# How to tell your kitty off??



## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Hi all

Just wondering how you let your kitty know they have done something naughty. It's Emi mainly and I tell her no etc but she ignores me as most cats do lol. I never know whether I should put her out the room or try another method??

What do you do??

xx


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It depends what she is doing wrong, i.e. is it normal cat behaviour as opposed to naughtiness? 

It also depends on the individual cat as to how well they accept discipline.

It is very important to be consistent from the start, just as you would if raising children. i.e. if you don't want her to do something then be consistent in telling her "no" and let her know you mean it by your stern demeanour and voice! (Don't laugh at her antics!)

Basically I use their name in a firm tone of voice. But at the start when I was training them I had to clap my hands sometimes to stop them mid track. 

One rescue cat I adopted started scratching my furniture when he arrived instead of using the several cat trees around the house. I said 'no' firmly to him, took him immediately to one of the cat trees and gently paddled his front paws up and down to show him what to do. I only needed to do this 3 times and he got the hang of it and never scratched my furniture after that.


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

chillminx said:


> It depends what she is doing wrong, i.e. is it normal cat behaviour as opposed to naughtiness?
> 
> It also depends on the individual cat as to how well they accept discipline.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much.

I tend to clap aswell but although she stops when I clap, 2 seconds later she starts again. The cats always tend to have a mad half an hour then collapse and sleep for a while but sometimes during this mad moment, I believe she is being too rough with Ginge who tries to avoid her but Emi is very quick and catches her. I tell her no and clap but she starts doing it again. She only stops when she wants to.

Emi is also very persistent, particularly when stealing things!! Today she came into the bedroom with an ornament of mine. No idea how she managed to get it off quite a high shelf, not break it and then successfully carry it to another room. Like you said, it's hard not to laugh but with this, she could have quite easily have broken it and hurt herself 

It's tough


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## Grace_Lily (Nov 28, 2010)

Rolacolacube said:


> Hi all
> 
> Just wondering how you let your kitty know they have done something naughty. It's Emi mainly and I tell her no etc but she ignores me as most cats do lol. I never know whether I should put her out the room or try another method??
> 
> ...


Marley is the only one who will listen to me correcting him, I just say his name in a stern voice and he'll usually scarper 

Depending on what the other four are doing I'll either put them out the room or just let them get on with it!


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

Hmm, if you get any good answers i will be paying attention.
Millie is _constantly_ finding naughty things to do, quite blatantly to attract my attention. As she is deaf I get little response from raising my voice to her, although she does actually respond to a finger wagged at her and my stern expression. (can't even manage to keep it stern for long as her antics...even chewing lightbulbs...make me laugh too much)


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Paddypaws said:


> (can't even manage to keep it stern for long as her antics...even chewing lightbulbs...make me laugh too much)


I have some photo frames, the aluminium type ones and they seem to have developed teeth marks on the corners


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## Iheartcats (Aug 25, 2011)

I usually clap my hand and use a stern voice. It normally causes them to scarper. I feel a bit guilty afterwards though afterall they are only cats! :001_wub:


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

I clap my hands... they both stop look at me like a piece of.... then carry on with what they're doing.

I shout "STOP" they both look at me like I'm a piece of .... then carry on.

I say "NO" sternly .. Romeo meows back in a tone that almost sounds like he's saying "YES".. Button looks at me like a piece of....

If I say "ROMEO" ... He totally ignores me

If I say "BUTTON" she puffs her cheeks out at me, brings her whiskers forward, flicks her tail and walks off.

