Ok, so my apartment is lonely and I'm thinking about getting a cat... maybe a dog. I don't know. So I'm thinking if I got a cat as a kitten... could I train it to stay out of the window sills?

And if so, any advice?

Unfortunately, cats are going to do what they want to do. There are methods that you can try to keep your cat out of windowsills, but honestly, that's the best part of the room for a cat! They can sit there and look out - especially if they are indoor cats.

Go to Pet Co (or another pet store) and ask the guy behind the counter what he would recommend. They have special pad-like things that are used in training cats to not jump on furniture - you could try those.

Yeah... thats what I figured...

You could try the whole "you jump up there and I"m going to squirt you with a water bottle"... but cats are quite hard-headed...

Good luck!

I do recommend a cat though - I have one and he's my favorite buddy! :)

That's what I was thinking about... but I know that it'll jump up there when I'm not home!

Lol... exactly. Sorry I couldn't help more!

Like I said though, there are pad type things that you can buy to restrict them from jumping on your sill. One thing they don't like is double-sided tape. They jump on it and its sticky and they don't like it. But that may mess up your paint job!

Cats are fun, but sometimes you just have to let them win... because they will eventually! :)

Put foil on the windowsill. Cats hate the sound and feel of foil and will avoid it at all costs. My mother has 4 cats and there is foil all over the house wherever she does not want the cats. Works like a charm.

WHOA! Gold mine!! J_9!! You da bomb!

I'm trying that one! :D

Hey, it works to rid your house of mice too, if you don't have a cat that is. ;)

J_9 you're a genius!! But we already knew that...

Nah, it's my mom that's the genius, I just passed on to y'all what I learned from her. (I don't have any cats). :p

Still... lol

I need to let my mom in on that secret. She's going nuts with the cats. Haha

I'm just curious why you don't want the cat on the windowsill. Cats like the light, and air, and to watch the outdoors, so it's going to be really hard to keep it out of the window. And, the most likely reason I can see for wanting to keep the cat out of the window is that you live in a spot that doesn't allow pets. If that's the case, I wouldn't get a cat until you moved into a spot that allows them.

I have also known cats who jump out of the window, even breaking the screens just to chase the birds. LOL

Cos I like to leave my windows open and I don't want them getting out.

Do you have window screens? If you don't, I'd strongly recommend getting them. If you leave the windows open and unscreened, there is almost no way without 100% supervision that you will keep your cat inside. They are attracted to all the motion and scents from outside.

If you're thinking the claws will damage the apartment windowsills, maybe you could just tack some carpeting over them? But if you are not allowed pets and it's looking out the window will let people know you have one in there, maybe use window blinds or tack some clear plastic panels over the insides of the windows so there is no sill to sit on.

I worry about the cats scratching the screens...

My cats Mostly stay off the tables and counters, due to intensive water squirting and hissing on my part when they were little. But to be honest, they get up when I'm not around. I hear them jumping down when they hear me coming down stairs. Passive aggressive.

BUT I have trained both of them to scratch only on the cat tree and special scratch boxes around the house by giving them treats every morning for scratching in the right place, instead of my carpeted stairs (plus squirts for the one that now rarely scratches the stairs when he's mad at me).

AND I have trained one of them to shake hands and stand on his hind legs for treats. So I think rewards work better than punishment with cats and don't let anyone tell you they are untrainable. Actually both will shake hands for treats, but the second one kind of rolls his eyes when he's doing it like, "sheesh, are you kidding me?"

If you leave the windows open and the distance to the ground is jumpable, they will go outside. If you put screens up, they will damage them, although mostly when they are kittens. When they are little, get cheap screens for the windows you want to leave open, then replace them after the kittens are more grown up and have better manners. As they age, they will be less and less willing to jump long distances, especially (I think) if you get males, like I have. They get heavier and it's uncomfortable. Most of the scratching damage my cats did was when they were kittens. Also helps to keep their claws trimmed, which you can do easily if you handle their paws a lot when they are kittens and get used to having it done. Also, give them treats when you are finished to encourage co-operation. If they struggle and run away, no treat!