Determined, misbehaving cat

[divinedi]

My oldest daughter(23), who will be finished school in a week, is moving home and bringing her 9 month Siamese cat with her. He visits weekends when she comes home to visit, and although he(neutered) can be a sweetheart, he is the most determined, 'I'll do what I want when I want', cat that I have ever met :thedolls:. During the day when we are home it is manageable, spray water bottle works great, just the sound gets him to move, he doesn't have to be hit by the water(it only deters him briefly though)......but at night, or when we are all out of the house, we can't leave him alone. So far, when she's visited, the cat stays in the bathroom, yes the one that most everyone uses (I have an ensuite, thankfully :blush:), and he's fine with it, but his litter box is in there too :sick:. Once he moves in I want the litter box downstairs somewhere, but there is nowhere down there to lock him in.........does anyone have any suggestions? I've thought about a big crate, that we could put a small litterbox in, we crate our dogs......has anyone ever done this, how do cats take to something like that? As I speak now he has gotten on the kitchen counter, is standing on my electric kettle with his back feet and trying to get into the cupboards:(. He can open drawers, cupboards, rips open any bags of food that he wants, will climb on pretty much anything!! Help!!!

[rainbodragon]

if hes ok with the bathroom, i think he would be fine with a large crate. they make ones with different levels for cats which gives more room. just watch if you use a dog crate that his little noggin doesnt fit through. those flat little siamese heads can fit anywhere! :thumbsup:

[DizneyRox]

Not a cat person for many of the reasons you wrote about, but there are many many others...

Good luck...

[MNNHFLTX]

Do you have a separate laundry room? That's where we've always "secluded" our cats at night. The litter box, dishes and beds are in there (although the cats always seem to prefer the laundry baskets instead of the beds).

I'm sure that you could use a crate for a similar purpose, but I would make sure that it's big enough so that the litter box is at least a couple of feet away from his bed or food and water. And you might want to put the crate in a room where there are people, like a bedroom, so that he doesn't get lonely.

[Mousefever]

I wish I had any suggestions, but we also have a strong-willed cat. We tried squirting her with a water bottle, but she seemed to enjoy it. So we mixed some vinegar in with the water. It hasn't made a difference. Now we just grab her and put her back on the floor. Let me know if you find something that works consistently!

Amy

[kakn7294]

They do make and sell crates for cats and they do work well for many people. I've often threatened to put mine in one too. :D As a previous poster suggested, just make sure that he can't fit his head between the bars and get stuck. My MIL used to put her cat in their basement at night and he did well with that. Good luck! I know your pain - I've got a mischievous one too. Right now, she's investigating the box of my new work uniforms - it happens to be on the kitchen table.

[divinedi]

Thanks everyone!

Amy - the spray bottle does work well for him, so during the day when we're around, that's fine for us, sorry it doesn't work for you!

MNNHFLTX -we do have a separate laundry room, in the basement, but the way the heat works in my house, winter time I have to have the door open all the time or it would get no heat, and my water pipes would bust, but that was certainly a thought!

Thanks, Rainbodragon, I`ll make sure to keep that in mind if we do go the crate route, it hadn't yet occurred to me about their little heads! And as misbehaved as he is, if we start getting ready for bed, he'll go in the bathroom and curl up in his little bed in there, all on his own, go figure!!

He is currently alseep on the top of the couch, beside my one year old mini-dachshund cross, our 10 yr old mini-poodle is alseep on the arm beside them. The young ones get along really well and play lots, which wears the cat out some thankfully, he's a lot worse at my daughters apt. apparently.

Keep them coming, thank you :rocks:

[dnickels]

Daughter gets job, finds her own apartment, takes cat with her. :thumbsup:

In all seriousness though I've found that a well maintained (as in cleaned at least daily) litterbox goes a long way. I don't have cats, but I had a girlfriend who had three (and two rabbits) in a small house and you would never know it if you walked into the place -couldn't smell a thing- because she cleaned it out all the time.

In contrast I once had a roommate with one cat in a similar sized place and the entire house just absolutely wreaked of cat poop. He was horrible at cleaning the thing out.

I'd have a good heart to heart with your daughter and say that you expect the litterbox to be cleaned/scooped at least once a day.

[DVC2004]

Sounds ornery! The only thing I can say about the crate- we put mine in a crate when our house was for sale, only when people came to look at our house. Mostly it was so he wouldn't sneak outside while they opened the doors and run away. It was large enough for a small litter box, him and his food/water dishes. It was a pretty good size. At most he'd be confined for an hour. He would get so mad he would flip his food and water dish and go number one. I guess he was telling us!:thedolls: I only share this because your daughters sounds like he probably also won't be content in a crate. But hey, you can always try and see how it works. Good luck. I wish I had some good ideas for you!