Oh... I love my cats :001_wub:


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

Paddypaws said:


> Hmm, if you get any good answers i will be paying attention.
> Millie is _constantly_ finding naughty things to do, quite blatantly to attract my attention. As she is deaf I get little response from raising my voice to her, although she does actually respond to a finger wagged at her and my stern expression. (can't even manage to keep it stern for long as her antics...even chewing lightbulbs...make me laugh too much)


Picturing your "finger wagging and stern expression", sounds rather amusing


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

My head says what the hell are you doing now you little sod,but the words must get lost between head and mouth because what comes out is more along the lines of * Meeko be careful with that priceless vase,if you break it you might cut your paws * .
I just dont seem to be able to get cross with him  He has the knack of making me smile even when he is being a total pain,I think I am firmly under his paw


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Thank you so much for all the replies. Seems like I am doing the right thing, but Emi is just not one to listen lol.

Another thing she does is she growls when eating something she is enjoying so Ginge walks away. They have separate bowls and today, I fed them both and after 2 mins, Emi moved from her bowl to Ginges, growled and started eating it which meant Ginge walked away from her own meal. In the end I had to carry Ginge to Emi's bowl so she could eat. I hate that she is so obsessive with food. She does this with treats too and even growls if someone just goes near her when she is eating


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## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

I'm a firm believer of a stern NO and a clap of the hands ...... I normally have to use this when they are having their mad half hour and knocking over anything that gets in the way! Manny also, when being chased, jumps up on the dining room table ..... trouble is, it's glass under the table cloth, and he shoots across it at a rate of knots and ends up in a heap on the floor, along with the cloth and all the placemats 


When they hear me shout, they both stop in their tracks. I look at them both and say rather sternly 'lie down now!!' They both lay down immediately  





Trouble is, within 2 minutes, they look at each other as if to say 'yeah whatever' and rush off to start all over again  Why do I bother


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

Jenny1966 said:


> I'm a firm believer of a stern NO and a clap of the hands ...... I normally have to use this when they are having their mad half hour and knocking over anything that gets in the way! Manny also, when being chased, jumps up on the dining room table ..... trouble is, it's glass under the table cloth, and he shoots across it at a rate of knots and ends up in a heap on the floor, along with the cloth and all the placemats
> 
> When they hear me shout, they both stop in their tracks. I look at them both and say rather sternly 'lie down now!!' They both lay down immediately
> 
> Trouble is, within 2 minutes, they look at each other as if to say 'yeah whatever' and rush off to start all over again  Why do I bother


Gotta love em eh :001_wub: :001_wub: xx


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

Rolacolacube said:


> Another thing she does is she growls when eating something she is enjoying so Ginge walks away. They have separate bowls and today, I fed them both and after 2 mins, Emi moved from her bowl to Ginges, growled and started eating it which meant Ginge walked away from her own meal. In the end I had to carry Ginge to Emi's bowl so she could eat. I hate that she is so obsessive with food. She does this with treats too and even growls if someone just goes near her when she is eating


Button has started growling while she's eating since Romeo arrived.. Although It is Romeo that tries to steal Buttons food.. I now have to feed them and stand in the room until Button has finished eating.. Or Romeo will just push her out of the way.. And Button just moves out of his way!!

If I'm too busy to stand there while Button eats (She takes ages.. Romeo takes seconds) we put Button in our upstairs bathroom to eat.. so She has LOADS of time to eat while he scoffs his and tries to find her.

Romeo has a lot of issues with food though... he jumped through the flappy lid on our bin.. so I had to buy a different type of bin.. he pulls bits of food out of the plug hole.. tries to pounce on our plates while were eating ect.. :thumbdown:


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

auspiciousmind said:


> Button has started growling while she's eating since Romeo arrived.. Although It is Romeo that tries to steal Buttons food.. I now have to feed them and stand in the room until Button has finished eating.. Or Romeo will just push her out of the way.. And Button just moves out of his way!!
> 
> If I'm too busy to stand there while Button eats (She takes ages.. Romeo takes seconds) we put Button in our upstairs bathroom to eat.. so She has LOADS of time to eat while he scoffs his and tries to find her.
> 
> Romeo has a lot of issues with food though... he jumped through the flappy lid on our bin.. so I had to buy a different type of bin.. he pulls bits of food out of the plug hole.. tries to pounce on our plates while were eating ect.. :thumbdown:


Must admit, Emi is a thief with most things. The amount of things I find round the house that she has stolen is astonishing !!

