The Way of Cats

Why do cats mess with our stuff? There are many reasons.

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Terraformers? What do I mean?

Cats are used to not only patrolling their territory, but participating in it. They rearrange things to suit them better. They want a clearer shot at an ambush, or to close off an escape route. This is why cats love to manipulate objects. They want to know what they can do with them.

Since this is a survival skill they must practice, we can’t expect cats to just leave everything alone. If we have a cat who is manually inclined, we must supply them with plenty of things to play with. If they are playing with our stuff because they are bored, it’s even more important they have toys they like.

We don’t have to stay with traditional cat toys, either. Old electrical equipment with knobs and switches can fascinate the lively Alpha, while Gammas love the subtle play of lights and shadow from a plastic snow globe. Even if what they want is not safe or playable, we should try to come up with a substitute which is.

If we see the cat playing where they shouldn’t, we should distract them with one of their toys, and make a fuss over them showing an interest. We should show an interest in it ourselves, demonstrating how it could be played with. Hopefully, the cat will see grave errors in our technique, and be eager to show us the right way to play with the toy.

If the cat specializes in playing with our stuff while we are gone, we might have to use cat traps. But we shouldn’t be unreasonable. Anything fragile or special to us should be moved to a safer place. The cat can be insistent about having vantage point or a place near us, and these impulses need to be respected.

We have arranged our place to suit us, and cats have the same desire to create spaces where they are comfortable and secure. The cat might be communicating this wish to us, so we can help them out.

After all, we both live here. By recognizing our needs, and the cat’s, we can live there happily, together.

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There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.

How easy it is for us to get the cat to leave certain things alone is greatly dependent on what type of cat we are dealing with. The gentle Gamma is likely to abandon the cables behind the entertainment center when we draw a deep breath, while the determined Alpha will simply not do whatever it is while we are there, since it upsets us so. However, if we aren’t there to be upset by it, why not?

It also depends on the age of the cat. Kittens, with their short attention spans and capability to hold only one thought in their head at a time, need repeated discipline efforts, while older and calmer cats will be more considerate and more capable of understanding our preferences.

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The first step in any cat deterrent effort must be redirecting. If we find the cat messing with something they shouldn’t, we should think first of what we can substitute. It has to be a good substitute. Something that does not fulfill the need the cat is expressing will not appeal, anymore than a hard, dust-flavored, granola bar is an adequate substitute for a Krispy Kreme donut. In either case, it just doesn’t work.

Remember, the cat needs to have something to wrestle with. The cat needs something to scratch on. The cat needs to look out the window.

It’s not possible to change the cat’s needs.

However, there are things and places the cat simply should not be allowed to mess with, for their own safety. Electrical cords, kitchen counters, and the toilet paper are all items we want left in their original condition, and these do not fulfill the cat’s needs as well as toys and safe spots we make for them. If the cat has good substitutes, and needs to know this item or place is off limits, AND the cat has proved resistant to redirecting, it’s time to step up our efforts.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of getting the cat’s attention without yelling at them. They can be so absorbed in their illegal behavior they do not notice us. A clicker or clangy bell can be used to instantly get the cat’s attention so they can concentrate on our words. If that’s not enough, we can show our disapproval with a spray bottle or, in delicate areas, one of those cans of air that are used to clean electrical equipment.

This is a tool, and like all tools, should be used with restraint and wisdom. Just blasting the cat whenever they venture near something will create a stressed cat who will be driven to misbehave all the more. This is a last resort and should be treated as such.

The Magic of the Bottle or Can is that it is not connected with us. If we take direct action with the cat involving hitting, yelling, or throwing something at them, it will no longer be about whatever they are doing. It will be about us. It will be about the way we have suddenly become a terrifying giant who has unpredictably gone crazy.

There is no way the cat will connect what they are doing with how we have behaved. Because they are no longer thinking about what they are doing. They are thinking about getting away from us.

Punitive, physical methods always backfire. It only makes the cat afraid of us.

The Blaster of our choice lets the cat decide that when they do that, poor consequences follow. Then they make up their own mind to leave whatever it is, alone. This is how we counter the “But I want to!” with them deciding, “That’s no fun anymore.”

The Blaster works when we are on the scene. But what about when we are not? That’s when we have to get creative. We will come up with “cat traps.”

Cat traps are harmless booby traps that work without our presence.

If the cat is constantly jumping onto a high shelf or bookcase, an opened magazine, with half of it hanging down and half on the shelf, will not let them accomplish their goal. An empty plastic soda bottle balanced on the toilet paper will create a clattering alarm. Double-sided sticky tape on the edge of the couch will make the surface no good for scratching, and annoying enough to keep the cat off the counters.

A strip of cloth sprayed with orange or peppermint oil creates a scent cats dislike, and they will avoid the whole area, while we enjoy its freshening power. (It’s also why we should never use such strong smelling cleaners on their litter box!) Motion detector lights or alarms can be strategically placed to suddenly remind the cat, and get them to reconsider.

All of these cat traps can draw our attention to cat misbehavior if we are in another room, thus allowing us to come in and reinforce our reminder with some jolly “You are so busted!” ridicule, which the cat dislikes as much as the annoying or startling action of our cat trap.

Even if we are not around, the cat realizes they are not getting away with whatever it is. This takes the fun out of it. Once the cat decides the area or object is no longer so attractive, we can phase out our tricks. The memory will remain.

If we have a stubborn cat, or are simply not handy enough to come up with something ourselves, I have assembled a variety of Cat Training Aids, below, that might be just the ticket.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.