Suggestions

posted by Bunnery on Tue 8th Jul, 08 at 11:31:13

Well - it seems like the most effective way to keep a kitten off your kitchen worktops is to have a handy spray filled with water - and give them a warning blast when they look as if they are thinking about jumping up. You can always see them eyeing up the various tops to see which has the most interesting possible-food-type-looking things on them. Then they wiggle their backsides a little whilst calculating the exact velocity and acceleration needed to reach the target.  A blast of water usually takes them by surprise and they slink back into the lounge with an indignant look. Apart from one breed (Is it the Turkish Vans?) cats seem to hate water. Let them out the back, in the rain - and they soon come bounding back in again!

The only other suggestion I received was from a supposed cat-lover who said that she kept hers in the bathroom all day - to stop them getting on the sofas and in the kitchen!! Seems a little cruel to me - unless she has a palatial bathroom round at hers. I couldn't do that to my little monsters. Would only end up with shredded towels anyway :-)

Needless to say - with our lovely global warming summer - they haven't been outdoors much. So - in order to keep them amused during the day I have taken to hiding cat treats around the downstairs rooms - for them to hunt for while we are out. Yes - we did actually find some cat-treat type stick things that they love! Maybe the chewing helps with their teething too. Any other suggestions for kittie games will be welcomed. If they get bored they just decide to play "let's lie on our backs and use the underside of the new sofas to propel ourselves along at great speed" game. 

I am not fond of that one.