[Sca-cooks] OT - Kitten Help

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Liadan wrote:
>I'm not talking about the "kneading" behavior.  I'm talking about when she
>makes
>a flying leap from the floor and digs her claws into my thigh...

Kirsten of Blak Rose responded:
>Then you use the No, remove the cat from leg, and a firm but light swat
>technique.   When they are young, grabbing them by the scruff of the neck
>works best.

Even when my cat was older, if she did something i very strongly did
not want her to, like walking on the kitchen counters, i'd grab her
by the scruff of the neck, lift slightly (as she was an adult), and
hiss like a cat - from the back of the throat, not just the tongue
against teeth - several times. Each time she did what i wanted her
not to, i'd jump up and do this right away. She learned pretty
quickly.

Obviously, the cat footprints i'd find on the counters when i got
home from work weren't hers, because i never ever saw her on the
counter :-)

Seriously, though, i think talking like a cat to a cat works. But you
have to be really serious - hold the loose skin on the back of the
neck, scowl, say "No" strongly and sharply, then hiss 2 or 3 times
very harshly, then drop the cat to the floor (i don't mean by
throwing or hitting).

Anahita