Disciplining a cat

[meep]

I've read before that, with kittens, just pressing two fingertips firmly ont he space above their nose / between their eyes works. Not hard, and not a 'tap' like a smack, but just pressure.

They don't like it, and apparently it asserts your dominance over them.

I do find that ignoring them when they're bad works. Much like dogs, telling a cat off for something it did a wee while ago (like you come home and you find they've poo'd on your couch) won't work as they won't associate the telling off with the incident that happend a few hours ago. It needs to be immediate.

I find cats are sensitive enough to emotions that they pretty quickly get the message.

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by meep

I've read before that, with kittens, just pressing two fingertips firmly ont he space above their nose / between their eyes works. Not hard, and not a 'tap' like a smack, but just pressure.

They don't like it, and apparently it asserts your dominance over them.

I do find that ignoring them when they're bad works. Much like dogs, telling a cat off for something it did a wee while ago (like you come home and you find they've poo'd on your couch) won't work as they won't associate the telling off with the incident that happend a few hours ago. It needs to be immediate.

I find cats are sensitive enough to emotions that they pretty quickly get the message.

I quite agree; that's what I meant when I said it just makes them think people are unpredictable. They can't do cause and effect unless it's immediate, they're not wired that way.

[Darky]

I've always heard the 'spray water bottle' technique when it comes to disciplining cats.

Luckily I've never had to, though.

If a cat has ever done anything bad to me, I've just automatically opted for walking away and ignoring the cat.

The worst our cats will do is jump onto a surface that they're not allowed on (though this is rare). Spike will get off if you just tell him to, but Honey is ignorant. XD So I just pick him up and plop him down somewhere else, problem solved.

[ellenlouise]

I just use my voice like you all have said. I have heard off people spraying the cats with water but I wouldn't want them to represent me with a bad thing. I have once tapped Neo on the nose when he tried to eat my food but decided that it didnt work so I simply pick him up and put him down.

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by ellenlouise

I just use my voice like you all have said. I have heard off people spraying the cats with water but I wouldn't want them to represent me with a bad thing. I have once tapped Neo on the nose when he tried to eat my food but decided that it didnt work so I simply pick him up and put him down.

The secret with the water spray is to do it in a way that they can't see you doing it, so associate it with the thing they were doing, rather than you. Easier said than done, however, lol!

[MrsH]

I have quite a rasping voice and sound quite growly when I tell the cats off, it usually works.

We've also used the water spray technique, it stopped them clawing the carpet outside the bedroom door for a while (think we need to do it again now though!) The trouble is that they know it's us, who else is going to be flinging the bedroom door open at 4.00am to spray them?

[keziah]

A big yell usually makes him understand that what he is doing is not acceptable, but sometimes he gives me the look as if to say "What are you going to do??" Then I chase him around the house till one of us gets tired and surrenders

Earlier he had got the habit of scratching the carpet and we had to use the spray bottle to spray some water on him, which made him run like a crazy cat around the house , that behaviour has thankfully stopped overtime.

[ellenlouise]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

The secret with the water spray is to do it in a way that they can't see you doing it, so associate it with the thing they were doing, rather than you. Easier said than done, however, lol!

Seems so obvious now you say it like that lol... Think I'll just stick to shouting. Cats get away with murder though don't they. Like now I am sat right on the edge of the computer chair barely balancing as Lily and Trinity are asleep on it. What are us cat owners like!

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by ellenlouise

Seems so obvious now you say it like that lol... Think I'll just stick to shouting. Cats get away with murder though don't they. Like now I am sat right on the edge of the computer chair barely balancing as Lily and Trinity are asleep on it. What are us cat owners like!

Tell me about it!!! Many a night I end up sleeping on the edge of the bed because resident cat has grabbed the warm spot in the middle when I got up to go to the loo ....

[meep]

Originally Posted by dandysmom

Tell me about it!!! Many a night I end up sleeping on the edge of the bed because resident cat has grabbed the warm spot in the middle when I got up to go to the loo ....

Darcy seems to like to sleep with at least some part of him (head, feet, body) on my legs, so he'll lie between them and drape his chin onto my leg and as he just looks so adorable and comfy, and I can feel him purring against me, I daren't move or disturb him and generally fall asleep in a less-than-comfortable position