Turning Kittens into Pussycats

Everyone knows how much fun kittens are. Not only are they cute, cuddly, squeaky and goofy, but they do the craziest things: Climb your pant leg, knock over lamps as they wildly chase each other around the living room, stuff like that. What may seem cute and not-very-destructive when an animal weighs one pound will not be quite as attractive in a cat ten times that size. Therefore, it is up to you to make sure that the unfettered energy of youth does not translate into bad habits carried into adulthood.

Let's take the example of your kitten using its claws to climb your leg. Kittens don't know how to sheath their claws, and they are too small to jump onto furniture, counters, or whatever. So, they just climb. This gets them where they need to go, and exercises their leg muscles as well as those that support the claws; it is also good practice for learning to climb trees. There comes a time, though, when they are too big for this behavior and it becomes destructive. Unless you want your cat to climb your drapes, your shower curtain, etc., you must break this habit quickly. When our cats were several weeks old, J. and I pet-sat for the friends who took the fourth kitten from the litter. Imagine my surprise when, as I'm preparing his food, this cat starts climbing my leg! I had broken my kittens of that habit early on. I unceremoniously swiped him off my leg, saying, "NO!" The next time he looked like he was about to try it again, I pointed my finger at him, again saying, "NO!" He didn't do it again.

You also must teach your kitten to "play nice", or you will wind up with many scratches on your hands. When kitty starts using his claws, gently squeeze his paws. When he starts getting overwrought, stop playing; continuing will only ruin the training. He will soon learn to play without scratching or (god forbid) biting you. When your kittens' roughhousing gets too wild, break it up before any injuries occur. There will always be disagreements in the multi-cat household, but they will be less serious than if you just let them fight it out. Be a referee; it's your job to teach them what the house rules are.

Growling (another sign of aggression) must also be curbed. If cats growl at each other, break it up. Many kittens tend to growl when fed, even when fed alone. If this happens, pick up the bowl until the growling stops, then give it back. Do this as many times as it takes (it won't take very many); you should never have to worry about your cat nailing you if you take his food away. Of course, you probably won't need to ever do that. The point is that you are the boss, not the cat. Do the same thing if she growls while carrying a toy; remember, starting this training when they are young will both save you injury and teach the animal who sets the rules. Animals who think they can dominate you are not fun to have around, particularly when they grow up!
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Hierarchy in the Multi-Cat Household

When our three cats were very young, I watched with interest many things about them, but particularly the evolution of the Top Cat. With two males and one female, I knew that it was an almost certainty that one of the males would win the contest. For a while, though, Little Girl put up quite a battle for dominance. They all would tussle, hold another down on his/her backs etc. and Little actually looked like the front runner for a while. But, almost overnight, she gave up. This happened early on, probably around 10 or 12 weeks. Secretly, I was rooting for her, though I was sure it was not to be!

Next, I put my money on Goldie. Marmalade toms, I knew, were often tough guys (I had one as a kid), so I figured he'd lord it over the Black Bear eventually, especially since Bear had a health scare early on. Again, it was not to be. Maybe it was because I babied the heck out of him while he was sick, but Bear came out from behind to be the Big Guy, as he still is, 12 years later. I guess it's lucky that I never became a bookie!

Bear works every day to keep his station. When another cat is sitting or sleeping on an area that he decides he wants, he harasses them out of it. We make sure no fighting erupts (it usually doesn't), but nothing will stop him getting what he wants, so we don't interfere. We do interfere, however, when he wallops Little Girl until she yells, since this is what he must do to keep her "his". He gets locked down cellar for 15-20 minutes, which cools his jets and gives her a chance to calm down. We can't prevent this from happening every now and then; we can only control it somewhat, keeping anyone from getting hurt. The Top Cat gets the girl, as it were, and he needs to let her (and any other cats) know once in a while that this will never change.

As far as Goldie is concerned, he's a bit more assertive than he used to be, but he's still a softie. The boys will "box", usually in the evening, just so Bear can stay on top of his game. He always wins, even though we never let it get too far along. Goldie knows who is still the boss, and harmony reigns.

Movie of the Week: This is a British miniseries, actually, called "Fortysomething", starring Hugh Laurie. It's based on a novel by Nigel Williams and it is really funny. If you're a fan of Jeeves and Wooster, you'll notice Laurie channelling Bertie a bit here, which is what he does best. Don't miss it!