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You can't really learn a cat to not do things as with a dog, you can however teach them to not do certain things when they're young. Whenever they do something you don't approve of grab them at their neck like their mother does, in my experience this can help. I see your cat is 1 year old so it might be too late.
Try to create a pattern where bad shit happens whenever she tries to open up the drawer or even enter the kitchen is probably your best bet. What's exactly in your kitchen that could hurt your cat? If possible put it in a can or out of reach.
Our leather couch is pretty fucked up. In my experience it's hard to prevent cats from doing certain things unless you successfully create that pattern at the start.
You gotta love cats right? :D
Edit: yeah water spray works well too. The skin at the neck is the more natural way though. I guess both work^^.
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On February 02 2012 01:34 Chill wrote:
Can't you train her not to go in there? Like spray her with water every time she tries? I've heard you can buy a spray bottle of some sort of fluid that smells terirble that trains cats pretty quickly, but water works fine too. Maybe see if there's some sort of smell cats hate and line your drawers with that?
This is very effective.
My cat used to constantly jump up on the table, got sprayed with water every time now he doesn't even think about it anymore.
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On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap  If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense".
lol nice try.
OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff.
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On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff.
You can't train a cat like you would a dog. It works way differently. Cats don't listen like dogs.
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On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff.
Umm...okay. It was a nice try, so nice that you couldn't even think of a response to what I said other than to just bold some random statements which are true. You got me. I fold.
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On February 02 2012 03:15 Bojas wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff. You can't train a cat like you would a dog. It works way differently. Cats don't listen like dogs.
Obviously. But we're not talking about training cats vs. dogs. We're talking about what should the OP do to prevent the cat from rummaging through his cabinets and messing up his apartment while he's gone. He can train him the way you train a cat when he's around, but when he's not around, there's no problem with containing her in a safe area the same way you would a dog. And then when the OP comes home, he can train her some more with other effective methods.
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On February 02 2012 03:15 garbanzo wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff. Umm...okay. It was a nice try, so nice that you couldn't even think of a response to what I said other than to just bold some random statements which are true. You got me. I fold.
You said my recommendations can't be used because cats can't be housebroken, to which I confirmed my opinions with experts. My coming up with them on my own was using plenty of common sense, because it doesn't take a genius to *remove the cat from the rooms where it can cause damage, if it's intent on causing damage*, especially if you can't monitor the cat. And now you're compromising your stance on me being wrong to me having a somewhat-acceptable perspective (how chivalrous of you). At this point I think you're just egging me on though, so I'm going to stop responding to you. Enjoy the rest of your day 
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On February 02 2012 03:20 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:15 Bojas wrote:On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff. You can't train a cat like you would a dog. It works way differently. Cats don't listen like dogs. Obviously. But we're not talking about training cats vs. dogs. We're talking about what should the OP do to prevent the cat from rummaging through his cabinets and messing up his apartment while he's gone. He can train him the way you train a cat when he's around, but when he's not around, there's no problem with containing her in a safe area the same way you would a dog. And then when the OP comes home, he can train her some more with other effective methods.
Sorry I was talking to someone on the phone and typing a bit of an ignorant response while barely reading this argument.
Our cat is sometimes locked in a room too, but mostly for a few hours a day cause most of the time there will be someone to keep her company and let her through the house, and it's a pretty big room. When we are sleeping, she sleeps there too. This is fine but you're gonna mess up your cat if you're away too much while she's locked in a small room.
I don´t know if the OP has roommates or people who live with him to keep the cat company?
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On February 02 2012 01:47 tofucake wrote:
Catnip. Catnip everywhere. The repellent sprays generally don't work so well. Put catnip far away from the kitchen and enjoy.
Agreed. Catnip acts as a wonderful distraction.
Spray of cat repellent and water doesn't work well. I would try training the cat through indirection.
Curiosity killed the cat.
BTW cats can be housebroken and it definitely helps when you have one that grew up with a dog.
