# boisterous cat



## bluecat6 (Apr 4, 2012)

_ Hello
I live in France and I bought a cat a few months ago but he's very boisterous. What can I do to train him?
Thanks! _


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## prada (Nov 3, 2007)

bluecat6 said:


> _ Hello
> I live in France and I bought a cat a few months ago but he's very boisterous. What can I do to train him?
> Thanks! _


Can you give us some examples of this 'boisterousness'? Is he destructive or just excessively energetic. How old is he?


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## bluecat6 (Apr 4, 2012)

_Hi
He's 2. He scratches the furniture and the wall. It's impossible for strangers to cuddle him _


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## Kyria (Oct 29, 2011)

Hi, im no expert but maybe you should buy him a scratching post. Also my cat doesnt like being cuddled too we have been trying to teach him that being cuddled is a good thing by giving him a treat. Ive been doing this a few months now, but he still will only let us hold him a few seconds than he wants down. Unfortunately if we try to hold him longer than he wants he will scratch or bite. Im going to keep up with the treat thing and hopefully slowly slowly he will see that its a nice thing to be cuddled or held. Maybe you should try that too he is quite young still my cat is 14 months.


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## The Minkey (Feb 6, 2012)

Could he be bored? A scratching post is a really good idea if he can't go outside, or even if he can go outside but is enjoying a scratch inside too. 

My old cat didn't like being held at all, ever. He'd been a stray when he came to live with me and rejected my lap for 15 years until he started feeling the cold and started following me round like a heat seeking missile, leaping into my lap whenever possible.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It sounds as though your cat is bored from lack of stimulation.

You need a couple of good sized scratching posts in your house. Make sure they are tall enough for him to stretch as much as he needs, to when scratching. Also it is vital the posts are stable and do not wobble when he is using them. These posts are essential if you want him to stop scratching the furniture and walls. 

You may need to teach him how to use them, by taking him over to them and
gently moving his paws up and down in a scratching type movement. 

Play games with him that get him running around and using up energy, such as chasing little balls. Do you have stairs in your house? My cats have always loved me throwing balls up the stairs and them running after them. They use a lot of energy this way They also love chasing a piece of string that I pull along round the garden. 

Many cats intensely dislike being held by strangers - that is nothing unusual. Some cats do not like being picked up by their owners either, but will happily come of their own accord and lapsit. Others don't mind being picked up but will never lapsit. it all depends on the individual cat, they are all different.

My experience has been that I have managed to train non-lapsitters to become lapsitters, but I have not changed a cat who disliked being held into one that did like it. Whatever training you try must be done slowly, and basically you need to offer enticements, such as cat treats, and let the cat decide to come to you. You cannot force a cat to do something he doesn't want to do.


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