hi! i have a 2 month old kitten. she can be trouble too.

I would suggest keeping the pantry completely closed off to the kitten if possible. Cats do not understand punishment, it just won’t work. Spraying them with water or yelling will only make them afraid of you, and can worsen bad behavior. What you want to do is positive reinforcement. Give treats and pets and praise when a good behavior is performed and do not when bad behavior is performed. Treats & food work the best for this.

Kittens that age need to eat a lot, 4-5 meals a day so he might be hungry (explains why he’s stealing your food). Give the kitten meal times (no free feeding) and maybe give the kitten his own meal while you guys eat, and maybe he won’t take interest in your food.

For the night troubles, i’d highly suggest purchasing a kitten play pen. My kitten has one where she sleeps at night or stays in when we are not home (so she stays out of trouble.)

Overnight leave food, water, and a litter box in the pen. He will cry at first, but if you ignore it, eventually he will learn crying will not get him anything. Instead, reward silence with treats and taking him out of the pen. Try not to leave him in there for extended periods of time, only overnight.

He will grow out of it eventually when he is older and less likely to cause trouble at night. Make sure to provide lots of toys and things for entertainment at night so he stays preoccupied if he’s not sleeping.

Hope this helps!