We're got a 12 week old kitten last week and although he seems to have settled well, we are having a couple behaviour issues which I'd be grateful for advice on.
He keeps jumping on the kitchen table, when he does I take him down and say no but he jumps back on! Today he jumped on ran to ds's plate and took a little sandwich. I know it's still early days but any advice please? What should I be doing?
Also any basic advice on what I should and shouldn't do regarding kitten care.
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The litter tray
New kitten advice please.
14 replies
tigger32 · 29/01/2013 12:44
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cozietoesie ·
29/01/2013 16:00
A sandwich at 12 weeks? You've got a right one there! I'd start as you mean to go on - and if he's a thief now just think how he's going to be at a couple of years old when he can emulate pinkhalf's boy and nick a ham. No time to lose for training.
I'm assuming you're feeding him enough but you should just check that. (He might simply be a greedy guts thief and there's nothing you can do about that - but it's just possible he's a bit hungry.)
You're in it for the long haul, I'm afraid. When he jumps up, take him down - not nastily but not gently either. Firmly. Saying a firm NO! If he goes up again, do it again and take him straight outside to the hall, say, shut him outside the kitchen door and shut your ears to the dreadful pleading. Only let him back in when it stops.
And, watch your voice. No use saying 'No' in an indulgent 'Oh you naughty gorgeous boy' sort of tone. Reserve your firm 'Not Pleased' tone for him, mean it and say it loudly. And Repeat. And Repeat. And.......
Make sure also that the whole family are on side with the training. You might find that you have people in the camp (DCs can be bad but grown ups can be naughty as well) who would be only too happy to subvert discipline by sneaking table scraps to him - just for the joy of seeing the appreciation and not for any evil intent.
That's the only advice I can give. It's worked for me, for a number of cats.
What sort of kitten care things are you worried about? 
tigger32 ·
29/01/2013 21:20
Thank you both for your advice. You've given me something to try.
Thankfully everyone seems to be on side
Any general tips are welcome, we had cats a few years ago but they were older, so this is all new us!
He is a lovely little thing and loves cuddles and attention, he seems to have almost stopped crying every time we leave the room. 
Thankfully he didn't manage to eat the sandwich earlier, he just picked it up and ran ( it was only a little cube size sandwich)
OP posts:
cozietoesie ·
30/01/2013 06:33
I think that the important thing for kittens is to give them high quality food and lots of it because they burn so much energy and need lots of nutrients. Go for the kitten food for a good while (many, many months) because he's young and you know that that's fine but the odd adult pouch/can isn't going to harm him if you're stuck and that's all there is in the local shop. (That's for wet food.)
Fresh water available at all times of course.
Has he been to the vet yet? He'll need to be checked over and get his first shots if not. (You should also be thinking about worming and de-fleaing because many/most kittens have worms. The vet would advise you on that if it's not already been done.)
And lots of cuddles and love. Best thing for a little one.
PS - How's his litter tray behaviour?
tigger32 ·
30/01/2013 07:00
Thank you, we've been doing a mix of adult and kitten as the lady we got him from only has adult food, we are trying to switch him over but he seems to get a poorly tummy if we give him too much kitten food. I will persevere though. So far only 1 accident with the litter tray and that was I think down to a poorly tummy! 
(he did it in the coal bucket )
I've contacted my vets to sort jabs and he was wormed and deflead before we got him, and I believe I need to do this every month?
Thanks again for your advice
OP posts:
cozietoesie ·
30/01/2013 08:03
Ah well. Feed him to avoid a poorly tummy then. There are a lot of views on adult food and kitten food - with one school of thought that it doesn't matter much anyway (with wet food) as long as they're getting enough good quality nosh.
I think your main thing is to get him into a routine. In my experience, cats like routine. Just get him used to food coming from his feeding place and not from the hand or the table. (For example, if you were, say, on the odd occasion to cook a roast chicken and he was singing for a share of some meat then fine - but give it to him at his feeding place, in one of his bowls, and as a substitute for his normal meal.)
Only one accident so far is very good - and the coal scuttle is quite tasteful compared to some of the possible alternatives. (Many years ago, I had a cat who went outside to do his duty and in foul weather used to use the coal cellar as a substitute garden if he found the door open. Maybe something about the smell of coal?)
Take your vet's advice on worming and fleaing because as far as I know, it rather depends on the product your vet will offer. Kittens generally need to be wormed more frequently than older cats but the frequency should tail off so it won't be monthly for the rest of his life. Much will also depend on the sort of life he's going to lead eg is he to be a housecat and only eat food you give him or will he be going outside and possibly hunting? (The latter would up his risk factor and might mean more frequent worming in later life I think.) As I said, your vet will advise.
Sounds as if everything is pretty OK for you so far.
cozietoesie ·
30/01/2013 08:29
Exactly, sashh. Firmness and consistency are all. Most people (not looking at you, FluffyCloudland's DH) give up with cats and indulge them too much.
tigger32 ·
02/02/2013 22:43
Thank you all for the advice and taking the time to respond. I have started to be a bit firmer and we have made a rule that if there is any meat left from dinner he can have it, but only in his bowl and after we've eaten, not mid dinner!
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