How to train your...

...CATS!!! *Rawrrr* ( >^w^< )~

Mali and Jana (5 months old) - in their usual sibling 'cat fight'

Are you a cat person? Do you have cats, and happen to own a car too? Are you having problems keeping your cats off of your car? Don't you just friggin' hate it when you see those dreadful dirty kitty paw prints all over your car, especially when you're about to go out driving to someplace in a hurry? Moreover, you've just washed your car yourself in the morning, wiping off "yesterday's" kitty paw prints... and then, in the evening when you're about to go out, bammm... you see new, freshly made kitty paw prints (with an extra touch of red dirt) all over your car again. Oh, aren't they just... LOVELY??? 
 

Mali - giving me that oh-so-devilish look behind the Karapolei shrub

It's ART! ART I tell you!! I should call it, CAT ART!!!................. Owh Heyell NO, it's a CATASTROPHE!!! Aimmagonna getchuu naw ya'dayyum kittehs!!! *Grabs the garden water hose and turns up the water volume to full power*

Ok, calm down. No use lecturing or scolding the kittehs, they won't be able to understand the reason or purpose of you displaying your anger by unleashing your wrath unto those beady, sparkly-eyed, innocent-looking kittehs!! X3

Neki (5 months old, female) - a sibling to Mali and Jana

Jana (5 months old, female) - the 'not-so-friendly' sister

Mali (5 months old, male) - the only brother, and rather spoiled

Ok, so..., how can you effectively make those evil beady, sparkly-eyed kittehs understand that your car is off-limits to them? What should I do? And so, like any other normal human being of the current era who often relies on the internet to solve almost every mind-boggling matter, I did some  "online research" regarding this kitty-owner-car problem, and found some answers recommendations:

1)  Keep your car in the garage - My house doesn't have a garage, so, no can do... next!

2) Keep your cats indoors. If those cats belong to your neighbors, ask them to keep their cats indoors. Tell them it is safer to keep their cats indoors - Ummm, I believe that cats need to be outdoors, and it's not like I'm living in some apartment in the middle of some busy city, so, no... next!

3) Use an electronic device that emits a high-pitched noise or a burst of water (automated sprinklers with motion sensors) when the cat comes close. Most pet supply stores sell electronic cat deterrents - Dang, this kinda sounds like a pain-in-the-arse to install and apply... is there any other easier way to just simply keep mah cats away from mah car??

4) Use artificial or natural substances with a strong odor that cats normally hate. You can make your very own cat-repellent with natural substances using dried mustard, cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, dried rosemary, lemon... etc etc - I wish I don't have to use this method... *ignoring this one*  

5) Cover your car with a car cover. It won't deter the cats, but it will protect your car from paw prints and scratches - I used to cover my car up with a car cover, but after some time, I don't like the result of this daily routine. I want my cats to get the idea that my car is off-limits to them, covered or not. Covering and uncovering my car everyday just feels so... wrong.... *sigh*

6) Get rid of the cats - Now now, don't be like that... *laughs*

7) Keep a bulldog or any kind of guard dogs to scare away the cats - Ummm, I still love my cats, I wouldn't want them to feel threatened living around the house, since my cats sleep outdoors. This would only work if I'm a dog person who'd want to chase away the neighbors' cats off my property... ("^____^)

8) Give the cat something else to nap on. A stack of wood crates or cardboard boxes about the same height as the roof of your car. Put them as close to your car as possible, and sprinkle some catnip to entice the cat - You see, my car is always parked right next to my sister's car, but those darn kittehs still choose to bully my car more compared to hers... *sigh*

9) Put a vinyl mat designed to go under a rolling desk chair on the car, bumpy side up. The tiny spikes on the mat will be somewhat painful, but not harmful. When the cat lands on them, he will quickly learn to stay off the car. Office supply stores sell them - Hey, heyyyy... this sounds kinda cool... this might just do the trick in solving mah kitteh-VS-car problem!! *sparkling eyes*

10) Use X-Mats on the hood and roof of the car. These plastic mats are designed to deter pets. The raised bumps are uncomfortable underfoot when the cat lands on them. Most pet supply stores sell X-Mats - Wow, really? I never knew. Great to know. Sounds like it's the same concept as vinyl mats bumpy side up. I'll look for the vinyl mats first *thumbs up* 

And so last night, in search for some kind of a bumpy, cat-deterrent-like mat, I went to Kedai Borong Din after I'm done with some normal grocery shopping. Looked around the store for several minutes, and then I found...

THIS!!!  

One mat (305 x 445mm) only costs RM1.90, so I bought 4 mats! Wohoo~

Placed those mats bumpy side up on my car last night right after I got home from shopping...

These small 'spikes' will make those evil kittehs squirm and keep away... miahaha, how do you like mah car now you bad, bad kittehs?? X3

For less than RM8, my car is now......... well, not entirely free from kitty paw prints, as there were still some traces of dusty paw prints on the mat-free area of my car this morning. Well, at least those kittehs can't freely nap on my car anymore like they used to. My car has significantly become "uncomfortable" for them to do as they please. Sooner or later they'll start to gradually lose interest in jumping onto my car, totally. Hopefully... ( =______= )

Jya mata ne, koneko-tachi chan~ ( = ^w^ = )