Posted by Jeanne on April 6, 2009
It is simply not safe for your curious little cat to be jumping up on counters and tables while in the kitchen. Not to mention that it is entirely unsanitary as well for them to go from doing their duty in their litter box
and then walking around on the counters that you prepare your food on. In all, it is not a good idea for you or your cat. You really don’t want your cat to become accustomed to jumping up in the kitchen because eventually they are going to jump up onto a hot stove and seriously injure themselves.
There are different ways you can go about training your cat that the kitchen is an off-limits area for jumping and exploring. The first method is to simply pick them up whenever they jump onto a kitchen counter top or table and tell them “No!” in a firm voice and then put them back onto the floor. Another idea is to stack items that will make a loud noise near the edge of the counter so they will fall down and frighten your cat when he jumps up.
If neither of these ideas work, you can always resort to using the spray bottle of water. Try these ideas first before you resort to more drastic means. Just remember that you are looking out for both the safety and health of your cat as well as yourself.
Posted by Jeanne on March 20, 2009
A litter of these small clowns is great sport to watch at this time. They are alert, lively, and however aimless their play may seem, seriously in training for the business of being cats. They wrestle mightily with each other, always seeking the underneath position and the opportunity of raking the enemy’s unprotected belly with their powerful hind claws. They pounce on anything that moves intriguingly, including the mother cat’s tail. They tussle, tumble and dance. They dine ecstatically and sleep in a Kittenhuddle.
Perhaps most delightful are the infant approximations of big cat behavior. Each tiny back arches at the threat of danger. A dreadful grimace twists the baby face and from the pink mouth issues a soft warning hiss, sounding very much like the exhalations of a steam iron. Otherwise, for normal use, the voice of the kitten is high and squeaky-sounding like “eeee” or “eee-you.”
Each day, each week, is one of achievement. At six weeks the teeth are in. By seven or eight the unsteady legs are firm. By eight or nine, the kittens are big enough to be weaned, although it may take a frightening, unexpected snarl from mother, or a cuff from her paw to convince them of it.
By now, too, they will have become distinct personalities. Or, at least, one will have asserted itself as boss of the litter, stronger, rougher, first at the dinner table, always at the center of the bed. Very likely, too, this is the one which will learn the most, and learn it most quickly.