The other day I gave them both some fresh meat and Emi left hers and literally stole Ginge's out of her mouth. Ginge being very graceful and ladylike, just lets her get away with it. I kind of wish Ginge would stick up for herself though bless her.

Maybe I do need to start seperating them when they are eating. Seems such a shame though....they were doing so well lol  :001_wub:


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## auspiciousmind (Sep 2, 2012)

Believe it or not the only thing Button will NOT let Romeo steal is Dreamies :laugh:

I've tried so many different things to try and get them to eat in the same room unsupervised without growling and Romeo trying to steal.. I really don't think if a cat is that food obsessed they will ever give up. We assumed when we got Romeo that the food obsession would slowly go away when he realized he was going to fed everyday as much as he needed.. but it never has gone away and it's never got any better.. not even a little bit.
Pate style food has SLOWED him down though.

As for stealing... I wake up with a dish sponge next to my face nearly every morning or the kitchen plug. He has this weird obsession with carrying things around lol.


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## Rolacolacube (Aug 21, 2012)

auspiciousmind said:


> Believe it or not the only thing Button will NOT let Romeo steal is Dreamies :laugh:
> 
> I've tried so many different things to try and get them to eat in the same room unsupervised without growling and Romeo trying to steal.. I really don't think if a cat is that food obsessed they will ever give up. We assumed when we got Romeo that the food obsession would slowly go away when he realized he was going to fed everyday as much as he needed.. but it never has gone away and it's never got any better.. not even a little bit.
> Pate style food has SLOWED him down though.
> ...


Emi literally steals anything - today she stole tweezers from the bathroom and the other day I came home to find a razor on the stairs :yikes: I have honestly no idea how she gets to any of it. I can hide stuff up to a certain point but she still finds a way. Considering she is only a bab, yesterday she managed to carry quite a heavy elephant ornament in her mouth from the living room to the bedroom....HOW ?! :yikes:


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## jonb (Nov 15, 2012)

I never knew you could tell cats off,ours just give you a look of distain when you shout at them!must be as we have/had 3 dogs here and they think you`re talking to `those daft dogs`


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

I treat my cats the same as my dog the same as young children, short sharp word "no", and move them to where they can do whatever they were trying to do but in the right place. If they are doing something I don't want them to do I offer them an alternative. Even if that means time out on my knee for some extra TLC.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

auspiciousmind said:


> > We assumed when we got Romeo that the food obsession would slowly go away when he realized he was going to fed everyday as much as he needed.. but it never has gone away and it's never got any better.. not even a little bit.
> > Pate style food has SLOWED him down though.
> 
> 
> ...


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## Sussexplumber (Oct 5, 2011)

chillminx said:


> auspiciousmind said:
> 
> 
> > They way to slow him down, as you have found, is to feed a food that is higher in meat content (animal protein) such as the pate types, as it takes longer to digest. Avoid giving him food with grains in, as they pass through the gut quickly and are not utilised fully by the cat, but leave him hungry again quickly.
> ...


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2012)

When telling Cuddles off I clap my hands and she looks at me and I point at her and say NO or NAUGHTY, and she then bites my finger or swipes at me (Not hard) and runs off.

I don't know if there is a way of telling a cat off properly as they are naturally mischievous.


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## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

When Mathias' paw is on something or somewhere I don't want him to be, I just simply say NO or NEIN (husband is German), sometimes with a bit of a finger wag and he listens. Sometimes, I play with him afterwards as a reward for being obedient. He'd even simply stop what he is doing and sit on my lap and purr, and that makes me feel so guilty!!! 

I used to have to clap really loudly or physically shove him away, but now I don't have to do that anymore. If he is play-biting or playing with my legs when he is on very active mode, I simple give his nose a little pat/nudge and he does not do it again. 

