I'm starting out with a new kitten after putting my 13-yr down so it's been a while. With my last kitty he had a few unwanted behaviors but given be was so smart he was always figuring things out or ways around things. It seemed like he would continue to do things. He was super determined & not much helped. A few things I'm wanting to work on

1. Outside - he is an indoor only kitty but is showing and interest to the front door quickly. Twice now he got to the door/one step out. I looked around, he wasn't there, opened the door & grabbed a package & with in seconds he was at my feet. I don't remember my cats showing an interest this young. This time around though I have 3 young kids. The two boys go in & out a lot. I'm trying yo teach them but they are young & the cat is smart. Any ideas?

2. Curtains - if they get ruined oh well but I'd like to avoid it. Any suggestions? I thought about a squirt bottle but nothing seemed to phase my last kitty.

1. You have a couple of choices here.

A. Deter - you can make the door and unpleasant place to be with a motion activated air sprayer (like a hiss to cats), spray bottle, shock pad, or a leaf blower. You have someone stand outside and when you open the door and he tries to run out, they turn the leaf blower on. Scares them back into the house and they don't ever want to go out again. I haven't tried it, but I think it might work!

B. Embrace - get a harness and train him with it and then take him on walks! A few of our Bengals like to go out on their harness and we we train kittens from a young age. OR you can build an enclosure! Some people even attach them to the house through a window or doggie door so kitty can come and go but still be safe!


2. Curtains and other things are likely to get ruined. You can use a spray bottle as a deterrant and even spray the curtains with Feliway if you want. But your best bet is to not be too attached to anything material!! Make sure kitty has plenty of scratching surfaces and places to run. Tall cat trees are great for cats who dont have access to stairs!

I found that if I leave my drapes open the cats don't play in them nearly as much. When they were kittens last summer I would close the drapes every morning to keep the house cool. They attacked them when I opened or closed them and one would jump at the pulley and tore the sheer fabric. Now that they are a year old they are calmer but still like to play at the bottom when they are closed so I just leave them open.

Make sure you have at least one tall cat tree for the kitten to climb! They climb the curtains because they love to climb. That's not saying the little one won't climb curtains, but if you have other options available to him (even shelves on the wall), he shouldn't be as inclined to use your drapes.

Oh gosh, with children running in and out, there is a good chance the kitty may escape. Training and walking him on a harness and leash shouldn't be too difficult, but I walk Raiden twice a day and he has escaped to the outdoors the last two days when the door has been open an inch! Luckily, he stops at some point and I can grab him.

You may be able to "catify" an area of your yard, either with fencing or an enclosure so that cat can be outside when the kids are out there playing and the cat is safe. There is also the purr-fect fence which would keep the cat in the yard and also provide boundaries for your children. There are a ton of options out there on the web, so do a google search and see if something works or you.

Make sure your cat is microchipped in the event he does get out and is found by someone. Also know that bengals are beautiful kitties and many people have never seen one, so if they spot him and get him, you may not ever get him back. Plus, there are also so many perils out there for kitties.

Personally, I'm not in favor of scaring a cat (spray bottle, air can, etc.). This can lead to behavior problems and many times does not stop the cat from continuing to want to go outside. It just makes the cat terrified. I feel there are so any other options out there that will benefit the cat more. Please take some time to do some research on other options.

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The little monsters 3

I agree with Sherry, the spray bottle just makes them afraid of you. My kitties were crazy from about 4-8 months old. Maybe because they were motherless and at a shelter at 8 weeks old before going to a foster rescue home. The foster mom did a great job turning their health around and socializing them, but they were quite destructive. Maybe all kittens are like that, these are my first.

I was at a loss and tried keeping them off the counter with a squirt gun and tin foil. I also used it when Grace would sharpen her nails on my newly upholstered chair seats. I wound up getting Soft Paws gel tips put on their nails at about 5 months. They lasted about 5 weeks and that got us through a difficult time because they kept accidentally scratching me. After that I take them to the vets once a month to have their nails trimmed and sanded smooth.

I gave up on trying to keep them off that counter with the bar stools. Squirting them just made them afraid and I don't want them to ever fear me. They would go on it as soon as my back was turned anyway. I just keep that counter clear. If I put anything on it, they push it onto the floor and play with it. They have never gone on the counter by the sink and stove so I have an area where I can safely put food and not worry about them getting to it.

1) I have never found water bottles to be effective. By the time I pick it up he's off and running. It became a game with him.

2) Curtains will be ruined. Quasar has never climbed ours but likes to pick at them for attention. As soon as anyone stands up he wants to play a game of chase. He also likes to "hide" behind the sheers.

3) Cat trees are the best! I had never had one before we got our Bengal but did pick one up prior to bringing him home, on the breeder's advice. Hubby made me leave the labels on it so I could return it when the cat didn't use it. Boy was he surprised! We have since bought two more.

4) Quasar loves to storm the door. We have learned that, by making eye contact with him when we are about to open the door, he rarely tries to rush out. If we do not make eye contact he will surprise us by racing out, if he can. He is more likely to do this with DH than with me. He was trained to the harness from the day we got him at 13 weeks old and I take him out frequently into the yard and on car trips. We are also able to take him camping and traveling.

5) I would love an enclosure but it's not very practical where we live. I have a pop-up kennel that goes with us when we travel so he can be off-leash but contained and safe when we are hanging outside, i.e. when camping or flying our balloon.

A lot of people talk about training their cats. I think that with Quasar, the cat has trained me.

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~ Kyenta

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The little monsters 3

Thanks - the curtains and other material objects I wouldn't be devastated over. I love having a active kitty breed & the crazyness goes with it. Just looking for ideas on discouraging the behavior.

I just had him built a custom kitty condo & have bought 3 other scratching items. Including a small post & I bought him several interactive kitty toys. My biggest concern is him getting outside. I have a harness & leash & put thr harness on a hour or so a day just so he is used to it. I'm torn between fighting for him to be indoor only or taking him out on a leash so that he at least knows outside around my house. I'm worried between his speed & how intelligence mixed with kids coming & going it's only a matter of time before he gets out. None of my past cats showed an interest to the door opening & closing this young like he does. If I take him out on a leash I'm worried it will only encourage him to try & get out but if I don't I'm worried he'll get out & lost :(

He is getting microchipped. But even with tags, chips ect I know kitties don't always make it back :(

I think the need for a cat to scratch and the desire to climb are really separate things. So I don't think a scratching post is going to help with the climbing desire. Part of the attraction to climbing is actually reaching some sort of place to sleep/rest. Often you can identify the "top cat" by observing which one claims the highest perch. And a very important tool in dealing with behavioral issues is to increase the amount of "vertical space".

I agree with you about taking walks potentially increasing, not decreasing his interest in the outdoors.

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The little monsters 3

The one advantage I see in walking a cat around your neighborhood is that if he does get out, he can return home. When an all-indoor cat gets out el travels beyond a certain point, they are lost! A walk may increase his desire to get outside, but he will get a lot of exercise and his taste for exploring will be satisfied, at least for a while. A vestibule type of arrangement is the best (as Brian pointed out). This would work if there were a mud room with a door to the outside or an enclosed porch. Bengals are FAST creatures. If your cat does get out (or rather WHEN), you do not run screaming after it or the cat bolts. You have to walk slowly and talk softly and hope the cat stops and you can catch up with him and scoop him up.