Biting

Does your cat bite when he plays? Respond as a cat: hiss at him. Or scream in painful agony; he'll stop (though he might not play with you for a long while). I had a cat that accidentally drew blood while we were playing - I put my arm up to his nose and rubbed the droplets of blood against him, and he never bit again.

The Counters and Table

In our house, cats are allowed to get on the kitchen counter because that's the only way they can reach "their" two-shelf, rug-covered greenhouse window. They are not allowed on the kitchen table. It took 2 days to untrain Galahad and Stanley (for the previous 10 years, in a different household, they had been allowed on the kitchen table, even during meals). I simply picked them up, said "NO! You can't be on the table" and dropped them gently but firmly onto the floor. Some people resort to more intense retraining - spraying the cat with a water bottle, tossing it out of the room, etc., but use those as a last resort.

Stacking pots and pans near the edge of the counter, so they clatter and fall when the cat jumps up, will likely prevent him from jumping up in the future. You can also tape strips of velcro - the looped side on your counter temporarily; landing on the stiff loops may be uncomfortable enough to get your message across.

By the way, it took 2 days to convince Su-Su that she COULD now get up on the counter, after I installed the greenhouse window. I had to pick her up off the floor, put her on the counter, and gently nudge her toward it.

Scratching Furniture/Declawing
First, please note that declawing your cat so he won't scratch your furniture is cruel and inhumane. It is the equivalent of cutting off your finger up to the first knuckle. There can be serious physical and psychological effects.

Instead, you should train your cat to use a scratching post. Other alternatives include a quick, painless trimming of his claws (which you can do at home using special clippers) or covering the claws with soft sheaths (which you can purchase relatively inexpensively).

Scratching is one of your cat's most ingrained instincts. Keep a scratching post near where the cat usually sleeps or, if he has already picked out a corner of your sofa, keep it next to that chosen spot. You may need to train your cat to use his scratching post. Do not pick him up and put his paws on the scratching post (that will only make him want to avoid it). Make the scratching post appealing to him: rub catnip on it or mist it with catnip spray; drape a heavy string (a long leather shoelace works great) over it and wiggle it to catch his interest; put treats on the very top.

Important: Invest in a scratching post that is 24" or 30" tall, with a sturdy base - your cat may be using the arm of the sofa because he can stretch higher than his scratching post will allow. Most of the ones you will find at the store are only 18" high so you may need to visit a pet supply store.

I recently found THE best scratching post for our cats! It's made out of rough sisal (NOT the rope, a weave!). It's tall (29 inches), doesn't fall over, doesn't wobble, and doesn't slide across the floor. And, of course, the best part: all the cats love it. It's called the TopCat Sisal Scratching Post.

A few cats don't like scratching on a vertical post, but will scratch willingly on a flat scratching pad. If your cat prefers a flat surface, you can either buy one of the cardboard scratching boxes (typically available from mail order or pet stores), or buy a scrap of plywood and a carpet remnant, large enough to fold around onto the back of the plywood. Cut the corners on an angle, fold the carpet remnant over the wood, and tack the carpet on using carpet tacks or heavy-duty staples.

Sometimes changing to a scratching post that is covered with sisal rope or a different texture will kindle his interest in the post, as well.

An additional idea, one that worked well when there were more vacant rooms in the house, is to follow the instructions above for a flat-surface scratching pad, then mount it on the wall at a convenient height for the cat, in a hallway or in the laundry room.

Other solutions: If he's scratching wood furniture, rub strong-smelling furniture polish into it. For sofa and chair sides, cover the edges of the sofa with heavy plastic (available at your local fabric store - typically used to cover footstools or protect tablecloths - you can buy twist-pins while you're there to hold the place neatly in place) or aluminum foil (use velcro or double-stick tape to hold in place). Or spray a cloth thoroughly with one of the sprays formulated for keeping a cat off the furniture, and pin it to the sofa, chair, or your speakers (don't spray directly onto the furniture). Or, put strips of self-adhesive velcro (loop side out) on the favored scratching spots. If all else fails, everytime you see him actively clawing the furniture, spray him lightly from a bottle of water (do this only when he is actually scratching, not when he is approaching or leaving the furniture).

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Getting Your Cat to Come to You

Unlike dogs and children, cats are unlikely to come to you just because you want them to obey. However, a cat who knows he will be warmly petted, brushed, will receive a treat, or an extended period of lap-napping, is more likely to get up, stretch, look casually around, and then wander over to you (displaying, for all intents and purposes, the attitude that it was his idea in the first place). No animal will come to you willingly if you are raising your voice or if they think they are going to be punished.

Cats, by the way, respond best to names that end in an "ee" sound. You will most likely get a better response if you shorten Prince Zadrach of Dominquez' name to Zaddy, for example. Too, they seem to respond better to a higher-pitched tone of voice.

Your Cat and the Curtains

Cats like to climb. You may end up doing both of you a favor if you simply put vertical blinds (not horizontal blinds) at the window, since the cat can then push them aside to get to the window sill. Alternatively, you could try installing tension rods that will fall down (frightening, not hurting) the cat when they climb. I have one cat who is extremely persistent at climbing the aluminum screening - I've not had much luck at not getting her to begin the ascent, but she's been lifted off, told NO!, and dropped to the floor enough times that I can now say, "LIBBY! GET OFF!" and she will back down almost immediately.

For safety sake, make sure that the pull-cord is not a loop; cut it so there are two strings so neither your cat nor your child will inadvertently get it caught around their neck.

The Carpet

A few owners have a problem with their cat shredding the carpet, even with a convenient scratching post. First, look at the scratching post from a cat's viewpoint: it's covered with carpet .... this stuff on the floor has the same feel. Hmmm.... Since it's less costly to replace the scratching post than the carpeting, try getting a post that is covered with sisal rope, corrugated cardboard, or carpet turned wrong-way out. Then train your cat to use it. If the cat is always scratching at a particular spot in the carpeting, the reason might be due to a strong smell in that one spot - go to the vet and get an enzymatic cleaner and clean it thoroughly.

Dirty Chins
You may notice that your cat has a dirty chin - little black spots that look like acne. It IS acne. And it can be quite painful, so you should take steps to get it cured as soon as possible. Though you might want to check with your vet, who can provide you with some medicine, you might want to try this first: Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide (pour some on a clean white washcloth, and sponge off the chin). You'll probably need to do this twice a day for a week or so.

Next, take a look at the food dishes: how often do you clean them? Are they plastic? Are they very deep? Cat food dishes should be cleaned on a daily basis, particularly if you are feeding canned food. Plastic dishes may aggravate the acne, and deep food bowls definitely will. (Ours eat out of glass custard dishes.)

source: http://www.xmission.com