can’t even describe it, but that’s the only thing she seems interested in). Your choice of discipline doesn't seem too excessive to me, because cats are incredibly stubborn. The water spray works well at my house because she hates water. Every now and then, she gets a bit of a scruffing, especially when I catch her in the act. And let's be honest, she's had a few swats as well.
At the end of the day, you’ve just got to grin and bear it and be patient, because kittens get into all sorts of mischief! And scratching is just part of that. Try to get hold of some Feliway (I know it’s a bit pricey, but it’s worth it) and spray it where she scratches; usually, they stop scratching there. (I tested it on my sofa, but since I’ve run out, she’s started again – for mine, it’s mostly territorial marking). It buys you a bit of a reprieve. They sell it as a spray and as a plug-in diffuser.
As for repellents, try to find a strong one, because at first he’ll pull a face, but after a while, he’ll probably just find it funny. Since he’s so small, exploring is really important for him – monkeying around under the bed, hiding in cupboards... You know, it’s better to have a cat with claws than a declawed cat like some old ladies who aren't ashamed to admit to it. In the wild, a declawed cat would be lost (and declawing is illegal anyway). Just give it time!
Some people really shouldn't have pets and should do their research properly. And yes, a cat will scratch and can damage furniture, and they can get ill as well.
I’ll probably get some stick for this, but enough is enough!
That’s the second time you’ve complained about your kitten in a really aggressive way...
YES, you have a kitten. YES, cats have claws. YES, a kitten is still a baby.
Pinning him to the floor, spitting at him... besides being borderline animal cruelty, it clearly isn't working... the proof's right there.
Cats love hiding and scratching, that’s just what they do, it’s practically 50% of their day... So yes, your brand new sofa is probably going to get a bit battered... as for the bed... he just wants to play or hide.
I get that it’s not easy in a furnished studio flat, but honestly, you should have thought about that beforehand.
This is a bit of a rant, but someone needs to tell it like it is.
I’ve just seen that you’re worrying about your wooden floors on another thread... No comment.
Your cat’s behaviour is normal; yours isn’t.
Yes, that’s a good idea :) I’ll give the deterrent spray a go first, and then if not, I’ll see about getting some drawers 😁 I just hope he eventually settles down a bit as he gets older :/
