kitty discipline

when is a good age to start disciplining kitties? mine are a little over a month and they've been acting very agressive! and getting into everything i don't want them in! what should i do?

 

*chuckles* if they are old enough to be doing things u dont want them to be doing- then thats old enough to start training

 

Get a squirt bottle and squirt them when they do what they're not supposed to do. And say NO so they learn what that means.

 

I'm not good at disciplining my cats at all. They do whatever they want. I usually tell them no, no and I swear they are silently laughing at my antics. Water bottles don't work. I usually remove them physically from the source of trouble and I play with them to distract them.

 

I would simply restrict their access and redirect them to something else when you find them getting into things. At such a young age I would'nt use any punishment...you certainly don't want them to become fearful/shy of humans during their critical socialization period. For now, all of their experiences with humans should only be positive ones.
When you say "getting aggressive" do you mean with you or with each other? If it is with each other I would'nt worry about it...they learn from each other how rough is too rough during play. If its with you I would redirct them to a toy.

 

my cats are little monsters, and they LOVE water. the only way we can dicipline them is to pick them up and put them down away from what they're doing.

 

The waterbottle works great on Booger. She's gotten to the point that all I have to do is pick it up and she stops what she's doing and scrunches down on all fours wideeyed giving me that 'don't you do it' look heheh. When she's up on her condo and trys to attack my hanging plant, I pick up the bottle and she immediately rolls onto her back with her head hanging upside down over the side of the condo and gives me the 'you wouldn't squirt me if I look cute' look :lol: That one cracks my hubby up!

But for the occasional kitties that like water, you can use canned air. You can buy it in any electronics/computer store. They use it to clean out computer cases and keyboards.

I love my squirt bottle best though because I got a horsetraining spray bottle at Petsmart and it shoots up to 10 feet away! Booger HATES it LOL


ETA: Gotta correct that, I just tested the bottle out and it shoots at least 20 feet!

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

When I said getting agressive I meant in general. One of them hissed at me the other day and started clawing at my ankle. So I picked her up and put her and moved her away from me.

I don't want to do the water bottle discipline, I want them to like water so I can bathe them when they get stinky. I don't want them thinking water is a punishment or a "bad thing".

BTW, when can I start bathing them? I'm worried that if I do it too soon it will irritate their skin. They get dirty eating and getting poop all over them.

 

The ankle attack thing isn't bad behavior, it's natural behavior and simply means that she's got some energy to burn and wants some interactive playtime. That's a good time for you to play with her with her favorite toy!

Using the water bottle to train my kitty hasn't made her afraid of water. She still hops up on the kitchen counter and practly climbs into the sink when I'm doing dishes. And heaven forbid if I take a shower or bath and not allow her to sit pirched on the side of the tub watching me and the water intently. I sware, it looks like she's wanting to jump in the tub with me! LOL

I wouldn't bathe a kitten too young. And if there's a physical reason for bathing them, I'd let my vet do it. I would never bathe a cat unless there was a necessary reason, like fleas or poop. I have always found that a healthy cat will bathe themselves and keep themselves quite clean.

 

*giggles* if it's just the smell u think bathing will fix-- i always find my babies smell best after i wring their necks for sleeping in the clean clothes in the laundry basket i just removed from the dryer. :mrgreen:

 

especially if you use those foofy smelling Bounce dryer sheets! :mrgreen:

 

maybe I am mistaken, but I always heard it was unhealthy for a cat fur and skin to bathe it. There are rub on lotions and sprays to make the smell go away. I haven't ever given any cat a bath and I have never had a stinky one either. they are always nice and clean only if they are sick (I think) would they be that dirty they stink.
But I would never bathe a cat myself if I had too (even though my cat loves the water and gets in the shower and sometimes will swim in the pool) I don't hinkit is too expensive at the vet or groomers and that way, they have the scrs, not me!

 

it's only unhealthy if you don't bathe them with the right shampoo.

i've decided to use the powder kind if they need a bath anyway.

 

I think someone mentioned using baby's shampoo and only use on soiled part of the kitten.

 

I use these on my furbabies. They don't really like it, but it does seem to pick up the loose hairs a little and leave them not as stinky.