I think it's also putting yourself in a "top cat" state of mind and being firm. One of the breeders on here (carly87) suggested having a determined and firm disposition when giving him a bath for the first time, and it worked, no matter how much he hated/was scared of the water. It also helps that he is the only pet in the household, and I often subconsciously forget he is a cat, as I am used to dogs, growing up with a few of them at home. I get in this "pack leader" mode when I reprimand him with a firm NO, and miraculously, he listens.


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Hi all!
My Phoebe is nearly 4 months old and until quite recently she was a "golden girl"- really well behaved!
But in the last few weeks she's got moments of pure madness and I don't know how to deal with it...
She bites me, and I mean really bites me, like her life depended on it not in a playful way at all!
She can be laying on my lap, being stroked, purring and the next moment she attacks my hand :/
I can say "NO", "STOP IT", blow at her nose, slap her, push her off the sofa, she comes back jumping and attacking even more...
Please, don't tell me to play dead- it's not possible, she bites so hard I sometimes struggle to get her teeth off me with the other free hand 
When she get's annoyed with me pushing her off she even tries to jump to my face- teeth and claws at the ready!
Those attacks last about 30 secs probably and after that it's like she realizes she's done something very wrong, she comes back to me, licks me, cuddles up like she wants to apologize, but it happens 2-3 times a day, so she doesn't learn ...
HELP!


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## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> Hi all!
> My Phoebe is nearly 4 months old and until quite recently she was a "golden girl"- really well behaved!
> But in the last few weeks she's got moments of pure madness and I don't know how to deal with it...
> She bites me, and I mean really bites me, like her life depended on it not in a playful way at all!
> ...


What's her history like and what type of cat is she? At what age was she taken away from her mum and siblings? Her jumping on your face sounds extremely dangerous. Do you know what is triggering her mad moments at all? Perhaps she needs a lot more energy to expend daily. If you do not plan on bathing her, try the water bottle squirt method and a firm NO.


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

She's just a domestic tabby, got her from a friend so I know her mum <she was a little crazy when younger but seemed to grow out of it> don't know the dad.
I've got her when she was 9 weeks old <eating kitten food for few weeks by then and litter trained> and she knew me before so it wasn't as big shock as it could be. She settled in well, and was really well behaved until few weeks ago when her "crazy moments" started happening. I can't put a finger on what could cause it, nothing changed. And she can go from happy kitten to mad kitten in seconds, without any reason. I'm a bit lost because she is a good girl generally just those "moments" happen 2-3 times a day for 30 seconds or so and it's like completely different cat ...
Not sure if the water can help as Phoebe quite likes water- she's a bit weird- she likes the citrus smells as well


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Hi, This rang a bell with me: when one of my cats was a kitten she went through a phase of attacking me like she was possessed by the devil just for about 30s then reverting to her normal loving self. It was really weird and it really bothered me because she seemed so out of control and I was scared she might really hurt someone. She never did it to anyone else though, just me. I never got to the bottom of it because she just stopped doing it completely after a few weeks. It was strange though because she was literally like a different cat for those seconds, like she didn't know what she was doing herself. Is that what your kitten is like?


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## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

Joy84 said:


> She's just a domestic tabby, got her from a friend so I know her mum <she was a little crazy when younger but seemed to grow out of it> don't know the dad.
> I've got her when she was 9 weeks old <eating kitten food for few weeks by then and litter trained> and she knew me before so it wasn't as big shock as it could be. She settled in well, and was really well behaved until few weeks ago when her "crazy moments" started happening. I can't put a finger on what could cause it, nothing changed. And she can go from happy kitten to mad kitten in seconds, without any reason. I'm a bit lost because she is a good girl generally just those "moments" happen 2-3 times a day for 30 seconds or so and it's like completely different cat ...
> Not sure if the water can help as Phoebe quite likes water- she's a bit weird- she likes the citrus smells as well


I think your little one still needs some training on "how to be a cat/kitten" as she seems to have been taken too young from her mother at 9 weeks? They say they kittens ideally should be going to their new homes only at 12 weeks of age. I wonder if she is trying to play rough with you? Another explanation could be she is trying to establish dominance over you (I've seen people on other forums with similar experience to you). People have various solutions for this, but it seems for now, try the gentlest solution with a firm NO, standing up and leaving the room.

