Odd Cat Questions

I'm a dog guy but due to circumstances beyond my control, we're on our second (last) cat.
Our first one literally appeared on our doorstep one day. We kept Fred til he died very young of a congenital heart disorder. Then came Satan.

Satan wasn't always his name. The first week we had him, he kept jumping up on the stove, turning on the gas as he went past the burner knobs. Then he started clawing at furniture, demanding to be fed. We'd shoot water at him, at which point he'd move away a little, then come back. He jumped in a full tub once. Loves to watch the toilet flush or water drip.

He will leap on the counter for anything but food. For that, humans must be pressed into service. Even though his food can is OPEN on the counter, someone has to spoon it in his bowl before he'll eat it. You can only give him a spoon at a time because he'll eat some of it and walk away.

When he walks off, the dog goes FLYING into the kitchen to lick the last morsel of cat food from the bowl. He will wake from a sound sleep on the second floor to do this.

As Marshall finishes the cat food, Satan calmly walks over and eats Marshall's crunchies. Satan is a very looooong 18lb tabby and Marshall is a 28lb black cocker. They're both roughly the same size. I'm trying to get video of the two of them rolling around on the floor.

Peeing on the carpet is apparently a sign of infection, which got treated. Meanwhile we asked the vet how to deter Satan from peeing on the carpet. Her immediate response was to try putting aluminum foil all over the area: cats HATE foil. When we got home the next day, the cat was gleefully rolling all over the foil and poking holes in it.

Satan is diabetic. If he doesn't get his shot on time, he shows up and demands it. If he didn't put so much time and energy into destruction, he'd be the perfect pet. He comes when called, plays fetch (better than the dog), and loves people.


1. How can I feed Satan without him clawing furniture for more?
2. How does one deter a fully clawed cat from shredding furniture (and amplifiers)? He knows what he's doing. He'll do it to my wife but not to me.
3. How do you keep the cat out of the dog food? (and vice-versa)

Whenever I get ready to feed my cat, she starts clawing on her post. Even for treats she will run over and claw at it.

I think that it is a hereditary trait myself, so you need to get a good post or something for it to scratch on rather than destroy your furniture.

I got my mother some double sided tape at the pet store that you put on the sides of your furniture and that will stop them cold. Her cat was scratching the sides of her couch, but that stopped her as they don't like the feel. Then when they are used to scratching on what you want them to, you can remove the tape.

[edit on 2/19/2010 by tribewilder]

there is a spray you can use on furniture to deter them, regarding weeing, put pepper down on the ground, they always sniff first and BAM they are out there like a bat outa hell.

Now this will sound strange but plastic bottles of water in your garden stop cats from going to the loo there, so try some around your house.

Food put it up high so they dog cant get it, he will jump up for it, if he walks away, bad luck, he'll go back for more later.

Its a territorial thing between your dog and cat that's why they eat each others food, once your dog knows he/she cant get access to the cat food, it will gobble its own up in no time.

I have two cats and my furniture is ruined because when I first got them I didn't know how to react on cat behaviour either.

There is a product called 'catoff' that you can spray on places you don't want the cat to misbehave... they hate the smell of it, but I think so will you... it helps for a while though you need to keep spraying a long time before they will stop the behaviour.

Secondly you can use products designed to keep the cat's attention on places you DO want them to hang out (forgot the names). One good alternative to that is Valerian oil, cats love it and will sleep on places where you sprayed it.

They are a good bit like children and they know that even bad attention is also attention, so ignore the bad things and reward the good things, they'll pick that up real soon.

As for the feeding, it's best to make sure he always has a bowl of water and a bowl with dried cat food in one place, give him his own eating spot, then twice a day you give him a third bowl with a bit wet cat food, but always on the same times. After a couple of weeks he will know when it's feeding time. He won't be hungry because he alwyas has the dry food.
maybe you can give the dog's food in another room for a while, untill the cat learned his routine.

As for the aluminium foil, my cats love that aswell

This are just tips and pointers and not all will work for all cats... they are strange animals.
It's as they say:
A dog has his boss but a cat has his workers

Originally posted by zazzafrazz
Its a territorial thing between your dog and cat that's why they eat each others food, once your dog knows he/she cant get access to the cat food, it will gobble its own up in no time.

Are you positive about territory? It mostly looks like Marshall really loves cat food.
His love of food doesn't end at the cat's.

I guess we'll see - thanks.

Originally posted by GypsK
As for the feeding, it's best to make sure he always has a bowl of water and a bowl with dried cat food in one place, give him his own eating spot, then twice a day you give him a third bowl with a bit wet cat food, but always on the same times. After a couple of weeks he will know when it's feeding time. He won't be hungry because he alwyas has the dry food.
maybe you can give the dog's food in another room for a while, untill the cat learned his routine.

They eat in different rooms now. The problem is that when the cat wants food, he becomes INSISTENT. This is when he'll leap on my sleeping wife or claw at furniture. You can watch him claw then look to make sure you're seeing it.

I'm all for moving the cat's food up out of the dog's reach but the cat's not on board.


Thanks for the info. I'm learning a lot (that I should have known before adopting).
But they're ours for life.

Originally posted by tribewilder
I think that it is a hereditary trait myself, so you need to get a good post or something for it to scratch on rather than destroy your furniture.

He does it strictly for attention. He has a post, which he ignores.
(but no bags or boxes are safe)

Thanks for the info.

My cats have always been outdoor cats and I never had an issue with them clawing the furniture or window treatments. I know vets will say that it is not healthy to let them go outdoors but they always had updated shots and my last cat lived to 20-which is like 865 in people years.

