Have had cats all my life and none has even come close to being as naughty/destructive as Owen. It's my fault for letting him go out at night but now that I've started it, he refuses to stay in the house after dark. If I don't let him out, he whines and cries, scratches the couch, my stereo speaker covers, mangles the mini-blinds, and has turned my bedroom windowsill into Braille. I get to a point where I can't take it anymore so I let him out. Just what he wanted in the first place, so I'm actually rewarding his bad habits. I am at my wits end! I don't know how to correct the behavior. He's so darn cute, I hate to discipline him but I know that's not the answer. He is 18 months old. I would appreciate any suggestions.

-- Anonymous, February 16, 1999

Answers

Try and keep him in a room atnight where he can't do any damage (or limited damage) to your belongings. Put some things in there in which he is interested (toys, radio, TV..). Maybe he'll understand after a while that when he wants out he'll just get put in that room.

-- Anonymous, February 19, 1999

Has he been neutered?

-- Anonymous, May 25, 1999

I have found that a water pistol (which has better range than a mere spray bottle) discourages that obnoxious behavior cats do in order to get their way when it would not be in their own best interest. We live in an area with intense wild predator activity --coyotes, cougars, bobcats, eagles, red-tailed hawks, great horned owls--ALL of which like domestic cat meat. I have a tomcat who was doing all this behavior, plus petulant spraying when I would not let him go out. A water pistol, after the first operation, only has to be picked up for him to end the psychodrama. Load it only with water. (Some people use dilute vinegar or ammonia, for crying out loud, and it is totally unnecessary. Don't spray an animal with something you would not spray on a child). Plain water is very effective.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 1999