Jim, the watergun trick worked great for my cat, Jude (may she rest in
peace). I got her when she was 5 or 6 months old and quickly became dismayed
at the damage she caused when burning off her youthful energy. So I placed a
watergun in every room within easy reach of where I'd likely be (reading
chair, nightstand, kitchen counter, etc.). Whenever she'd jump up on
anything that was "off limits" or scratch something, I'd snap my fingers and
say a harsh "no!" while giving her a squirt with the water pistol.
Within a month or two, I put the waterguns away. Later on, an
occasional snap of the fingers was all it took to remind her of her manners.
As a result, she'd stay off of the kitchen counters (at least when I was
around), and she never scratched furniture or walls--she'd wait until I let
her outside, then she'd run and scratch the nearest tree.
She was a great cat and roommate; she respected my limits and I
respected hers (don't mess with her tail, and don't ever touch her belly).
She died a few years back, and I haven't gotten another cat because Jude
spoiled me with her good behavior and affection; I have a feeling not all
cats train as well and easily as Jude did. Good luck with Joan Roberta!
Neil in Seattle
At 01:40 AM 1/18/2001 -0500, Jim L'Hommedieu wrote:
>First I apologize for breaking a JMDL rule about posting "from within the
>ballpark."
>
>I get my new cat, Joan Roberta, tomorrow so I have some questions for the
>feline experts on the list. Is Janet still lurking? Catgirl? Colin?
>
>I want to discourage her from jumping onto the tops of the speakers and the
>turntable. (I don't want the tonearm to go skipping because of cat impacts
>on the cover.) Can I just cover the tops with sandpaper or plastic wrap or
>steel? Is there a texture that will lose interest? Is this a case of
>"Nothing Can Be Done?"
