Treating and Preventing Airborne Felines

[Antisocial_Worker]

For the longest time now, our two cats have made it a habit to jump on everything. We fixed some of the problem by putting down double-sided tape on the kitchen counters and the furniture in our dining room, and we were thus treated to the sight of the cats running around with the tape stuck to their fur. A few weeks of that seemed to take care of their predilection to jump up on those counters and that furniture.

Recently we've noticed something more alarming, though. Our cats have learned to leap up onto the fireplace mantle, where our big-screen TV, and a lot of high-dollar electronics are stored. We learned this by finding them perched up there, and also by finding claw marks in the fabric covering of our speakers.

This will not do, considering how that stuff up there cost several hundred dollars and cannot be easily replaced if some curious cat decides to poke around a little too vigorously.

So. What can we do to keep our cats from jumping up there. There really isn't room for tape, and besides, we're afraid that if we put tape up there, they'll jump, get stuck, panic, and end up dumping close to a thousand dollars of electronics to the floor.

While we're at it, can anyone suggest a way to keep cats from chewing on wires. They're fond of our keyboard for all the wrong reasons. We made a citrus spray that was supposed to work, but did not.

[MoonCat]

Get yourself a small squirt gun. Next time one of the cats is eyeing the mantel, BEFORE it jumps, squirt 'em in the butt or along the side. Not in the face, and not when they're in the process of jumping because if you startle them at the wrong time, they could fall and get hurt (not to mention knocking your expensive stuff off the mantel).

If you catch 'em before they actually jump, they'll start associating that idea with the unpleasantness of getting wet.

Unless they don't care. I had one cat who wasn't much bothered by getting squirted. Most of them hate it, though. It's worth a try.

Chewing on the wires: I'd suggest getting one of those tubes that you can wrap around the wires to conceal them. Also try redirecting: When you catch one starting to nom the wires, give the cat another yummy treat somewhere else away from the wires - something they can chew, like a good kitty toy or a (not too fatty) treat. They might be doing it to get your attention, so if you can interrupt what you're doing on the computer for a little while to play with the cat, that might help. Good luck!

[dalesys]

If cats would only read and believe cartoons...

[mathnerd]

Redirection, not punishment, is more likely to see long term, positive effects and happy cats.

So instead of just squirt bottles (which I hate, by the way), provide them a space where they actually *can* jump. If you live in a place where you can put holes in the walls, buy a bunch of display shelves and put them on the walls at heights that are attractive to the cats. Bonus points for putting up enough where the cats can circumnavigate an entire room without ever hitting the floor. When they get up on things they shouldn't, make a really loud noise (bells, cans filled with beans, etc), or just remove them. Put them up on the cat shelves so they know they're there. I also advise putting the shelves in places that are attractive to the cats. For example, I had a cat that loved to watch the front door, so I put one in a place where he could easily see it. Most cats like looking outside, so if you've got a wall that's in easy viewing distance of a window, that's good too. I also advise putting them at different heights, so they can jump from one to another without getting bored.

[Seanette]

Get yourself a small squirt gun. Next time one of the cats is eyeing the mantel, BEFORE it jumps, squirt 'em in the butt or along the side. Not in the face, and not when they're in the process of jumping because if you startle them at the wrong time, they could fall and get hurt (not to mention knocking your expensive stuff off the mantel).

With my (lack of) aim, I'd worry about soaking the electronics.

Compressed air cans make effective kitty-scolding tools, IME.

[Crossbow]

My friend's mom had a problem with her cats jumping on the counter. Her solution was to line the counter with empty soda cans. The noise when they knocked them down was enough to discourage the jumping.

Of course, it also means you might have 3 AM heart attacks when they trigger the "alarm"...

[dalesys]

Hologram shelves?

(visualizes cat looking extremely disgruntled and dignified after landing on The Shelf That Isn't There...)

(Laugh and never be forgiven... until the canopener starts)

[taxguykarl]

If cats would only read and believe cartoons...

Or this one.

[Seshat]

For the cables, I've heard a recommendation for rabbit owners about putting the cables in PVC tubes.

Check sites like http://bunnyproof.com/how-to-rabbit-...g-cables-wires

[Food Lady]

Or this one.

thankyouthankyouthankyou I am now a fan.

[BlaqueKatt]

if you can figure out where they're jumping from this may help. Tinfoil is another possible deterrent, or the "spike pads" used to keep them off furniture placed in the "launch zone" may also work.

[Cia]

For cats that chew on wires use a product called Bitter Apple. One lick and kitty will be spitting the bad taste out. The only thing that worked on 'Rettie Poo's need to chew on electrical cords.

[Kittish]

The easiest and quickest way to keep your cats from jumping up where you don't want them to be is to give them a comfy and attractive place where they CAN go up, and then gently and firmly redirect them when they try to go up where they aren't supposed to. Putting up shelves on the wall (if you can, and make sure they're sturdy enough to support two or more cats), and/or getting a tall cat tree are good ideas. In the case of a cat tree, I'd also suggest weighing it down with one or two bags of small gravel. Two 50 pound bags on the base of our almost 6 foot tall tree, and still the cats set the thing to rocking when they hit it halfway up at a dead run.