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Personally, I'd say the cat can tell that you don't like him in that you're actually paying more attention to him than you think you are. Every time you pick him up and move him or talk to him or shoo him away you're interacting with him, which is what he wants, attention. And now he's afraid of you so he matches your frustration in some actions and you apply your feelings to him for the other ones. So first things first, ignore him completely. Don't look at him don't pet him don't react positively or negatively to his actions. Especially the peeing thing, don't just stare at him. If you do want to play with him pick a room or a place and only play with him there and ignore him the rest of the time. That way he associates playing with you with that spot. A bell on his collar might be a good idea if you want to be able to tell where he is so you don't accidentally pay attention to him.

Secondly, for the peeing. Make sure you clean that spot with an enzymatic cleaner. Nature's Miracle is a really good one. Clean that spot OBSESSIVELY. As soon as he pees there. Then provide better alternatives. How many litter boxes does he have? Are they in a private calm spot? How often do they get cleaned? Have you tried putting a litter box over that spot and then slowly moving it to another room if he starts using it? http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com is often linked here. Check it out for litter box help (and help with the other stuff too).

For keeping him off furniture I would try remote methods. That way he has bad associations with those surfaces and NOT you or his owner. Something like the scat mat or sssscat. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/petsafe-scatmat-indoor-pet-training-mat

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RIA95G

https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Pet-Sticky-Deterrent-White/dp/B007I08FI4/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_199_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VVYJYPG4MSAWVGJQB5C9

Eventually he'll get the hint and stay off those surfaces. You can also reward him for hanging out where you want him to hang out by leaving treats hidden in "his spots". And same for the peeing problem, you have to provide preferable alternatives in addition to the negative reinforcement. If you don't want him on your surfaces you have to provide higher surfaces that are HIS. Cats like to be high up. You're never going to get him off the surfaces without providing an alternative for him. Look into Jackson Galaxy's Cat Super Highway or "catification".

Finally, this cat seems bored. I would make sure he has plenty of stuff to play with on his own or that his owner is putting at least an hour a day into playing with him (think of it like walking a big dog. The dog needs that activity or else it goes nuts cooped up). You don't mention how old he is but younger cats or high energy cats need A LOT of play time. He's looking to you for entertainment and interaction because it seems like you're the only option he has. If you don't want to be his source of attention, provide positive alternatives. (Also I would keep some treats on hand to bribe him out of your room if he gets in there again. You could probably train him to come when called no problem)

I'm a relatively new to cats myself so this is just stuff I've picked up in my research. Hopefully some of the more experienced cat people on here can help! Check out those links and just search through the archives on this subreddit for more ideas.

>do you have any recommendations for things he might be more inclined to play with on his own?

Yes! This circuit toy is a wonderful example of a self-play type of toy that can keep a kitten's attention a bit longer than balls or knit toys, because in the cat's perspective it keeps moving- but less predictably so- after the paws are off :P. As a bonus - it's pretty quiet, and your cat isn't going to lose this one under a dresser or something (because it can't leave the track). This toy was a savoir during my own cat's super-playful kitten period.

Electronic motion toys such as this one are also a possibly more-enticing option for your cat. (Though - the "motion madness" toy the same maker puts out isn't really worth it, IMO, if you see a link to that- it's loud and get struck on things easily).

You can also find corrugated cardboard scratchers that have holes in the bottom of then with dangling feathers or shiny balls inside, such as this one (although i have a cheaper version I got from wall-mart). The benefit of this combo is that your cat may be inclined to go scratch the scratcher and then get "distracted" by the play item, so basically it increases the chance the cat will play with it.

Additionally, you didn't seem to mention any toys that aren't on the floor and are perhaps a dangling attraction - that can matter a lot, as some cats perfer that type of play, and even those that don't can get tired of just one type. Do you have any dangling attractions, such as doornob hanging scratchers, or even posts that include a dangling toy of sorts, such as this one? They also make these tent-like contraptions with dangling toys. If you've ever heard of the "play types" such as "bird, mouse, bug, snake.." - that's ideally what you want to emulate with your options. Even if your kitten prefers to hunt "mice" - chasing a bird or a bug every now and then can break things up more.

Additionally, if you don't have something like an "activity mat", it might be something to look out for on the cheap. Or those tunnels - both can offer a different type of experience (the crinkly kind, I guess).

OK, I'm going to try to answer your questions. First though, it sounds like you're mostly on the right track. :)

How old is your kitten? I'm guessing between 6-9 months going by your problems with her.

Scratching doors is a relatively easy fix - keep her nails trimmed and ignore it 100% of the time.

For most of these problems prevention and rewarding good behaviors is the answer, honestly. Ditch the spray gun entirely, you've already seen its not working and it's much easier to teach her what you do want.

She NEEDS access to scratchers. Cat nails don't grow like ours or like dogs, they grow up and out in layers like an onion. In order to pop the top layer off (which she needs to do for healthy paws) she needs to scratch. Make a point of rewarding her when she's scratching her post. You can also sprinkle catnip on them to encourage her to use it.

If she likes chewing on cardboard I'd get her some old boxes. She may be teething (kittens get molars around 9 months) so having things she's allowed to chew is very important. My cats liked this when they were teething. They still love it, actually.