Some people's solutions I have read online that seem to have worked is establishing their dominance as the top cat in the house (hissing and growling back or even giving a prod on the face, or holding them down), OR grabbing them by the scruff of the neck and saying NO! (like what their mothers would have done if they misbehaved). I am not saying you should do this but these are the other methods I've seen around that people have done to stop the cat's random aggressive behaviour towards them.

The problem with these types of approach, is that your kitten might be afraid of you instead, but I believe they will be afraid of you anyway if you do things they might be uncomfortable with, such as bathing them, subjecting them to a hair drier, and even grooming which some cats don't like, but I've taken my chances with Mathias and subjected him to a bath, using babywipes on his bum, the hair drier, draping him across my neck, holding him upside down (his fault!), grooming him with a furminator, and so far he still insists on sleeping on my lap, I doubt very much he is afraid of me (maybe he is but it does not stop him from cuddling, perhaps he just sees me as the dominant cat in the house, you know the one who don't bother covering their trails in the litter box.).

You might want to mention it to the vets as well, because it could also be psychological, but fingers cross it's not and she'll learn not to do it/will grow out of it.


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Tao2- yes, it's exactly like that!
Like she's possessed by devil during that mad moment, and when it ends even she can't believe this has happened and it was her who's done that 
That's why, I think, she comes back to me cuddling and licking me, as if she wants to apologize ...
It's really strange, I'm hoping it's just a phase and it'll pass soon like it was with yours 

Alessa, thanks for your reply!
I read that it's good to take kittens away from their mother at 12 weeks, but generally the opinion is 8 weeks is enough if they eat on their own.
My friend had 6 kittens so I can't really blame her, that she wanted to shift some of the responsibility sooner rather than later :001_tongue:
Also, Phoebe's only brother and one of her sisters where taken by my friends so I know everything about them and they don't have this problem <I don't know about the other three girls- maybe they're mad as well :001_tongue: >.
Since I took Phoebe she settled in well, was behaving very good and I would say treated me as her new mum.
She's very attached to me, sleeps on me, follows me around the flat, doesn't like to be left in another room when I'm home <but she's ok when I go to work>, she even goes to the bathroom with me- sleeps on the laundry basket while I take a bath 
Maybe I need to stop treating her like my little baby- maybe it's the "terrible two's" phase :001_tongue:
Grabbing her by neck helps for a while- she goes very still- but as soon as I put her on the floor she's launching the attack again 
I'll try leaving the room, maybe that will teach her something, as she hates to be left behind ...
Will let you know how it goes 
Thanks!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Joy84 said:


> I read that it's good to take kittens away from their mother at 12 weeks, but generally the opinion is 8 weeks is enough if they eat on their own.
> My friend had 6 kittens so I can't really blame her, that she wanted to shift some of the responsibility sooner rather than later *Grabbing her by neck helps for a while- she goes very still- but as soon as I put her on the floor she's launching the attack again *
> I'll try leaving the room, maybe that will teach her something, as she hates to be left behind ...
> Will let you know how it goes
> Thanks!


