When it comes to wandering off on their own and causing all kinds of mischief, cats and dogs top the list in pets. Sometimes, they’re like small children; when you don’t hear anything for an extended period of time, you know something is going on. And when you finally find them, they are usually caught in the middle of some naughty behavior.
Steps in Cat Training
When cats learn the difference between what you consider good behavior and what upsets you, they are quite intelligent and learn to do things that please you. The best method to discipline your pet is during their early training. If you train them right at an early age, that’s the most ideal time to learn the good from the bad. Older cats are a little difficult to train as they’ve been brought up in a certain way, so it’s hard for them to change their behavior, but gradual disciplining can change them as well!
Dos and Don’ts of Disciplinary Behavior
Whether it’s trying to induce good behavior in humans or pets, everyone reacts positively to positive reinforcement. It’s just how psychology works!
Instead of using negativity to force someone to leave something, use positive words, encouragements, and other treats in order to coerce them into doing your bidding!
Like how our pets use their puppy dog faces to get us to follow them, Give them a dose of their own medicine!
Encourage Good Behavior: The Dos
Reward Them With Treats on Their Good Behavior
Your cats won’t learn from punishment, but they will quickly learn if you encourage and treat their good behavior. This way, they recognize what behavior makes you happy and gets them treats. So, when your kitty is in the middle of positive behavior, use some encouragement phrases to get their attention and then reward them with some treats to reinforce your praise!
Stop Immediately in the Face of Bad Behavior
Actively discouraging your cat’s bad behavior might not be the only way of stopping them. When you watch them behaving inappropriately, like biting or scratching stuff, you can stop them by distracting them or redirecting their behavior onto something else.
Look For Signs That Might Cause the Bad Behavior
Are you associating your cat’s sudden behavior with naughtiness and bad habits? If it’s sudden and your cat hasn’t behaved this way, look into the matter more thoroughly. For example, are they urinating in places other than their litter box? Then you should contact your vet and let them see this matter. This is because little kittens might be learning where their litter box is, but older cats shouldn’t make this mistake; it means there’s something wrong.
So, look for the cause before unfairly punishing your cat for something that isn’t in its control; your kitty can become quite sad and distant from you this way.
Bring Change in Your Surroundings
There are some materials that cats despise putting their paws on. So, you can put some of that material in places you don’t want your cat at. For instance, if you want your cat to stop sitting on the kitchen counter or scratching your couch, you can put some double-sided tape or aluminum foil on the surfaces. This way, your cat will stop going near those places because kitties don’t like the texture.
Don’ts of Disciplining a Cat
Don’t Use Physical Punishments
Yes, we know that disciplining a cat can make you pull tooth and nail, but no matter how frustrated you get, physical violence is never the answer!
Physically trying to get your cat to listen will never work; instead, it will successfully get you to break your already fragile bond with it. Not only will you make it withdraw from you but also encourage it to lash out towards you. So, no, never hit, shake or hold down a cat!
Never Yell at Your Kitty
Do you think yelling will make your cat understand you any better? You already don’t speak its language; it will only make the situation worse. They will notice the change in your behavior, and most cats associate yelling with negativity, so it will scare them. This can also cause them to become distant from you, but it will do nothing in curbing the bad behavior you were trying to stop.
So, yelling is definitely out of the question; please be a little patient with your kitty; a calm and soothing voice does wonders!
Don’t Encourage Bad Behavior During Playing
When your kitty is small, you take their bad behavior as kitten antics, but if they show the same behavior when they’re older, you’re gonna scold them for hurting you. So, when you see your kittens biting and swatting at you while playing in their young ages, you have to stop that behavior then, to stop it from becoming a habit in their adulthood.
Do Not Use Spray Bottles
Spraying water on your cat won’t solve your problem. Your cat won’t associate the spray bottle with its naughty behavior; instead, it’s going to run away just because of the fear of getting sprayed. This won’t do anything to stop its behavior, but rather your cat will withdraw every time it sees a sprayer, and you don’t want that happening because it can get your kitty to withdraw from you as well.
Do Not Compare Your Kitty and Your Puppy
Cats and dogs are entirely different when it comes to discipline. So, if you’ve trained a dog effectively, don’t assume that makes you an expert at training all pets. This is because when it comes to dog training, they are one of the most engaging animals who heed each and every one of your commands. However, when you tell a cat to sit, stay, or roll over, it’s going to ignore you like they’re the owners and you’re the cat!
Don’t let that discourage you; just try to approach both of them differently!
Wrapping Up
Even though cats can be quite disengaging, they still want all of your attention. So, when disciplining them, patience is the key. Spend time with them, praise them when they behave adorably and treat them in their good behavior. This way, you’ll have the disciplined and loving relationship that you desire with your cat!
