One of the important things when fostering a kitten, especially one as young as Drake is to encourage good habits and discourage bad ones. Good habits? Snuggling, using the scratching post, that kind of thing. Bad habits? Not using the scratching post, or going on the stove. This was today's lesson. No Kitties on the stove. We start by catching the culprit in the act. Cats can be very quite when they want to be so this can be difficult, unless of course you happen to be making breakfast at the time.
Next remove the cat from the stove, using a cue word. I use "mine", in a firm tone. I use a cue word when I want the cats to stop what they are doing. They usually come to recognize it, but may choose to ignore me if they are feeling particularly precocious. I prefer to use a word rather than hissing or yelling, which is sometimes necessary to startle them out of the behavior, for training non-life threatening/injury causing behaviors. Repeat over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Sometimes you get partial success. He's testing just to see where the boundary is because maybe, just maybe it's 4 paws I don't like, but two is ok. Uh, no.
Sometimes you get full success. Notice he's still beside the stove, just not touching it. This is me acknowledging that he wants to be near me and near where the action is, and him acknowledging that he should not be on the stove.
Sometimes you just have to give up and put them in the kitchen kitten box.
