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I've had my seven month old kitten for about a month now. Two days ago I got new windows put in and the screen is on the inside of the window.

My cat now climbs through the closed blinds to get behind them and climb the screen. This would be fine if he wasn't also tearing the screen.

I'm not sure how to teach him to not climb the window screen. I've tried clapping when he does it to create a loud noise, but he doesn't seem to care. I've been pulling him off and shutting him out of the room for a bit, but soon after I let him in again he's back at it.

What's the best way to get him to stop this behaviour without him hating me?

Thanks!

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I have had my cat for 6 years now and the first hot days mean I have to worry about my cat climbing the big balcony door screens.

We tried sticky strips and spraying with a repellent but the only solution that really worked was spraying him with water every time he climbs combined with a strong "no". No yelling, no hitting or anything of the sort, just a spray in his backside or face.

But this requires for you to be vigilant at all times. My cat likes to climb on screens in rooms that are at the other end of house. Everything would be quiet and suddenly you'd hear that hellish noise of claws against the screen ugh! What I did with the help of my wife was to set up watches and try to spray him as much as we can, wife had morning and I evenings.

After spraying him for a couple of weeks consistently, he only needed the strong worded "no" and then he stopped. Luckily, he didn't resume next year. I was afraid he'd forget but 1 spray was enough to remind him. We don't use water spray for anything else so the connection is strong there.

Good luck!

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  • We did the same with our cat when we want him to stop doing certain things. These days we do not actually spray the water on him but just the sound of the spray is enough to get him to not do certain things. – electrophile Sep 29 '17 at 5:33
  • Yeah, the water bottle definitely seems to work. I was a little hesitant to go with it because i've heard water bottle training can make your cat afraid of you, but I think if I keep it just to the window he'll hopefully associate the waterbottle with the window and not me. Thanks! – Nickknack Sep 29 '17 at 17:16
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If it won't harm the look of the screens it might be worth spraying them with a citrus-based cat repellent spray (test any such spray in a discreet area of the screen first!). You can either buy a ready made one or mix one up at home. Cats hate the scent of citrus so they will generally avoid the area but it's not harmful to them. If the window has a ledge that the cat jumps to before climbing you could try applying double sided tape to it for a few days - the sticky sensation under their paws is unpleasant for them so after a while they will give up, I've seen similar recommendations to use tinfoil but from my own attempts I've found it to be ineffective (could just be my cats though!)

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  • Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely keep that citrus spray in my back pocket. I'd hate for him to not want to go near the window since before I got the new one he loved looking out of it, so a behavioural change is definitely preferred, but this is a perfect alternative if all else fails!:D – Nickknack Sep 26 '17 at 16:36
  • It's worth trying and I've had some success with similar sprays in the past.. sometimes the cat will get used to the smell and resume the behavior, it all depends on how badly he wants to climb that window screen I guess! – motosubatsu Sep 26 '17 at 16:40

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