Hi Deborah,

Thank you so much for reaching out; you came to the right place.

Coco and Mochi have reached puberty, like human teenagers. This is a turbulent phase, and Coco is trying to push the boundaries.

Please continue providing mental and physical stimulation to both cats; however, increase one-on-one interactive play with Coco. Harness and leash walks are also great outlets to expend energy. If budget permits, could you engage a cat sitter to drop in several times weekly to play with Coco?

To stop Coco from eating human food, remove all leftovers and keep food out of reach. Increase the feeding regime to three times per day (just smaller portions) and purchase a puzzle feeder (https://cats.com/puzzle-feeders-for-cats).

The most effective way to reduce Coco’s counter-surfing is to train him to ‘go onto a mat’ with clicker training. The following video displays Mat Training (https://youtu.be/Zz-7aqN2kKE).

Remain loving and patient during this boisterous phase since it will pass.

If none of the above helps, I’m happy to provide you with a training session via zoom (I’m based in Australia).

All the best
Melina

NEW MESSAGE- I AM OVER 70 AND THIS IS A CHALLENGE. BOTH CATS ARE SUPER FRIENDLY AND LOVING. ONE IS TROUBLE! COCO GETS ON THE COUNTER – JUMPS IN THE FRIDGE & GRABS ANYTHING HE CAN WHICH COMES OUT WITH HIM.- OPENS BAGS, AND BITES PLASTIC BOTTLES UNTIL HE GETS A HOLE IN THEM, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE IN GLASS OR LOCKED UP. HE EATS COOKIES, HAWIAN ROLLS, LITPON DRY SOUP, POTATO CHIPS, – ALMOST ANYTHING HE CAN FIND.
I HAVE TRIED TIN FOIL DOUBLE STICK TAPE, MATS WITH PONTS-, & PUT HIM IN TIME OUT EVERY TIME HE IS ON THE COUNTER/TABLE. BOUGHT A MOTION SENSOR THAT HAS A HORRIBLE NOISE BUT IN ONE MINUTE HE WAS PLAYING WITH IT. BOUGHT TONS OF INTERACTIVE TOYS & CATNIP MICE, AND TUNNELS, AND BUILT A HUGE CAT TREE IT IS 7 FEET TALL! WE HAVE HAD THE BROTHERS COCO AND MOCHI SINCE THEY WERE 8 WEEKS OLD- NOW THEY ARE 9 MONTHS. MOCHI IS PRETTY GOOD BUT COCO IS TEACHING HIM – I HAVE TRIED LOOKING FOR A TRAINER BUT NO LUCK- I PLAY WITH BOTH OF THEM EVERY DAY. BOTH ARE SUPER FRIENDLY AND LOVING. COCO DOES SHARE WITH HIS BROTHER EVERYTHING HE OPENS. I LOVE THEM BUT THEY ARE MAKING MY LIFE TOUGH AND MY HUSBAND HAS ABOUT HAD IT.

ADDED MORE TO PREVIOUS MESSAGE- HELP HELP – COCO GETS ON THE COUNTER – JUMPS IN THE FRIDGE & GRABS ANYTHING HE CAN WHICH COMES OUT WITH HIM.- OPENS BAGS, AND BITES PLASTIC BOTTLES UNTIL HE GETS A HOLE IN THEM, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE IN GLASS OR LOCKED UP. HE EATS COOKIES, HAWIAN ROLLS, LITPON DRY SOUP, POTATO CHIPS, – ALMOST ANYTHING HE CAN FIND.
I HAVE TRIED TIN FOIL DOUBLE STICK TAPE, MATS WITH PONTS-, & PUT HIM IN TIME OUT EVERY TIME HE IS ON THE COUNTER/TABLE. BOUGHT A MOTION SENSOR THAT HAS A HORRIBLE NOISE BUT IN ONE MINUTE HE WAS PLAYING WITH IT. BOUGHT TONS OF INTERACTIVE TOYS & CATNIP MICE, AND TUNNELS, AND BUILT A HUGE CAT TREE IT IS 7 FEET TALL! WE HAVE HAD THE BROTHERS COCO AND MOCHI SINCE THEY WERE 8 WEEKS OLD- NOW THEY ARE 9 MONTHS. MOCHI IS PRETTY GOOD BUT COCO IS TEACHING HIM – I HAVE TRIED LOOKING FOR A TRAINER BUT NO LUCK- I PLAY WITH BOTH OF THEM EVERY DAY. BOTH ARE SUPER FRIENDLY AND LOVING. COCO DOES SHARE WITH HIS BROTHER EVERYTHING HE OPENS

Coco sounds like a very spirited boy! Love it. I’m pulling our cat behavior consultant, Melina, to help you out with this!

Hey David, thanks for asking. I’ve manually added you to the list, and you should receive an email at the address you attached to this comment. Thanks for your interest!