# Cat jumping up and then hanging from standing people.



## zak88lx (Feb 16, 2003)

Hello,

We have a 4 month old male cat named Zak, (see avatar for small picture).
He is the sweetest cat ever but he has one really bad habit.

When peole are standing around the kitchen island he will jump up with no warning and then hang from the person by his front claws.
He only weighs 5 pounds but it's really quite painful with the claws dug into your skin and his entire body weight sinking them deep.

As far as I can tell he only does this when the victim is doing something at the island like reading a newspaper or having a snack.
Almost all hangings are from the back but occasionally he will hang from the front thighs.
We usually grab his front legs and yank him off immediately saying NO but he keeps doing it.
We have also tried squirting him when he does this but this is almost impossible when we are alone in the kitchen.
Lately I have tried grabbing him by his front legs and then holding him in the air for a few seconds saying NO!

He does this to almost all friends and family and now people are afraid to go near him...

What can we do to break this habit?

Thanks


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Every kitten I've ever had has gone through this stage. He just wants attention. Unfortunately, squirting him or "hanging" him probably won't solve the problem. The best advice I can offer is to keep his nails clipped ( you'll need to do it about every 10 days or so). When he jumps up just continue to put him down with a "No" and then ignore him for a bit. He will grow out of it. He may also need a little extra playtime, especially before company comes over. Kittens have TONS of energy and they need to learn what's O.K. and what's not. It's just going to take some time and patience. He's a adorable!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Ditto on clipping the nails. First, it'll be less painful. Second, if he can't get a good grip, he might be less inclined to do it.


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Pumpkin used to jump on us, too. Luckily, she only did it when I was standing near the cat tree, so I was really careful about standing too close to it! :lol: 

Re: your kitty, definitely clip the nails!!

I agree that the kitty needs more playtime. Like nanook said, don't reward the behavior by giving him attention. But give him lots of attention other times, playing with toys to help tire him out a bit. 

One trick that I have used successfully with my cats (two of whom like to jump at people) -- keep a couple of small cat toys that your cat likes in your pocket. When you are in that place where your cat likes to spring at you, head him off by tossing out a toy for him to chase. 

You may need to experiment to find out which toys he likes best. I have had good luck with small fuzzy mice and sparkly pom-pom balls.

EDIT: spelling boo-boo


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## ihave4kitties (Aug 27, 2005)

Perhpaps you could eat the snacks and read the paper somewhere else for a bit, until your kitten settles down a bit. My adult cats can't even resist a rustling newspaper. Newspapers in particular are cat magnets. :wink:


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## zak88lx (Feb 16, 2003)

Thanks for the great replies.

I'm going to trim his front claws and try to spend more play time with Zak.
I saw a remote control mouse today, this should wear him down...


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