I don’t consider myself a morning person but, truth be told, once I’m up and about I’m fine, it’s just that I don’t do it that often at the weekend. I am a champion at eeking out the last precious moments of cosy-bedness.
So it was with no small degree of wonder that I found myself sitting in the car at 8.55am this morning, waiting to get into the local dump waste disposal and recycling centre. By 9.05am I was heading for Glasgow, and as I sit here at 11.42am I have successfully bought several new shirts, two pairs of trousers, washed the car and had my haircut.
A more typical Saturday morning would normally find me being cajoled into getting my arse off the sofa to get dressed.
Of course all this has changed since the arrival of the small fuzzy black thing that is currently shredding our wallpaper and running around like a mad thing. I’m hoping it’s just a ‘phase’ as he’s been very good up to now, but the last couple of days he’s been particularly destructive. Hmmmm.
Anyway, more things to get done before we head through to Dumbarton to celebrate the 21st birthday of our nephew.
No, wait, that can’t be right. If he’s 21 then I’m…
Ohh nuts.
That’s a very productive Saturday morning! The boyf had a similar one as much like you, I normally have to cajole, more like threaten him to get out of bed. In a pleasant change, I am still in bed as I type this. Enjoy the 21st. Sure, you’re only 22 yourself π
My advice, make sure you deal with the kitten’s current misbehaviour!
From the start when we got Treacle, we made sure to praise him when he did good things, and scold when he did bad. As a kitten, we used a little water spray bottle, and a very stern “no!” whenever he did something we’d rather he didn’t.
He’s nearly 4 now, and to this day there are four phrases that he seems to understand and respond to:
1) his name (he knows when he’s being spoken to/shouted on/shouted at!)
2) NO! (he’ll immediately stop whatever he’s doing that made me use the NO word)
3) Who done that? If I use that, he knows he’s done something he shouldn’t and will either run away and hide, or become such a wee sook and try to get around me by being all cute and affectionate.
4) Do you want food? π
We only ever had to spray the water on him at the very start, and quickly just having the bottle and showing it to him was enough of a deterrent. Eventually, just the word “no” was sufficient (and I’m sure it’s the tone of voice that actually does the trick, not the word!)
They’re really quite intelligent animals, and I’m certain that my cat actually knows what he should and what he shouldn’t do, and I’m convinced that it all stems from how we dealt with him from the very start.
Bryan, thanks for the tips.
We are stern with him but I like the idea of agreed words. It’s a little tricky as we didn’t get him until he was almost 4 months old, he had been staying with my nephew (the one who turned 21).
So we are having to re-enforce the basics again.
Is it just me or is that kitten getting younger every time he’s mentioned?
Totally agree with Bryan. You must be strict now of you will forever live in anticipatory hell. “No!” and a stern finger wag from side to side works with every one I’ve ever trained.
The age is my fault, I thought he was 6 mths when we got him and I’m still figuring out how old he is..
And yes, the NO! is given but as it’s a new thing it’s taking some time for him to realise it. Getting better already though.
NO + a loud sharp clap of the hands (together) works too
I mean the shout and the clap together not just the hands!!
Scratching post! Get one! Put it near where he is shredding your wallpaper. We have a problem with scratching the sofa and placed a scratching post there.
One of our cats used to like to scratch wallpaper. I discovered that once it has been scratched, wallpaper doesn’t heal back up and you have to re-paper.
He has two Peggy, and uses them frequently.
The problem is that he is jumping at shadows during his mad half hour (well.. mad hour more like).
He runs about like a maddy, then something catches his eye and he leaps up at the wall, catching it with his claws.
So it’s not willful destruction, more collateral damage, but it’s still annoying! That said, he seems to have started to calm down the past few days so maybe the loss of his little furry balls is finally kicking in!
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