Cats are also opportunistic eaters, they may not finish all of their food in one sitting and often return to eat later. As for the urination in the house, I obviously have never had that issue, I do however keep a litter box for when it is extremely cold and the current cat does not want to go out. He is also not interested in the dogs food (but not vice-versa) and I was told by my sister-in-law (who is a vet) that they shouldn't eat each others food for digestive reasons.

You refer to him as he.I assume he is a male cat.

The simple solution is to have his "huevos"removed.

He will be extremely annoyed at this for a period but you will find "its" behavior more tolerant.

reply to post by leftystrat


Leftystrat, I'm just posting to tell you that your choice of cat names is pristine.

Marshall is the name I am referring to.
Brilliant!

Originally posted by leftystrat

1. How can I feed Satan without him clawing furniture for more?
2. How does one deter a fully clawed cat from shredding furniture (and amplifiers)? He knows what he's doing. He'll do it to my wife but not to me.
3. How do you keep the cat out of the dog food? (and vice-versa)

1. My technique is to use a soft throw pillow, and as the pillow is launched at the offender, I make a whistle like a bomb falling out of the sky in a WWII movie. I just lob it, maybe a hook shot if I'm in position, and start the whistle.
This gives him time to get away if he remembers what the whistle means; and once he learns that, I don't need the pillow anymore.

2. Teach your wife to do the whistle.

3. I put the cat food up where the dog(s) can't get it. This gives him his own personal area to beg from, and keeps him out from under my feet.

edit: I keep his bowl full of dry food at all times, so he got tired of sampling dog food. He will still drink from dog's water dish. I just holler at him for that, it ruins the moment for the little jerk.

[edit on 20-2-2010 by Dogdish]

Originally posted by havok


Leftystrat, I'm just posting to tell you that your choice of cat names is pristine.

Marshall is the name I am referring to.
Brilliant!

Marshall is the dog. Satan is the cat

Originally posted by Oneolddude
The simple solution is to have his "huevos"removed.

I neglected to mention that they're both sans male parts.

Although that doesn't stop the dog from humping the cat, but that's another thread entirely.

Thanks.

Originally posted by Dogdish

1. My technique is to use a soft throw pillow, and as the pillow is launched at the offender, I make a whistle like a bomb falling out of the sky in a WWII movie. I just lob i

That sounds like great fun for all of us. Especially when we're bored

We tried a super soaker but that didn't work either.


Thanks.

reply to post by leftystrat


I think it's hilarious. My wife doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as she should, in my opinion.

The squirtgun doesn't work, because getting squirted just p_sses them off, rather than scaring the bejeezus out of them. Whoever thought that up was just being mean and messy. You have to hit them at an emotional level that doesn't engender retaliation.
The pillow, launched with enough of an arc to allow time for escape, will also allow time for a kitty contemplation of cause and effect. Couple the whistle with the terror of enemy pillows flying, and you have a cat that has learned the word "no".
Remember that their eyes are built for detecting flying things. This is a very natural way to communicate with "Satan" and his pointy eared friends.

If you see the cat peeing on the carpet hiss at the cat very loudly and run full speed at him.

If you do this a couple of times, the cat will think you are insane and hate it when he pees on the carpet and he will stop, and from then on look at you funny.

I would also bait the cat to his scratching post with catnip. and I like the two sided tape idea for the furniture.

Now as one animal eats the others food, well I really don't see the issue. If one of them get's hungry enough, they will take care of the problem themselves.

Have you put in scratching posts?

I think you have asked this before. Put in scratching posts.

I also suggest trying to do an all real food diet.

And cut back on the dry food. Cut it out altogether. Dry food is as nurishing as potato chips. It also has a lot of starch and wheat and rice. Cats are meant to strictly eat protein.

Ever see a lion eat corn in nature?

answer to the dog food: keep it in a tuperware container.

[edit on 24-2-2010 by nixie_nox]

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Have you put in scratching posts?

I think you have asked this before. Put in scratching posts.

I also suggest trying to do an all real food diet.

And cut back on the dry food. Cut it out altogether. Dry food is as nurishing as potato chips. It also has a lot of starch and wheat and rice. Cats are meant to strictly eat protein.

Ever see a lion eat corn in nature?

answer to the dog food: keep it in a tuperware container.

[edit on 24-2-2010 by nixie_nox]

I thought I should explain the dry food.
I feed the cat one can of food daily, at basically the same time of day every time.
I keep a bowl of dry food with his fresh water for him 24/7.
Dogs get one dry meal in the morning, and one canned meal when the cat gets his.
The dry food I feed the cat (initials are K&K) has 30% protein, corn protein is around 10%; so it's not just like feeding him corn. It's not "animal" protein, so it's not as good; but if he's looking to snack and his canned food is gone, he has a bite or two of the dry. He only eats if he's hungry.
Here is a good link on Care and Feeding of Cats.
I find that a cat won't get fat if I follow the above routine. I don't like fat cats! (too lazy to dodge a pillow!)

Originally posted by leftystrat


1. How can I feed Satan without him clawing furniture for more?
2. How does one deter a fully clawed cat from shredding furniture (and amplifiers)? He knows what he's doing. He'll do it to my wife but not to me.
3. How do you keep the cat out of the dog food? (and vice-versa)

Best thing I have found is to keep my cat outside. If you feed him out side he will most certainly be waiting on you tomorrow morning with an empty cat bowl. If he gets run over you just get a third last cat.

Originally posted by leftystrat
1. How can I feed Satan without him clawing furniture for more?
2. How does one deter a fully clawed cat from shredding furniture (and amplifiers)? He knows what he's doing. He'll do it to my wife but not to me.
3. How do you keep the cat out of the dog food? (and vice-versa)

1. Place cat on one side of the door.
2. Place key in door (even though cats don't know how to use locks you can never be sure).
3. Turn key.
4. Look out of the window, smiling and waving is optional - eating a sandwich is a nice touch.