How do I stop my new kitten from climbing and scratching furniture?

Question

Our new kitten, Chester, is having a hard time learning the word "no." He likes to climb where he shouldn't be, and scratch and claw when he should. Anyway to deter him? We have two dogs so we really don't want to remove the claws, because we want him to defend himself if necessary. I have never owned a cat. He's super friendly and loving, but doesn't seem to respond to "no." HELP! Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 months and 1 day old | 5 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

I don't know any cats who respond to "no!", to be honest - mine certainly don't either! ;) In general, cats respond much better to rewards and redirecting them to some other activity than they do to any type of punishment. It's completely normal for kittens to climb and scratch. If he is doing these things in places that you don't want him to, this means that you need to provide him with more things if his own to climb and scratch on. Kitty condos, floor-to-ceiling cat trees, and tall, sturdy scratching posts are all good options that can help with this. Make sure that he has his own things to climb and scratch on in the areas of the house where he likes to spend time, and reward him with treats and petting when he uses them.

How do I stop my new kitten from climbing and scratching furniture?

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