Cat Behavior Issues

[angelayla]

My problem is with my two cats. I got Skittles a year ago, and Prissy a few months ago. Skittles was very well behaved when I got her, but when Prissy came along, no matter how much we try to train Prissy, it never works. Skittles waits for Prissy to do something bad, then follows along with her.

So back to training Skittles as well.

No matter how I try to teach them, it doesn't seem to sink in anymore. I was told to use a spray bottle of water. It doesn't work. Because they know what it is and what it's for. Normally when they do something bad, if I walk towards them, they run to their room and stay there. But if they see me with the water bottle they'll run all over the house, and by then it's pointless to discipline because they've forgotten completely why they're being disciplined in the first place.

I've tried saying very sternly and loud "no". But they'll just look at me and continue what they're doing wrong until we get up and walk towards them or take out the spray bottle. And even then they just go back to what they're doing wrong unless we sit there and guard them.

I'm at my wits end because I don't know how to train them to stop being destructive. They'll just sneak around the house doing what they please, and since there's really no method I have tried that works, they think they're getting away with it. If I don't watch them 24/7 they get into the cupboards (afterwards I have to rewash all the dishes in there), tear up my blankets, dig out dry poop from the litter box and throw it around the house, chew on cords, climb the curtains, etc.

I've tried everything I can in the way of removing alot of the items they like to destroy, but unless I pack my entire apartment into boxes, that's not an option.

Our youngest, Prissy has taken to biting while being pet, or sometimes just randomly if we tell her "no" to something. Putting her down and ignoring her after she bites while petting seems to work sometimes, but she's determined to have her way or she gets very angry. It's not just nipping either. One night I told her "no" when she tried to chew my fiance's computer cords, she spun around, grabbed onto my arm and started biting and scratching, and I hadn't even touched her!

What can I do to curb this behavior in my cats? I hate having to be two feet behind them at all times to keep them out of trouble.