As for her waking you up early, ignoring her is a big part of it. NEVER feed her until you've been awake an hour, or she'll need to get up an hour before you to start 'hunting' (aka being a pest).

The second piece to that is to tire her out at night. Either hide her evening kibbles before you go to bed so she has to 'hunt' for them, or use a wand toy to run her until she's panting then give her a snack.

That should get her sleeping longer.

Most of the problems your having are kitten problems and she'll grow out of them. Play with her more, consider clicker training, and wait. If you're consistent she'll be better behaved by the time she's 2 and more grown up. :)

Your boy needs to RUN.

He's an adolescent (actual maturity is between 2-3 years) and has lots of energy. You're his only outlet, so it's up to you to give him appropriate ways to drain his energy.

Use a distance toy like this to run him until he's panting twice a day.

Then you get to work his brain.

If you're feeding him dry food from a bowl get one of these instead. Also, check his food for added sugar. I usually recommend grain free as well.

Look into clicker training for cats, catification for your home, and a bird feeder for outside a window.

Smart energetic kitties are fun, and he's trying to play with you because he likes you. Stop punishing him for trying to play, it won't work and it's not fair.

Take it from someone with 4 cats who fosters kittens, your boy will calm down some. But he needs to be burning more energy to be tolerable until then.

Wow that a great job. My cat loves this cat dancer, I run around with it touching the floors so it looks like insect running. He would chase it. I also wave it around sitting down when I am tired out lol. Here's a link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006N9I68/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cyTYCbAKN5HMB

Second one is a squeaking rabbit. I throw it and he would chase it. He would play on his own with this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ALCTQY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TDTYCb6WV2W5K

We use SSSCAT Spray Pet Deterrent to keep our cats from coming up the stairs. So far so good.


Use duster cans for the refills. They're not as powerful, but the Petssscat refill cans are way overpriced.


If you find a substitute can that is a good price and just as powerful as the original cans, come back here and let us know!!

It's more your cats preference. They have plain strap harnesses and vest harnesses. If your kitty is an escape artist they have vest harnesses specific for that. I won't get my kitten till August but I got the come with me kitty cat harness/bungee leash combo. It got great reviews, was reasonably priced on Amazon, and I've seen it in PetSmart
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OBFHXU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_czJBzb6CRV7GC

A small is plenty small enough for a kitten, you'll obviously have to get a bigger size if they grow/are a bigger cat

There are a couple things you can try, depending on their level of stubbornness. You can try to stick it out and keep ignoring them, but 6 is pretty early in the morning, and it drove me crazy when my cat did that lol.

As previously suggested, you can put tape or some other deterrent on the door. Aluminum foil is a good choice, or you could get a citrus scent to spray on the door, as most cats don't like that smell. A pheromone spray may also be effective. You can switch up their feeding times so they don't know when to expect food, but that can be difficult especially if you are forgetful or have scheduling conflicts.

The last thing that I tried, and what worked for me, was to buy an automatic feeder. I got this one from amazon for about $40, but you may want a different one since you have multiple cats. It took about a week for my cat to realize that food no longer comes from me, so he doesn't wake me up early in the morning to ask for it anymore. He now sits patiently by the feeder for about an hour prior to it opening and doesn't bother me at all.

I hope this helps!

There are different auto-feeders, you could get one just for the night. We used something like this (not the same model) back when we fed 4x/day, and best of all it worked for wet food with a cold pack.

But if you go the deterrent way, there are motion detectors for air canisters for just this purpose.

My vet calls that "scarf 'n barf"

I have 4 cats and one of them was my "gorger". Our vet recommended these to stop the scarfing. They work beautifully!!

That, and slo-bowls

And Puzzle Bowls

Keeps them all from scarfing it down so they eat slower, don't "scarf & barf", and it reduces desperation at the next meal time.

If I work from home i try to have a box near me, especially a new one. He jumps into it every time.

Food puzzles throughout the day (staggered feeding with mostly kibble).

This one I just put kibbles in and he has to fish them out
Catit Design Senses Play Circuit

Or empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls, put in kibble fold ends. Cut holes in if you'd like.

6 pack beer boxes. Put food in holes. You can even cover some of them with crumpled paper so long as your cat wont ingest it.

Get a laser pointer and a wand toy. My cat goes absolutely bonkers over this toy:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LPOUNW/ref=mp_s_a_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1500044914&sr=8-25&keywords=cat+toys+wand

I highly recommend trying an automatic feeder, possibly put somewhere higher than the dog can reach. Even though he is deaf, once your cat begins to realize he gets food at the same time from the feeder every day I can almost guarantee he will be right there waiting at meal times (at first you may need to show the cat the food coming out). I started using one with our cat who also would wake us up and beg incessantly for food. My cat's behavior changed dramatically within a few days of using the feeder. She no longer cries or begs for food and she doesn't wake me up at night anymore either. It's a small investment that could potentially change your life! This is the model I use.

I have 2 of PetSafe Come with Me Kitty and really like it for harnessing my 2 cats for travel in the car. I'm working on getting the kitten to get accustomed to going outside with it but I live in a noisy complex and it scares her :/