Even when it is not.
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Cats have trouble gauging how well they will fit into something, especially since while this sense is developing, their size is constantly increasing. Their whiskers actually given them feedback about wide an opening is, and since cats have no collarbones, they can get into things we don’t expect.
I suspect this is best operated by long and lanky cats. Migration of cats to colder climates resulted in broader, bigger boned, bodies. But any cat can lose track of how their body behind those whiskers is developing.
At any size and any age, cats will be more likely to give it a try, than not. However, they do have a highly developed sense of where edges are that we can use to our advantage.
We spread out a washcloth for Olwyn on the computer desk. This shows her where she can be, and more importantly, where she cannot be. This is an easily washed and replaced boundary marker to help her understand. A cat’s keen grasp of territory is a help to us when we are training.
When we train a cat with boundary clues, we have created a situation that is easier for the cat to both understand, and to follow.
Yes, Olwyn will probably outgrow the washcloth. But even when we take it away, she has formed other cues in her memory now that she knows what to look for. This will keep her out of the wires and away from the mouse.
If a cat is getting into trouble while we are sitting in the same room, this is not a defiant or stupid cat. This is a cat who wants to hang out with us, but doesn’t know, literally, where they might fit in.
Creating a space for them, within petting distance if they want, is the best way to show the cat where they will be welcome to hang out with us. It can be as simple as a cardboard box with a towel in it, or a shelf just for them with carpet on it. It will make them feel special, and keep them out of trouble.
If they continue to play with things they aren’t supposed to, put them in their spot. If they persist, show them out.
By patiently and persistently showing the cat what they can have, and what they are not going to get, we will wind up with a cat who knows how to fit in with us as snugly as a glove fits our hand.
Over time, they will learn all the boundaries.
It’s what they are good at.
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