spray bottle is not working...my cat is driving me crazy....can you help?

First, I totally agree with the person who said that if your cat isn't spayed that might be part of the problem... our cat calmed down quite a bit after she was spayed. Second, our cats love the cardboard scratchers that look like a ramp. They stopped scratching on most of the other items in our house when we got one of them, especially if we put fresh catnip on the ramp... they love it. (You do have to replace the inner cardboard ramp about every six months or so, but it is a lot cheaper than replacing furniture.) Third, we tried the water bottle, and it just turned into a fun game for our kitten... exactly like the game you described with your cat. Therefore, I found that it works much better to simply get up and remove her from whatever she is doing and scold her. Yes, she does think that this is a game and tries to escape before I can get to her, but I tend to catch her more often... while she is in the act... and therefore, I can discipline her more thoroughly. I have found that sometimes the best punishment is if I simply hold her until she calms down. Also, I would suggest that you try placing a few new toys in the house every month or two. My cats easily tire of their old toys, and they love to play with the new ones. They don't have to be expensive either... my cats love a wadded up ball of tin foil to chase or the milk rings that come off of the gallon sized milk jugs... and pheasant feathers make great toys for a game of chase. Therefore, if you have already tried these ideas, then the only other advice I can give you is to have patience and give your cat time to mature and calm down... unfortunately, with some cats that I have had... this may be a few years. Hopefully, though, your cat won't take that long... either way, good luck with your cat and try to give her the time that she needs to become a wonderful pet.

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What you need to figure out what to do is how to lay down the law and let her know who is in charge. You could try using something like special sticky tape around surfaces that kitty shouldn't be messing with. Or, the safest way to stop an indoor cat from shredding the furniture - besides a nice scratching post - would be a 2-paw declaw (simple procedure done under anesthesia). How about a nice kitty "playstation" - like different boxes at different levels to hide in? Although it sounds cruel, DON'T give kitty attention all of the time; she thinks that "Hey, if I mess with Mom's things, she'll give me attention!". As for the nighttime visits... the best thing to do is gently shove her off the bed ... and if that doesn't work, simply close the door and don't let her in unless she settles down. She thinks she's the boss. As for biting your hands ... be aware of your kitty's body language and don't encourage her to play roughly.

I have a 7month old kitten and thankfully I don't have those problems, but it might be because since I brought her home she has spent nights and when i'm not home in the bathroom. In there she has her litter box, food, water, toys, her bed, and nothing to get into. This works! Try keeping ur kitty in a small space when ur not around. When ur home play with her. Give her some treats before bedtime (try to keep it about the same time everyday) and see how she does with that. Remember that kitty's love to get into stuff. This may be her way of telling you that she needs more attention.

Eventually, your cat will get you trained. I have one who digs cotton swabs out of the bathroom waste baskets. Of all the toys provided, she likes them best. There is a toy that you can get a most pet stores. It is a large circular thing with a track that has a ball in it. They can hit that ball endlessly, and it stays in the track. My cats find it very amusing. The center of the thing has a space for a corrigated cardboard insert that is great for clawing. You just slip some catnip beneath the insert and they claw away trying to get at the catnip. You can buy replacement inserts because they do get worn out. My husband and I use insulated mugs with lids and a space for a straw for our soft drinks. They can get knocked over and not leak out the contents. A big part of having a cat as a pet is adapting to the pet. I had a spray bottle once and woke up in the morning to find it punctured and dented. The cat it was intended to train decided to destroy my weapon. It might not hurt to get him a friend to occupy him during the night. Cats are naturally nocturnal and we are not.

Be patient...training takes time. Keep using the water bottle. If she is clawing the furniture, you may want to consider declawing...at least the front paws. Or you can buy little plastic nail covers at the pet supply store that will prevent kitty from scratching everything up. Trim her nails with a pet anil clipper too.

don't forget to use your voice. Tone of voice does wonders. My 2 cats KNOW when they are introuble. I raise the vaolume of my voice, and lower the tone to scold them. Just say simple things like NO and DOWN.

Again, be patient. It takes some time.

I must say that I feel your pain. I have a six month old fixed male cat. He absolutely loves water. He will sit there and take the watergun. Every morning when I brush my teeth, he sits in the sink and splashes the running water onto his neck. Wierd, he hates baths though.....

I have tried the rolled up newspapers. It did not work. I tried many things. I finally found that my cat hates to be brushed. So everytime he did something bad, I pulled out the brush, held him down and brushed him. Now if he sees the brush, he immediately stops what he's doing.

When the cat is bad in the middle of the night, get up and shut the door, locking her out of the room. when she scratches and meows and whines, DON'T LET HER IN. wait until she calms down, then let her in. Cats love it when you get up to pet them, chase them with squirt guns, even picking them up to put them in captivity is enough satisfaction. Only reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior. don't flick, slap, or rattle your cat unless you want her to turn mean. if she's being really bad, just touch her nose while saying a firm NO. She'll get the picture. but you have to be consistent and not bend the rules.

I know exactly how you feel. My cat Leo likes to get into EVERYTHING! He'll attack anything that moves, including me. He'll sit in the hallway until I round the corner just so he can attack my legs. The worst part is, he knows that he shouldn't be doing those things, and runs off before I can catch him. He drives me insane! Fortunately, he's a kitten, so he should grow out of it. Your cat will probably end up growing out of it too as she gets older.

Just wait til you have kids! If she isn't spayed it could be some of it, they really do think they are are family so its normal for some cats to be too affectionate, I'd say get another kitten so that they can play with each other but even tough it will give you a break they will still make messes. Good luck