Kitten Mischief

*Sigh*

My cats . . . let me just show you.












They're not allowed on the entertainment system. They know this; they have been squirted with water, pulled down, cajoled down . . . except, of course, for this time, when I let them stay where they were while I got the camera. The only reason the Scat Mat hasn't been placed there to really deter them is that it can't be used on metal objects. But of course, Cleo just loves getting way up high and peering over the top of the TV, and Isis enjoys sneaking around the lower part. We haven't found a good way to deter them.













And then there's the whole issue with electrical cords. Every time they're seen biting one, or even playing with it, they get squirted with water, pulled away from it, scolded . . . but Isis developed an obsession with the power cord to our emergency radio. I guess 18V isn't enough to hurt a cat. Jeff is going to see about getting a replacement today. But we still have to figure out how to keep Isis away from it. Those stinky sprays, designed as animal deterrents, last for about 30 seconds flat with these two. Jeff's vote is for putting the Scat Mat down on the floor to keep them out of the whole area where we keep the radio. Of course, the table on which it sits could be reached easily by a kitten leaping from the bed, with no need to hit the floor . . . until of course, the not-so-sturdy table falls over because of their shifting weight, if not from the impact of their landing. I don't think we can risk the radio itself hitting the Scat Mat on the way down, either.

Speaking of the Scat Mat . . . we used it to teach the kittens not to get on the kitchen counters. But of course, the point is that you leave it there for a while so they learn, and then you can remove the Scat Mat and use your counters again. The cats did great at first. Two jumps onto the counter each, and they avoided that section of counter like the plague. They continued avoiding it when we moved the mat--both the previously protected section and the currently protected section. For about a month now they've avoided countertops that have ever had the mat on it, as we gradually moved the mat around to all of our counters. Until earlier today. I heard a thump that I recognize as a cat landing on a counter. But all of the kitchen counters should be safe now, as just this morning I moved the Scat Mat over to the last area. But no. There was Isis, standing innocently on the counter, on the very first section that got the mat. Aargh!

Any suggestions?




P.S. While I was reading over this prior to publishing it, I heard a funny noise from the area where their pet fountain is. Take a look at what I found:










Yes, that thing sticking up from the water is the lid to the filter well. The one that snaps into place and therefore can't be removed by pets.