HALLIE EPHRON: My daughter has two cats who often stay with me. Both are all black, each utterly distinct in size and personality.
Squid is a male, large and muscular. Pluto is female, lithe and quicksilver.
Squid is full of mischief. He'll jump up to the fireplace mantle or a bookshelf, cruise along is and methodically paw every item on it, nudging it to the floor. He climbs into plant pots and digs out the soil. He thinks my leather armchair is a scratching post.
They are coming to visit me again later this week, so I need advice. What can I do discourage Squid... beyond putting every tchotchke that I care about to the basement and moving my many plants into my office and barricading the door.
Any cat owners out there who've broken a cat of a bad habit without killing themselves (or that cat)? These guys are smart sneaky and determined. Also sweet as can be.
What does your daughter do to keep the cat from doing these things at home????
ReplyDeleteI've heard friends who have cats say that they keep them out of the houseplants by spraying around the plant with a lavender or citrus room spray . . . not having cats myself, I'd be tempted to simply move the breakables, though . . . .
Good question, Joan - she entertains them (and the entertain her). And moving the breakables and the plants is what I've been doing. But that cat is oh so resourceful.
DeleteCats are domestic terrorists.
ReplyDeleteThat's all i have, Hallie. Except best wishes!
Cracking up here!!
DeleteTry a squirt gun.
ReplyDeleteNo please! Squirt guns only make kitties mean!
DeleteToo mean! I agree. They're just being cats.
DeleteI have seen elaborate playscapes for cats. Rescue organizations may have some advice for how to entertain visiting cats, but providing your grand kitties with toys of their own might curb some of the mischief. Meanwhile, lock up your tchotchkes.
ReplyDeleteYep. What Judy said.
DeleteIi think they think of my house as their own personal playscape. But what they like to do is CLIMB so maybe that's waht I need to think about... a way up high bookshelf that they can get to that's all theirs...
DeleteThat's the best idea, Hallie, let them have their space. And lock the plants and valuables away!
DeleteThat's a good idea, Hallie -- a shelf of their own.
DeleteThere is a reason why the phrase "the cat is an a-hole" is so popular. It's in their nature and they won't change. From the cat point of view, a human's duty is to love them, feed them, change their litter box, stroke them when the cat feels the time is appropriate, and worship them for the god-like beings they really are. So move the breakables and enjoy the cats. They really are great company.
ReplyDeleteLaughing! Jerry you truly do get cats. They are endlessly entertaining and when they're affectionate, heartwarming.
DeleteIt's called catification. Hide the breakables. Put a scratching post by the chair the kitties have chosen. There's a two-sided sticky tape to put on furniture, but my Angel Skye would peel it off with her teeth. Or they'll just find another spot.
ReplyDeleteKnocking stuff over is a sign of boredom, so they need lots of toys and distractions. Also, there's a meme that says something like: proof that the world isn't flat is the fact cats haven't knocked everything off it yet. That's pretty much it. (From a longtime cat mom.)
CATIFICATION! Annette you absolutely sound as if you've 'been there, done that'
DeleteOnce you invite/allow a cat in, you have surrendered all rights as a home owner and keeper of the peaceful hearth. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteGood advice.
Delete1. The scratching post positioning works here. (Have your daughter bring you one that is the right height.)
ReplyDelete2. Take the breakables off the mantel.
3. Put lava rocks (they sell little bags of them at all plant nurseries) on top of the soil in your planted pots. The rocks also help keep moisture in the plants.
4. If all else fails: try aluminum foil (anywhere).
Agree about the tin foil!
DeleteMy sister had a cat that peed on the kitchen counters (and the cookbooks) whenever the family traveled. She tried a "foiling wall", which maybe worked once before Josie figured it out.
DeleteAgree with Becky on numbers 1 & 3 (I like glass aquarium stones instead of lava rocks). For #2, the word is Museum Putty. Anchors your breakables in place so you no longer have to worry about either earthquakes or cats.
DeleteFoil?!? What to do with it (I immediately envision myself wearing a tin foil hat...)
DeleteCover anything cats might jump on…makes crinkly noises that “ought to” scare them away. Elisabeth
DeleteI agree about the breakables - remove to a safe place. Think of the same way you probably babyproofed the coffee table when the grands were little. I've had luck laying tin foil atop the dirt in the plant pots and wrapped the arms and back of the leather chair in it.
