how Do i Set boundaries for my cat?

There are a number of products made that you can use to keep cats out of certain places in your house. Some home remedies work too. Try putting orange or cirtrus scented things or peels where you don't want your cat to go. Cats hate the smell of oranges. You can also get a water pistol or spray bottle, and squirt the cat when they go somewhere they are not supposed to, like on top of a kitchen counter or book shelf. This works best if the cat doesn't see you spray it. They learn to associate the unpleasantness of getting wet with the bad behavior, and learn to stop. You can also put balloons on top of places like tables and counter edges (tape the balloons down). When the cat lands on one and pops one, it will frighten the heck out of it initially, but eventually will learn not to go there. This works, I've tried it. You just have to put up with having balloons all over the place for awhile. You can also use lightweight noisy metal things on the counters that the cat will tip over when they land on them, such as an empty pie pan with bottle caps in it.

Ulitmately, some cats will only 'behave' when you are around, and will get into forbidden areas when you are not home, just like children. You just have to be persistant about training where is OK to go and where is not. It greatly helps if you buy your cat a climbing tower with lots of places to get up onto and hide inside of. They like to be way up high in things, and having a space all their own helps alot.

Some people say cats are not trainable, this is completely wrong! They CAN be trained, just not the same as a dog. Cats do not respond to physical punishment the way a dog does. If you strike or kick a cat for doing something they shouldn't, all it does is make the cat learn to not trust you anymore. So, you have to get creative about how to train them.

Good Luck!

When you're gone shut the door. That stops most cats, though I have seen one learn to turn door handles. When you're home, keep an eye on the cat, everytime it goes in the room tell it "Out" (just like with children if you overuse the word "no" they'll just ignore it completely, so it's best to have specific words for specific behaviors). The first few times, go chase the cat back out and tell it "out" so it learns the word. Then after a few times, tell it out and if it doesn't immediately respond, punish it. Punishments that work vary from cat to cat. DON'T hit it. Spray guns work for lots of people, but my cat just thinks it's fun to try to dodge the spray. Just figure out what annoys the cat and do it consistently everytime it enters the room (I had a cat that hated to be held and I would pick her up when she misbehaved--it worked like a charm).

Unfortunately cats are smart enough to know if you're not around, you can't punish them, so a door is your only hope when you're gone.

My husband and I have 2 cats and we trained them not to go into the kitchen. All you have to do is in a firm voice say "DON'T GO IN THERE !" or if he is already in there you would say "I TOLD YOU GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Be firm and repetitive. Remember cats are smart and can be trained just like dogs. We have ours trained and it only took a week and a half. They are like kids they still try to sneak around behind our backs and you might have to get on to him every now and again but just stay on him and he will learn. Our cats were cats when we taught them. So it might not take a kitten that long. Good Luck.....Stay Firm & Give Lots of Rewards for Good Behavior.

you can't stop a cat from going where it wants to go unless you put a door there without any holes it can go through. hence, the cat burglars!~^-^

try using a door.