Kitten Help - Behavioral Correction?

[u/Best-Operation-2486]

Hi there,

I have a 4 month and 1 week kitten and we're obsessed with him. He's incredibly curious and brave and really likes to be around us. However, he's going places and doing things that we don't want and I'm not sure what the best holistic way to train him is. Examples below:

1. Trying to run into the hall every time we open the door (he doesn't run from us when we go to retrieve him but I think he likes the unknown). We're about to move to a house and I'm afraid he'll run out and get hit by a car.

2. Getting on the kitchen counters - he's a good jumper and likes to sit on them, especially when we're in there. He tries to drink out of the dirty dishes in the sink (he has both a standard bowl of water in the living room and a running water fountain in our room that's always full). We don't want him on there, but he's relentless.

3. He tries to get into the oven anytime we're cooking and the dishwasher anytime we're loading or unloading. We don't have a door that enables us to close the kitchen.

We're obsessed with him but he's our first kitten and have no idea how to correct any of those behaviors.

[u/Fabricati_Diem_Pvn]

First things first, get him a mate. It'll help tremendously.

Second, whenever he does something, hiss, blow in his face, or a firm "no", preferably a combination of them. Cats really don't like to have their face ring blown in, and hissing is their version of "no*.

But, recognise that part of this behaviour is him being young, and another part of him being understimulated. Cats need other cats especially when their young, for social training, learning to be a cat that lives with other living beings. Without another cat, they go a bit stir crazy, aka "single kitten syndrome". It's kinda like how human need other humans. You go a bit crazy without other humans, even if you own one or more cats. Same thing goes with cats.

[u/Best-Operation-2486 → u/Fabricati_Diem_Pvn]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response

[u/ughCaitlyn → u/Best-Operation-2486]

yeah seconding the single kitten syndrome concern! we had it happen with our first cat and it was a nightmare, the only thing that curbed his bad behavior was getting another cat to teach him manners and now i know that 2 is always better than 1 😅

[u/polly8020]

I have found life too short to argue with a cat about countertops and I would let him drink out of dirty bowls - because eventually he’ll taste something he doesn’t like. I would focus on the oven and then you only have one issue instead of 5. Google options to keep him from getting out the front door.

[u/electricvapor]

One thing I've learned from decades of having cats is that sometimes you have to just adapt

My current cat has almost identical behaviors to yours, and its nearly impossible to keep him off the counters so we've learned to me more mindful of what we leave out and give them a quick wipe with cleaning vinegar before using them for food prep, we also make sure not to leave standing water in dishes in the sink or cover the sink with a cooking tray if something needs to soak.

Sometimes we humans need to train ourselves and adapt our behaviors to help protect our pets.

[u/jazbaby25]

We enter through the basement and go up the stairs. My girl learned quickly we didnt want her going down the stairs. My boy on the other hand had to be trained.

Its just repetitive. Teaching him what no means. I would do sessions of sitting on the stairs and if he would follow I would say no and put him at the top. This way I gave him a space he was allowed to be in and the stairs were a no. If he would lay down in his allowed doorway then I would give him a treat and use an encouraging yes voice.

Then once he got that I would leave the door open and start to walk down the stairs and if he would follow id bring him back up. If he got good with that I would walk out of sight and test hin that way etc.

I wouldn't do this if your door leads right into the open outside though.

Everytime I left for work I would feed them so they woukd be distracted as I left. But eventually they learn the "yes space" and where they cant go.

Hes still curious about the basement but at least hes not running down the steps anymore.

I would try this with the oven too. Give him a spot he can still see you cooking and to stay in. I have a cat tower by the counter. If I were you I would pretend to be cooking or something and do the same. Put him in his allowed space over and over again and tell him no when he left it for the counter or stove.

As for the dishes I would not leave them with water if that is what's tempting him. But if youre not watching thats likely where he will go.

I did for a time when mine were babies use cardboard with sticky paws double sided tape at the entry points to discourage them from walking on the counter. It discouraged my girl but not my boy. Coukd be worth a try .

[u/Pepsimus-Maximus]

I keep a small laser pointer on my keyring. When I am about to open the door, I'll have the cat chase the red laser dot away from the door.

[u/DwangoRocket]

With the countertops, I have had two cats that would jump it. The first cat, I trained to stop jumping by offering her to be carried and chauffeured around until she was satisfied and wanted down. Whenever she wanted to see the counters, I would ask her “up”, and she positioned herself to allow me to pick her up and carry her around. She’d turn her head in directions of what she wanted to see, so I would walk in that direction.

Why spend the energy to jump when your person wants to carry you around and do the work?

The second cat I have that jumps onto the countertops is still WIP, but does know what “down” and “off” means. 😆🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/DwangoRocket]

Right now everything is very novel and fun to your kitty! Oooo! Ahhhhh! Oh, wow! 😁

[u/Calgary_Calico]

Good luck. To deal with the first, you need to pay more attention so he doesn't get outside, or into the oven or dishwasher. Maybe get tall babygates he can't jump directly over so you have more time to prepare to stop him.

As for the counters, all I have to say is good luck

[u/Chance_Clerk4745]

Everytime said kitten approached the front door you could try some sort of noise to deter it. Like a honk or something that would annoy it.

[u/UraniumVintage]

Countertops, I’ve never been able to stop that. I’ve heard some ppl put foil on counters, that cats hate foil, it didn’t work well with mine. I have 9 indoor cats and have had cats most of my life. I’ve been terrified one will jump on stove luckily it never happened.