ReplyDeleteA small toy mouse or bird tied to a string on a stick can provide endless play for a cat.
Good luck!
Yes there's a product called a 'feather wand' that they love to try to catch. But their attention flags long after mine.
DeleteOh dear. All I can say is good luck. Cats will do what they will do. The silly putty sounds like a good idea. And the scratch post. But ggod luck.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth...
DeleteWe have 9 cats.
ReplyDeleteBoxes. Paper Bags. Lie on sides so they can get in. You don’t need an exit hole, as they usually find it better to sit on top and attack the insider.
Put away your tidiness and cleanliness and just put boxes on the floor. Our living room has 6 boxes. Egg cartons (empty are the best ones, not Styrofoam). They try and squeeze into them. Or eat them.
Then they will go home, and you can tidy up. Or enjoy the boxes yourself – see you CAN squish yourself into an egg carton…
Boxes! Brilliant.
DeleteSquid reminds me so much of my late great Gizzy! During his first year he was known as destructo cat. So many things were ruined. But I've learned since then. One thing is to get yourself several cat scratcher things, the kind imbedded with catnip. Or you can get catnip and rub it into the scratcher. Keep him busy with interactive toys. Put any precious items where he cannot get them. For your plants you can try sticking in many toothpicks to discourage him from digging in the soil. I've read that will work but have never tried it myself. My Rowdy likes to eat the leaves off my lemon tree (and then he throws up of course) and I don't know how to stop him. I have a spray bottle of water I am supposed to squirt him with when I catch him in the act but he is smart enough to do it when I am not around.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they are wicked smaht, as we like to say here near Boston.
DeleteIf they don't routinely do this at their own house, maybe they are trying to tell you something (or tell your daughter) that they are not happy being away from their "mom"?
ReplyDeleteWhen we'd go on vacation (and have someone watch our cat) she would ignore us for several days when we returned.
They do it routinely at her house, too.
DeleteExpensive option, but their own cat tree high enough to entice them. Toys and boxes are great--introduce a new toy and box every so often. Our Missy's favorite toy is one where I take twist-ties--the best are the longer ones that come with garbage bags, but shorter bread ties will work--twist two together at the middle, then add several more and tweak the 'legs' out so it looks like a spider or a badminton birdy--then toss. She will leap for it, bat it around. Munch liked to play with plastic bottle caps--I'd zing them at him along the floor and he'd stop every one of them--like a hockey goalie! Our youngest cat is a black cat so like the last photo you posted, Hallie. His favorite game is the laser dot and he knows where it lives and will cry until he gets a game. I make the dot hide, explore boxes, play peek-a-boo around chair legs, and give him long runs from room to room--this works to use up some of his energy! PK's favorite toy was also inexpensive--plastic rings from milk jugs. She liked to grab a ring with her front teeth, then take a paw and flip it somewhere to chase--also big was dropping it in a shoe to retrieve over and over. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh, Flora - THIS is why we have cats! They are endlessly entertaining while we entertain them. Symbiosis at its best.
DeleteHALLIE: So many great ideas here. Scratching posts. Boxes. Cat toys.
ReplyDeleteDoes your daughter bring cat toys with the cats when she drops them off at your place?
Diana
Sometimes she brings the "feather wand" and we're all set up in the basement with other cat supplies. And I have one of those cardboard scratching boards.
DeletePing pong balls - get the hot pink ones so you can find them after they leave.
ReplyDeleteLots of cat dope - catnip. Don't be skimpy. Put a big mess on the kitchen floor (it sweeps up), then let them sniff it, roll in it, eat it - whatever. Their eyes may cross - that is a good thing. Then they usually have a nap.
Of course there is always Temptations - better than dope for cats!
Cats are cats….they are the original disrupters…good luck!
ReplyDeleteFunny. The first thing I thought of for the tchotchkes was museum putty. It’s a way of life in California.
ReplyDeleteI see lots of good ideas for the potted plants. I finally stopped our cat from digging by constructing a barrier of pointed wooden kebab sticks. Think Vietcong without the poisoned tips.
