2009-01-08

Ti-gris is bad....

Ti-gris is out of control. OK, all you cat people out there --- how do you "train" a kitten? Also, how do I help my calm, older cat deal with the trauma of having an insane younger brother. Help!

11 comments:

Milan said...

Out of curiosity, is Ti-gris meant to be named after the river that flows through Baghdad?

Anonymous said...

he's so cute. Is he part burmese?

Anonymous said...

Ummmm - what are you trying to train him to do?

The Independent Observer said...

From purina.ca/mykitten:

"You view your kitten as a great new companion for your other pets. But they might view her as a threat, so introduce them with caution and care. Make the initial introduction short and sweet, removing the kitten after a few minutes. An older cat will likely accept the newcomer and eventually help take care of her. However, until this happens, you should avoid leaving them alone together.

Obedience training should take place in your kitten’s first year, when she’s growing and maturing rapidly. Remember, the earlier you teach her good habits, the better!

Once you’ve chosen a name for your kitten, call her only by that name until she learns to respond. Unless she’s misbehaving, you should talk to her gently and quietly. Also, pet the little newcomer often to help her become a loving member of the family.

"When your kitten does misbehave, it often means she’s bored and wants to play. If you can’t play with her, provide diversions like cat toys or a scratching post to keep her occupied. Since your kitten is sensitive to your tone of voice, sometimes all it takes is an emphatic “NO!” to get her to stop misbehaving. You can also try clapping your hands to get her attention more quickly.

Your kitten will surely act on her urge to scratch — it’s an instinct. But this doesn’t mean your floors and furniture have to suffer. Provide your kitten with a scratching post where she can stretch and scratch her nails. Encourage her to use the post by attaching a toy or rubbing some catnip on it. You can further protect your furniture by applying lemon-scented furniture polish — it contains an odour that’s usually offensive (though harmless) to cats."

4th Dwarf said...

I can train Little Grey to climb curtains if you like.

Anonymous said...

That's the spirit Dwarfie! And next Christmas, make sure you have a real tree for your kittie to climb, and possibly, knock over! What fun!

Aggie said...

Milan: Ti-gris is named after Acadieman's cat. Acadieman is an Acadian superhero. Perhaps he named it after that river...
Nursemyra: I thought he was Russian Blue blend, but I may be wrong.
XUP: I want to break his spirit. I want him to submit to my authority.
IO: So far my older cat hasn't offered to help take care of Ti-gris, but I can't wait until that happens. I hope the Purina folks are right.

coyote said...

Addendum for Milan and Aggie: "Ti-Gris", as 4D suggests above, but doesn't come right out and say, is a Quebecois-style fond nickname, usually used with small children, comprising a diminutive form of "petite" hyphenated with the french word for "grey".

One of our former prime ministers, known as "The Little Guy From Shawinigan" is still alternatively called "Ti-Jean" in some circles...

Woodsy said...

It also, I suspect, is a play with the expression tigré (of tiger appearance).

coyote said...

Good point, Woodsy. Short Guy may be the most prolific of us, but he isn't the only certifiable wurd nurd!

Woodsy said...

Wurd nurd, me? Shuck, thanks! That's the nicest thing anyone has said about me since, "Nice RACK".