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On February 02 2012 03:30 Bojas wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 03:20 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 03:15 Bojas wrote:On February 02 2012 03:13 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 03:09 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 03:05 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:54 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On February 02 2012 02:37 garbanzo wrote:On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense. Ummm....you're saying he has no common sense when you're the one making the claim that because people do it to dogs then you should do it to a cat too? I'm sorry, but cats and dogs are completely different animals and need to be treated completely differently. So... why can't my recommendations be used? What will go terribly wrong if you try them with a cat, despite the fact that you can do them with a dog? He's clearly not in control of his pet, which is why he's asking for help. Cats can't be housebroken. If you keep them in a cage they're going to need access to a litter box. Cats are more likely to be destructive if you keep them in a confined space than dogs. Dogs are pack animals so if you managed to train them well, i.e. you made it clear that you're the alpha, then they'll accept being confined because it's what you wanted. Cats don't have such a mentality. Of course, this is highly dependent on the cat or the dog. I personally keep my cat inside my small room most of the time because one of my roommates dislikes cats. I'm not happy with this, but it's a compromise I have to make. I would never, ever think to just leave him in a cage. Other people have cats that will just constantly claw and meow at a closed door. There are also dogs that will destroy furniture when not locked in a cage. Whatever may be the case, my point is that you shouldn't go around claiming someone doesn't have common sense when you're offering a general solution based on the fact that it can be done to a different animal. Also, I'm not sure why you think the cat is being destructive. It just seems to me like the OP has most of the behaviour curbed by other measures except for the fact that the cat manages to get herself locked inside a cabinet. Well I just asked my girlfriend who's in vet school and her father who's a vet (and they've owned cats and dogs as well), and they say that the method can work perfectly well with cats too. Just put the litterbox in the same room or cage as the cat. Duh? And by cage I don't mean that it has to be exactly the same size as the cat. Give him plenty of room, but just keep in a place where he can't get out. So obviously, cats and dogs are different animals, but that doesn't mean that nothing applies to both of them. The alpha anecdote is cute, but obviously the OP is having a problem with controlling his pet when he's not around... so he has to worry more about his own stuff than confining his cat to a (perfectly open, but slightly smaller) controlled environment. Again, I'm not questioning the method entirely. I stated what things you had to consider when you do that. I offered my opinion on the matter and even my own experiences. Your suggestion has applications. What I'm questioning is why you felt the need to say that he has no common sense. You had to ask your girlfriend and her father (who are experts) whether you were correct or not. That automatically makes your suggestion fall outside of "common sense". lol nice try. OP, instead of re-locking all your doors and cabinets and spraying your entire house down while granting your cat access to your entire apartment while you're gone, just let your cat around the house while you're there (and train her), and when you're not there, just keep her confined to a room, cage, or area where she won't be a hassle to your stuff. You can't train a cat like you would a dog. It works way differently. Cats don't listen like dogs. Obviously. But we're not talking about training cats vs. dogs. We're talking about what should the OP do to prevent the cat from rummaging through his cabinets and messing up his apartment while he's gone. He can train him the way you train a cat when he's around, but when he's not around, there's no problem with containing her in a safe area the same way you would a dog. And then when the OP comes home, he can train her some more with other effective methods. Sorry I was talking to someone on the phone and typing a bit of an ignorant response while barely reading this argument. Our cat is sometimes locked in a room too, but mostly for a few hours a day cause most of the time there will be someone to keep her company and let her through the house, and it's a pretty big room. When we are sleeping, she sleeps there too. This is fine but you're gonna mess up your cat if you're away too much while she's locked in a small room. I don´t know if the OP has roommates or people who live with him to keep the cat company?
I think that's a good point, and the OP apparently has an energetic kitten who loves to play. The OP goes off to work and class. If he's home enough to actually care for a kitten, then I guess it's fine to leave her with toys and food in the meantime, and make sure she gets enough play time with him when he's home. If he's never home, then that's more a problem with the OP not tending to his pet 
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O_O
After reading the replys I've decided to keep the cabinets unopenable for her while I'm gone and while I'm home to take the duct tape off and train her now that I'm a little less streed (got some good studying done) I'm thinking abit clearer and got my squirt bottle out and have used it. It worked for going on the counter it should work here. thanks for the replys helped me get a bit more level headed(maybe the wrong word) on the issue.
