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Our family got a cat back in September, and it's taken until now, but she is getting this habit where she jumps up on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. She jumped into our Christmas Tree the other day and broke some 120 year old ornaments, along with almost breaking a very expensive die-cast car that was on the top of my dresser earlier today. That's along with the kitchen table, counter, workbenches in the basement, etc. I've sprayed her with a water bottle and have started patting her on the rear (not hard, but to let know she did something wrong), but it's not helping. We have had a cat for the most of 20 years, and she's the first to not respond to punishment.
I have 6 and if I have anything that I really want to keep safe from the cats, it is put in a spot where I know they can't get to it, such as a cabinet or high up on a shelf. Most cats will jump on tables, bookshelves etc., cats don't like to be on the floor, they enjoy being higher up and checking things out. Even the ones that knew we didn't want them on the dining table would get up on the table, they would just jump down when they heard me coming, LOL. Cats are inquisitive by nature.... and some of them are more clumsy than others....
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I have 15 cats and have learned, just like many others here, that cats, due to their very curious nature, will do the darnedest things, like climbing a Christmas tree and sending it toppling over. I feel so badly for your keepsake ornaments.
But please don't yell or punish your kitten for doing only something that is "natural" for him to do. Yes, do start cat-proofing your house, getting valuables and breakables either up high enough (what is high enough when you have cats??) or behind a closed cupboard door, or put somewhere for safe keeping. All my collectibles have been put away, after a few disastrous eye openers compliments of my furkids.
I second the option of just cat proofing the house. I'm bringing my three 10 month old kittens to my Mom's for Christmas - and I'm VERY anxious about what they are going to do to her Christmas tree. But we will be ready with eyes wide open and a squirt bottle handy.
Cats don't respond to "patting"....I think it only makes them fear you, not discourage behaviors. At least that's what I've read. Just sayin.
Cat proofing our house is out of the question. We have tons of hobby stuff like RC planes, die-casts, a train layout etc. Too much to fit in one room and throwing that stuff away.......not gonna happen. Plus, I'm not only worried about stuff getting broken, I'm also worried about her jumping on stuff like the stove or up on a counter when someone has a knife, and none of us are a big fan of her rubbing her butt on the table we eat at lol.
I know cats are curious, but I'm not gonna let the cat make the rules. Just sayin'.
My thoughts only>>>>>said very quietly>>>>>>Maybe you should have thought it out a little more thoroughly about getting a kitten in a home with so much hobby stuff laying around. We all need to be considerate of a feline's needs as well as our own, for both will live under a common roof.
My thoughts only>>>>>said very quietly>>>>>>Maybe you should have thought it out a little more thoroughly about getting a kitten in a home with so much hobby stuff laying around. We all need to be considerate of a feline's needs as well as our own, for both will live under a common roof.
My thoughts only>>>>>said very quietly>>>>>>Maybe you should have thought it out a little more thoroughly about getting a kitten in a home with so much hobby stuff laying around. We all need to be considerate of a feline's needs as well as our own, for both will live under a common roof.
We're had cats, which were all kittens, for 20 years now. We know what they do. They all jumped on stuff they weren't supposed to, but they responded to punishment when they got in trouble, and this one isn't responding very well right now.
I'm not looking for ways to cat-proof the house because I don't feel it's needed, but ways to teach her to not jump on stuff that she shouldn't be on, before she teaches herself by jumping on a hot stove. We taught her to not chew wires and boxes, got her to stop knocking books off the bookshelf and stop tipping over the laundry hampers, so this should be possible.
Plus, it's not as if she has nothing to jump up on. She's free to jump on the beds, furniture, desks, kitchen chairs, kitty condo, anything in the bathroom etc, just not places where things are going to get broken.
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But we will be ready with eyes wide open and a squirt bottle handy. 
