How can I train my cat?

You can train cats, you just have to find the right way of doing it.

Have you tried filling a spray bottle with water and whenever he jumps on worktops squirt him and firmly say no. This should work.

Yes, that’s one of the things listed in the post. It doesn’t work.

Or cleaning your surfaces with any citrus fruit like lemon juice or an orange smelling bacterial spray, cats aparentley hate it.

I’ve tried lemon juice and several ‘bitter’ sprays from pet stores… he finds a way around it or it doesn’t bother him. I can’t keep him off anything, he’s even jumped onto the hot oven door when it was open… and got burnt… on more than one occasion. Any other suggestions?

WOW, your cat is nuts. Ive come to a wall Im afraid I really don’t know what to suggest apart from getting a professional in, have you seen that man called the dog whisperer on TV? I think he does cats aswel, someone like that. Sounds crazy but I dont think theres any other way.

Cats are animals, and some of them are just completely untrainable. The only thing you can really do at this point is try to make sure he isn’t doing anything harmful to himself. I do recommend using the spray bottle, just to deal with the immediate situation, but don’t expect it to train him. Some cats are very high strung, and - at 16 months - he’s bound to still be hyper (females calm quicker than males). He will, eventually calm down, but not at this age…I have 12 cats and a couple of my 2 year olds are still nuts.

Shoot it when it disobeys.

Actually, you can train cats. Just because you couldn’t train your cat properly, doesn’t mean it’s totally impossible for a cat to be trained. Most likely, you weren’t training your cat correctly, that’s why it didn’t work. I suggest you read a book, or look up how to train cats…because cats CAN be trained.

First of, try keeping at least some of the counters clear. I have realized that my cat likes to get up on things, and so I keep certain counters clear and so if she wants to jump, she can jump (i.e. pick your battles). I also do not keep boxes and other stuff lying around, and all bathroom doors are closed at all times. If you dont give them stuff to get into, they wont get into stuff. Obviously there are two places my cat is absolutely not allowed, kitchen counter and dining tables. Whenever I used to catch her up there, she gets a time out. It’s unorthodox I’ll give you that, but it works. I just lock her in the bathroom for a little bit when she does something she’s not supposed to. She eventually gets it. I mean it took a couple of months for her to really get it, but I havent had to use the tactic in a while. All you have to do is figure out your pet’s particular aversions. Mine hates being alone. She just gives me a ‘you’re crazy’ look if I try noises or spray bottles.

All I have are kitchen counters and a dining table. I allow them to jump onto my deep freeze, and jump onto the window ledge from there… but he’s always walking on my table, counter and hot stove. This is the only thing I haven’t been able to try, because any of the rooms that he can be shut in, he’s not allowed in, including the bathroom. I tried this with the kennel before, but it didn’t work he just ended up rolling it around and I was scared he was getting hurt. I’ve tried allowing him lots of places to jump up onto and such, but that makes it even harder to keep him off the things he’s not allowed on. So I’ve started to keep him off everything (except the freezer to get to the window) and he’s gone crazy. I have to ‘yell’ at him all the time and now since I’ve started doing this, he has become “stressed” and started pulling out his fur not to mention acting out even more. I’ve had cats (and they were never fixed, either) my whole life and I’ve never come into contact with such a crazy mischievous cat! I was hoping for an even calmer cat since I’m used to tom cats. He is CONSTANTLY getting into something. I’ve tried changing foods, but yet he prefers to get into my (locked) cupboards and eat a bag of raw oatmeal? and sweet potatoes? I am so fed up with this cat… I don’t know what to do! Last night he started trying to mate with his sister… even though they’ve both been fixed for over a year… she wasn’t impressed so that has cause a lot of commotion here today. I’m going to try the kennel thing again, maybe I’ll put him in another room in the kennel… I’m open to more suggestions if anyone has them. It would really break my fiance’s heart to give him away, but I’m really beginning to think that we are not compatible at all and never will be.

I read somewhere that cats also dont like the smell of mint mouthwash, so I mixed a bit of that in with some water in a squirt bottle when training my cat to sit. Whenever she would listen I would give her a treat, if she mis-behaved, I’d squirt her with the spray bottle. This seemed to work for me, but not all cats are trainable.

you don’t. the cat trains you.

I use the bathroom or the garage for time outs. I dont see a cage as being ideal (unless it is padded, stupid cats will do damage to themselves). Oh, and no, mine’s not allowed in the bathroom normally. Doesnt mean that it doesnt work as a useful time out (obviously the toilet lid is shut and there’s nothing to destroy in there). Just because you usually keep a room shut, does not mean it cant be used. You know yelling constantly is not ideal. I am sorry things are so difficult. I got lucky, mine is practically a dog parading around as a cat.

there are certain things you can train a cat but remember, they are not dogs! cats are not pack animals like dogs and therefore have no instinct nor desire to follow orders. You can teach a cat things like NO! because they will assosiate a loud, angry voice with something they have been doing and then stop it. Anything more than that is great if you can do it and you’ve probably got the most tame feline friend!