[divinedi]

dnickels - lol - that's our first choice and yes we are working on that, first job interview tomorrow!! And cat will definitely go with her when she does get her own place, just trying to help out for the time being....lots of debt going to school!

DVC2004 - I'm a little worried about that too, she crates him in the car when she drives, it's just a small one that he fits in and only for the drive, but he CRIES the whole time, and I don't know if that's because he's in the car, or the crate, or a combination of both. He will go in one of the dogs crates and sleep when he's here, but that's his choice and he knows he can get out whenever he wants to.

[Dznygrl79]

There is a company called doctors foster and smith, they sell a multi level crate that is wonderful (we use it during quarentine periods at the local humane)! Some cats, especially siamese, are curious enough to make up for a room full. Cats tend to act nocturnally as well so the crate at night is gonna be an adjustment for him.
Since its her cat can she stand to keep him in her room when he needs to be secluded? Good Luck!

[MegaDisney]

We crate both our cats when we are not home and at night.

My male goes in voluntarily. My Female has to be placed in the kennel.

I don't have litter in the kennels, they are out enough that they don't need them.

[Jeri Lynn]

I don't have any suggestions but I think you should use a nanny cam and video this feline in action!! I bet it would be a riot to watch!!:blush:

[divinedi]

Very good idea Jeri Lynn, I hadn't thought about that!!! America's Funniest Home Videos here we come! :mickey:

[mixelate]

This is said cats mommy.. :mickey:

Sadly Wybie ( the cat's name ) and I have disagreements when he stays in my room at night. He is super cute and sleeps curled up beside me until the middle of the night then proceeds to hop on my head and cry like only Siamese are capable of.

The crate thing is a good idea, I am just not sure how impressed he would be. Worth a try! And as for moving out.... that is the plan, but school debt makes life that much harder. Thanks for the suggestions!

[pianobabe]

I was sitting here reading the thread thinking how awful it must be to have a problem with your cat when mine are so well behaved. I had Tinker in here just curled up and relaxing. Mickey was taking his front paws and gently patting "massaging" my back. I was thinking this is great. Until Mickey decided I was a tree and decided to climb up my back with his claws out and everything. Now I am thinking the crate idea is a good one!!!

[divinedi]

Ouch!!! This reminds me of something a friend of mine said.....that if it weren't for that fact that domestic cats are too small, they would eat us!!! plus we feed them, keeps them at bay for a little while!

Yes, it's amazing how sweet they can look and be, and seemingly turn on a dime....hope your back is okay pianobabe! :)

[pianobabe]

Ouch!!! This reminds me of something a friend of mine said.....that if it weren't for that fact that domestic cats are too small, they would eat us!!! plus we feed them, keeps them at bay for a little while!

Yes, it's amazing how sweet they can look and be, and seemingly turn on a dime....hope your back is okay pianobabe! :)

Thanks! I have some claw marks, but they will heal.

Cats...you gotta love 'em!:cat:

[MegaDisney]

Mickey was taking his front paws and gently patting "massaging" my back. I was thinking this is great. Until Mickey decided I was a tree and decided to climb up my back with his claws out and everything. Now I am thinking the crate idea is a good one!!!

I have had that happen a couple of times.

Just the other day the dogs were chasing Feebie and she jumped up on the back of the chair, using her claws buried in my palm to pull herself up! That REALLY hurt!

I love my cats! My Partner on the other hand...

[Dizneyana]

Daughter gets job, finds her own apartment, takes cat with her. :thumbsup:

This idea sounds the best to me!! :laughing:

The keeping the litterbox clean thing is key...

I just got a new 2 year old and I am going to have to baby proof ALL the cupboards (including the medicine chests) because she is into everything... :thedolls:

She also prefers to drink from everything except her water bowl ( fish bowls, where she crams her head into it as far as ahe can to score water, and my bamboo plant.) :sick:

Constant discipline has worked well with mine, but I am with her A LOT. This might not work if you are gone. The squirt bottle is also a good deterrent in most cases...

Good luck with the new baby.... :thedolls:

[mixelate]

Although I appreciate everyone's tips.... telling me to move out with the cat only avoids the problem for my mother.. and I would have to repost asking the same question over again once I moved! lol.

I have always been a dog person, and trying to "discipline" a cat beyond removing them from the situation is beyond me!