The toughest thing about raising a kitten is getting their attention. Well, that, and the fact that they are so cute we often can’t bear to discipline them. Until they exasperate us, and then we might overreact.

There is a better way to get our message across. We do this by letting them know we are looking out for them, and we are doing it because we care.

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So if the kitten is playing with the wires under the entertainment center, we get up and grab our heart. This switches the cat focus to us. What do we want to tell them? “Oh no,” we say sadly, and dramatically. “Don’t play with the wires. You could get electrocuted. You could get hurt and I would be sooooooo saaaaaaaaad. Play with this safe toy that only looks like snakes. Here’s a good toy.” And throw the toy.

You might think this is teaching the kitten that if they play with the wires, it will make us throw a toy for them. But that is not the reaction we will get, because we are shaping a different reaction. We are both warning the kitten away from the wires, and offering another action.

So, as training continues, the kitten is found playing with the wires again, we express our dismay and take the kitten out. “No, no, not the wires! The wires are dangerous.” The kitten remembers we didn’t mind if they played with their toy. If they go after one of their toys, we are ecstatic. “Yes, yes, that’s a good toy. That toy will not hurt you! You make me so happy.” If they don’t make the connection on their own, make it for them. “This toy. This toy is safe.”

Of course, this might not be enough. They might think we don’t want to see them playing with the wires. So they don’t let us see them.

So when we come home and the wires have been played with, we must show them that it’s the wires that are dangerous. Since we are dealing with electrical equipment, we can use a can that shoots air. For objects that can take it, we could use a spray bottle of plain water.

As we put the wires back together, we keep blasting them with air. It’s a brave kitten who will mess with the wires again, knowing, now, that those wires can unpredictably fight back.

Keep up a running dialogue. “Oh, you’ve been so lucky! Blast. Look what happens when I play with these wires! Blast. These wires are dangerous! Blast. Blast.”

Now the kitten can connect the object with a bad outcome. Getting blasted? Not for me.

Even if the kitten is not in the room, they are listening. They want to know. All cats are curious. Those blasts of air or water are now connected with the object. We are not.

Except in a good way; we warned them. We were trying to save them!

They will think more of our warnings in future.

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