cat jumps into oven

[Peikko 1,575]

I thought this was were people chimed in with the Darwin theory and laughed at the stupidity of the individual concerned? I guess that's only true for people. Anyway, good luck with the training.

[Mononoke28 137]

I use a spray bottle of water on my cats for whatever naughtiness they are up to and it works well. I would open the oven and let her jump in and then spray her wildly. repeat as necessary.

This totally works. I did it with my two cats and neither one of them gets on any counters at home. The key is to spray them and pretend it wasn't you. If they know it's you, they'll know not to get on the counter or behind the oven in your case, when they see you. If they have no clue where the water came from they'll know that every time they get on it, they'll get sprayed by the Gods above and you had nothing to do with it.

Diana

[john_and_marlene 162]

Maybe the cat is suffering from depression and is trying to commit suicide. Do you think a pet psychiatrist is needed? Maybe some family counseling? How do you feel about intervention? Maybe the cat needs to be institutionalized or at least confined for 48 hours of observation to be sure it's not a threat to itself.

[Krikit 1,166]

This totally works. I did it with my two cats and neither one of them gets on any counters at home. The key is to spray them and pretend it wasn't you. If they know it's you, they'll know not to get on the counter or behind the oven in your case, when they see you. If they have no clue where the water came from they'll know that every time they get on it, they'll get sprayed by the Gods above and you had nothing to do with it.

If you don't have a super-soaker.... maybe paintball?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

another thing - keep cookie sheets in the oven covered with crinkly tin foil - the noise may also help make the oven less attractive. Ban on the oven, make a big noise come from the oven although that doesn't always work. Definitely use the spray bottle method or even the 'hissy' air spray cleaner that you use on computers (don't spray it directly at the cat but beside her in the oven) even if she associates it with you at the oven, the oven isn't going to be open at other times. Just keep careful watch all the time to make sure she never slips in. Why not try to find her another dark hidey-hole-type hiding place like a box or one of those cat beds that have a hole cut into the fabric square and the rest is enclosed. It sounds like the kitten likes the dark corners to hide in and the oven looks like a big safe box. Substitute another place for him to go while making the oven 'safely' unattractive.

Watch out for the washer and dryer as well - they are also dangerous places kittens can access far too quickly.

Another idea to try - keep a bunch of cat toys nearby and when the kitten jumps to the oven, throw a cat toy away from the oven and make sure the kitten sees it - he might decide to jump out and chase it instead, although making the oven noisy and wet is probably better.

Edited August 19, 2008 by Kathryn41

[caybee 21]

another thing - keep cookie sheets in the oven covered with crinkly tin foil - the noise may also help make the oven less attractive. Ban on the oven, make a big noise come from the oven although that doesn't always work. Definitely use the spray bottle method or even the 'hissy' air spray cleaner that you use on computers (don't spray it directly at the cat but beside her in the oven) even if she associates it with you at the oven, the oven isn't going to be open at other times. Just keep careful watch all the time to make sure she never slips in. Why not try to find her another dark hidey-hole-type hiding place like a box or one of those cat beds that have a hole cut into the fabric square and the rest is enclosed. It sounds like the kitten likes the dark corners to hide in and the oven looks like a big safe box. Substitute another place for him to go while making the oven 'safely' unattractive.

Watch out for the washer and dryer as well - they are also dangerous places kittens can access far too quickly.

Another idea to try - keep a bunch of cat toys nearby and when the kitten jumps to the oven, throw a cat toy away from the oven and make sure the kitten sees it - he might decide to jump out and chase it instead, although making the oven noisy and wet is probably better.

The aluminum foil is a great idea -- I'll line the floor of the oven with that, since that's where she heads, and we'll make her a hideout for the kitchen. The washer is a top loader that we never leave open, and we do watch her when we load it. We don't use a dryer. First night we brought her and her brother home, she led him burrowing through a small hole into the box springs, so that's definitely her game, although I don't think she's as much hiding for security as she is trying to ambush her brother and just being a curious cat. Her brother is twice her size but is a sweet lap baby with no urge to run outside, and she's our fearless explorer. They've had those personalities since we first met them at four weeks.

Thanks for the wonderful ideas, everyone.