I was where you are 2 years ago.My Ragdoll kitten was a nightmare,He was taken away from his mum and litter mates too early although I didnt know it then.
The 12 week recommendation is not just to ensure they are eating and using the litter tray,it is the time when mum teaches manners,we as humans are just not as good as furmum is.
Please dont scruff your kitten,this will only re-inforce the play aggression she is displaying.
After trying all sorts of "cures" I finally had to get the help of Pet Behaviourist this is where I discovered all the well meaning advice,of squirting with water,squealing,scruffing infact anything physical was just making matters worse.
He was diagnosed as having predatory play aggression and the advice I was given was to ignore him when he attacked,let my arm go limp then when he stopped,walk away and leave the room.Any reaction would be seen as me "joining in"so ,hard as it was to ignore a 4/5month kitten sinking his teeth in it worked. 
Once he realised there would be no reaction to his attacks the fun went out of it for him and slowly I was able to distract him with toys when he tried to attack.It wasnt a quick fix and even yet he still cant help himself having a bite or playing a bit rough but now he has realised there are boundaries and he never draws blood.
She will get better,but it will take a bit of work on both sides,good luck it is worth it.


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Thanks buffie!
I don't like the physical punishments and don't think they work/help much.
I'll be trying to leave the room every time she attack and see if it will change something.
We'll keep you posted


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Hi all!

I have to share this with you!
It's been only two day since I last posted here, but the situation has improved :biggrin:
Not saying that Phoebe doesn't bite anymore, she does, but it's not like her life depended on it anymore.
She reacts to me saying "PHOEBE, NO!" <it only stops her for a while, but it's an improvement anyway!> and if I then leave a room or put her in a hall, she calms down, cries a bit <as I said before, she hates to be in another room when I'm home> and by the time I come back or let her back in she forgets all about the biting and just wants cuddles or play :biggrin:
Hope it'll only get better from now on!


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Sounds like you are making some progress  Getting her attention when she bites is a big step,try to distract her with a wand toy or have some small toys in a pocket to throw to distract her when she stops biting.If it is possible,it would be best if instead of you picking her up and putting her out the room,_you_ leave the room and close the door,that way she has had no physical reaction from you to her biting.Good luck and please keep us updated


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Thanks Buffie!

I do it both ways either I leave the room or put her out- it seems to work 
It's the distraction she needs and the mad moment passes!
Will keep you posted.


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Glad to hear there has been progress made as it is horrible and very hard to ignore. I was thinking that my cat had some severe mental problems when she was doing it!


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## Joy84 (Nov 21, 2012)

Yes, same here Tao2!
I was wondering if cats can be bipolar 
I was really worried, but it's getting better, so all is well


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## koekemakranka (Aug 2, 2010)

The food obsession will probably go away, although it can take up to 2 years. So be patient. It may be best to separate them while eating in any case, as it can't be nice to eat under stress. Proximity to another cat may lead to wolfing of food. The growling is also a sign of stress. 
For mine, a firm "no" or "hey" using their name is usually sufficient. Luckily they are all adults now and there is much less destructive behaviour. Toilet rolls, newspapers and socks are still not safe, and there are occasional breaking and enterings of the catnip cupboard, but they no longer steal food.


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## Fluffymum (Apr 7, 2012)

We say no firmly and clap our hands if say a fight gets out of hand or they are in danger, we do have a spray bottle of water for climbing on the kitchen work tops, a quick spray after a warning and they get down rather quickly, they still go up there though but its when they are hungry or want to go out they basically communicate by being right in your face and staring at you from random places, if we say 'shhht' at them they also get down as it sounds like the spray bottle.
I did try once putting them out of the room but I dont think they get it, they just arent in the same communication/behaviour world as us and what seems 'naughty' to us is normal behaviour to them :bored: although there of course has to be boundaries i.e. if you dont like the scratched up sofa look 

I dont think they need much behaviour management though, not like dogs, that's just horrendous lol


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## porps (Jun 23, 2011)

i sometimes hiss at them if they're fighting and they will often scarper when i do... one will perhaps go under the desk and the other will run behind the settee and then resume their fighting when they meet on the other side of the room...

I do say "No" too, but thats more because i'm use dto having dogs, not because i think the cats pay any attention to it.

Rumble especially just does his own thing, theres no point trying to discipline him, he gets angry quite easily. Better to distract him with feather dangly toy since he's the main cause of all mischief/fighting


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