also wow some of you got pretty heated in your cat training theorycrafting
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get a second cat as a playmate. every problem solved. when you only have one cat you have to spend quite a bit of time with her each day, because cats are very social animals. but having too saves you quite some time
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On February 02 2012 02:23 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:I've only had puppies/ dogs, never kittens/ cats, but why not just put her in a cage or a locked room when you're gone? That's what people do with dogs. They eventually settle down when they get older, and you can keep an eye on them when you're at home (so they can come out during that time). And don't give me that "cats need to be more free than dogs" crap If she's tearing apart your apartment when you're gone and you can't train her, I don't see why you can't confine her to a small area while you're gone. I'm sorry, but I feel like you have no common sense.
to summarize, you have no experience with cats, but you feel qualified to express opinions on cats, AND you insult the op by saying that he has no common sense. real classy dude.
yes, you can crate train cats; no, you cant put them in a locked room. cats can be vindictive and I would not suggest it though. also, i would love to watch you try to put a cat in a crate when it doesnt want to. i have to cover my cats with a blanket to get them into their cat holder for the vet; its like world war iii.
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On February 02 2012 04:05 isleyofthenorth wrote:
get a second cat as a playmate. every problem solved. when you only have one cat you have to spend quite a bit of time with her each day, because cats are very social animals. but having too saves you quite some time
this. i have two cats so they keep each other company. it doesnt cure all ills (my cat loves to get into my cabinets and they learned how to open screen doors and windows), but i tend not to have a large problem with it.
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My cat used to do the same. There were some cabinets that I still let her get into (if I see her trying to open the door, I won't stop her or might help her opening the door for the smaller cabinets) and some that I told her "No" whenever she tried to get under (like under the sink with the chemicals). She learned and stopped trying to get into those specific ones.
After hanging out in cabinets they aren't as interesting, and now she only attempts to explore them if I'm in the kitchen hanging out or something.
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On February 02 2012 05:38 dAPhREAk wrote:Show nested quote +On February 02 2012 04:05 isleyofthenorth wrote:
get a second cat as a playmate. every problem solved. when you only have one cat you have to spend quite a bit of time with her each day, because cats are very social animals. but having too saves you quite some time this. i have two cats so they keep each other company. it doesnt cure all ills (my cat loves to get into my cabinets and they learned how to open screen doors and windows), but i tend not to have a large problem with it.
got a cat problem? buy a second one!
It might work, of course its a gamble though.
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Just spray your kitchen with fox piss
it keeps the critters out of my garden
+ Show Spoiler +But seriously, maybe there's some smell she doesn't like that you can put by the kitchen. Like some citrus candle or something like that
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I agree with the people who are saying to get a second kitten. I've raised about a dozen kittens in my life and I can tell you that when they don't have a playmate, they tend to find things to play with. If a human can't keep her company for alot of the day, she'll start to discover how to play with her surroundings.
Now is a critical time to shape her behavior of not going on the counter and what not. I recommend stern punishment, but also giving them lots of love/affection when they are not being bad. One of my cats is particularly naughty, and even though I punish him harshly sometimes (yell, squirt, smack him gently, pin him gently), he still loves me and respects me. It's funny though, because when he did something bad (like pooped outside the litter box), he knows he's been bad and has a guilty look on his face.
Ok ok, enough of that. To solve your problem I suggest you keep them off the kitchen counter so that they can't even open the drawers. You can do this one of two ways:
1) Put sheets of aluminum foil around the edges of the counter top. Make sure to let it dangle slightly so the cat on the ground can see that something is in the way
2) line the kitchen counter edge with small random objects so the cat can't jump up. If he can see something is in the way, he won't jump on. Small items like books, cans of tuna, cds, tissue boxes, etc. Small objects work best because if it looks too small, they know they can't get a good footing on it and don't bother trying.
I also wouldnt worry too much about cats hurting themselves if dangerous objects are in the way. Cats usually know better than to walk on upward facing knives. Even if they do injure themselves, it'll most likely be minor injuries and pain is a great teacher!
I disagree with most of the citrus scent deterrents. Physical blockage will work best until she's older and loses her curiosity to explore. My cats are trained to not go on any table tops / countertops. If they ever do, it's only because something irresistible lured them up there (e.g., an open can of tuna someone left up there)
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EPT