Also invest in a cat tree, tall as you can bear and lots of cheap toys. And best of all, fresh catnip. Once stoned, they just want to roll around on the floor
How did my mom keep our cats off the mantle? Neither one were know to knock off items from shelves. They would sun themselves on the windowsill, sit on the back of the couch or chair but no climbing to the top of mantle or bookcase, no clawing furniture or digging in the houseplants. Some how she stopped them of those habits? I can't ask her but I know Kit and Panther were well behaved cats. Sorry, not much help here.
ReplyDeleteI've had cats for years and found early on that it was like having a two-year-old. You babyproof or use museum putty for your treasures. My cats find it highly amusing to maneuver behind the books on the shelves, which of course entails at least two or three books hitting the floor so they can get situated. I just sigh and smile. I love the little terrors, especially the wicked smart ones. You can see in their eyes what they are contemplating. Mine got to where I could see the calculations and just looked at them and said, "NO!" very loudly. The cat would look at me and then proceed to clean her nether regions. Gotta love 'em!
ReplyDeleteThey DO listen. It's scary.
DeleteOur house belongs to our cats who allow us and the dogs to live here. LOL. Scanning all the comments, looking for advice as well. Although on the plant thing, I did discover the cat scat mat, which I cut to fit the tops of my potted plants and it has worked beautifully to keep them out. https://tinyurl.com/23ut82mv
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link Jenn - going to check.
DeleteHi Jenn. I copied and pasted the link into Google and it just came up with information about tiny curl. I did Google "cat scat mat" which came up with the information on the mats.
DeleteYes, cat toys. I used to have tiny little stuffed mice ALL over. And they do love bags and boxes. Agree with anonymous--you can actually watch them plotting and planning. They just really like attention. SO kind of..talk to them as you do things. Include them. They are knocking things off shelves to get your attention.
ReplyDelete"Talk to them" .... I will try that and can only hope the neighbors don't hear.
DeletePut in a earbud, and people will think you are on the phone. :-)
DeleteI've read The Cat Who... series which is about two cats. The author describes their cat personalities and habits so well! I loved reading the author's Lilian Jackson Braum series.
ReplyDeleteCats make superb "sidekicks" - you talk to them and they look at you and blink, knowingly.
DeleteLOl! So true - cats have the wisdom of ancient sages.
DeleteOh what gorgeous beasties, Hallie! And terrors, but so so worth it. Lots of good suggestions here. Our cat who loved to climb on the mantle and eat plants is sadly no longer with us, but I don't think he ever managed to knock anything off. The plants were a different story--I could only have orchids and hanging plants that he couldn't reach.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge proponent of the cardboard scratching pads. They have saved our furniture and our wallpaper. We keep a jar of catnip nearby and the two cats come regularly for their "treats." Ditto on recommending cardboard boxes, especially with bits of crumpled paper and other interesting things thrown in. We had a big applicance box in our living room for about a month once, because our Yasu loved it so much that Rick didn't want to deprive her of her fun. I finally put my foot down and said enough is enough!
Understand that the new cat, Roshi, learned how to escape by going under a closed front door. My advice should be taken with a grain of salt. All of the above especially removing your treasures. A sheet or pet cover over the leather sofa. To discipline a cat, become a cat. I hiss, bare my teeth and bop them on the forehead (like a mama cat). This means of course they act out when I am not around. We offer peacock feathers and lemon grass for fun along with the usually toys. It is more a game of prevent damage in advance rather that hiss afterwards.Amy uses the air can meant to clean dust from computers instead of a squirt gun. This works to stop antics for a while. Above all, enjoy being trained by them.
ReplyDeleteAn optimist says the glass is half full. A pessimist says the glass is half empty. The cat says the glass is on the floor.
ReplyDeleteLOL --Sandra Parshall, lifelong cat owner
DeleteThis is so entertaining to read. Cats were part of my childhood, but we didn't have cats that knocked things off shelves; instead, they collected little items--coins, paper clips, dollar bills, lost earrings, dice, puzzle pieces, etc.--and put them under chairs. I have no advice, Hallie, but I hope you have fun with Squid and Pluto!
ReplyDeleteThankfully, none of mine are into knockoffs. As for plants. I no longer have any in the house. Surrender was the better part of valor! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteTo prevent kitties digging in the plants - soak cotton balls with campho phenique and put a few in each plant. They hate that odor.
ReplyDeleteKeep a sprayer with water in it and anytime he gets on things he shouldn't give him a spray or two.
ReplyDelete