Updated by Sheryl on Jul 22, 2021
Your expectations for your cat's conduct are probably reasonable. You are probably not astonished if it sometimes does something out of the blue. However, you might be asking if it's okay to punish or reprimand your cat for repeated poor conduct. In this article, you will learn how to discipline your kitten with tested and proven methods, as well as when to do so. It is important to firstly note that it is not every time you should scold your cat for bad behavior.
When cats misbehave, the first thing to consider is whether there is a primary medical trigger. For instance, your cat might be peeing on the carpet because of diabetes, urinary tract condition, arthritis, or severe renal illness.
Mischief is an understatement when it comes to cats. The fundamental cause of such unpleasant misbehaving kitties is partially natural and related to their current physical state. It might be a disease, or it may be a result of their previous experience, or it may simply be natural cat behavior that we humans dislike and don't understand.
ASPCA claims that the most prevalent behavior issue reported by cat owners is improper elimination. It is believed that 10% of all cats will excrete outside of their litter box at some time throughout their lifetimes.
Some cats simply will not allow peace to reign; they just will not get along for a variety of reasons. The most prevalent is a lack of proper socialization.
Cats scratch on items to remove frayed, worn outer claws and expose fresh, sharper claws because their claws need to be sharpened on a regular basis. All of this clawing may be quite damaging to your furniture, carpeting, and draperies.
Some kitties meow more than their owners would like and consider cute. But keep in mind that some cat breeds, particularly Siamese, are prone to excessive meowing and yowling.
When you notice your cat exhibiting improper behaviors toward you or around the house, the following cat disciplinary tips might assist you:
Before anything else, one of the most common reasons cats misbehave is that they are ill or stressed. Cats exhibit strange habits to cope with stress. You should check on them before things worsen. Keep an eye out for any indications of a cold or teething. Even the cat's previous experience must be considered.
Shake a can with few pennies in it to scare your cat if you notice it jumping on the countertop or wherever it shouldn't be.
Citrus scents, red pepper flakes, and commercially available sprays meant to keep cats away from particular regions are all disliked by certain cats. There are even particular sprays that have a terrible taste to discourage pets from chewing on items.
No one, not even cats, likes being squirted with water. If your cat is somewhere or doing something they shouldn't be doing, give them a quick spray. After a few occasions, simply reaching for the spray bottle is likely to prevent the negative behavior. PLEASE, USE THIS METHOD ONLY WHEN YOUR CAT IS TOO STUBBORN.
These simple items may be placed on surfaces that you do not want your cat to scratch. The textures are unappealing to cats.
A cat teaser might let your feline stay in the house without destroying anything. It is a common cat favorite that serves to tire them out and distract their attention, preventing them from meowing at the door so early in the morning. Cat teasers can help save your furnishings from becoming severely tattered.
To stop any harsh behavior, startle your cat with a loud "ouch" or similar phrase.
If your cat is misbehaving, place it in a bathroom or another area with no humans for 20 minutes. It will frequently emerge from the room with a new attitude.
Do reward your cat during the act of good behavior so it can make the connection between her behavior and the positive reinforcement. You can achieve this by giving it treats.
Do consider your cat's health. Make an appointment with your cat's veterinarian if it suddenly starts eliminating in other areas of your home. This change in behavior might be a sign of a health problem, and your vet will be able to tell you if your cat is in good shape. You'd never want to punish your cat for something it couldn't control.
Don't compare your cat to dogs: If you've previously trained a dog, you may believe that training a cat is comparable to how you trained your dog. Put a stop to it right there. Cats and dogs are two extremely distinct species that do not learn in the same manner.
Don't shout to make a point: Don't deceive yourself into believing that raising your voice would help your cat understand you better. In fact, when you yell at a cat, it would become scared and weary of you.
Don't stroke your cat's nose in an elimination: The only thing you'll accomplish by rubbing your cat's nose is to irritate her. The best course of action is to just thoroughly clean the area and continue working on litter box training.
Should your cat begin to hit or play attack, either walk away or use a non-physical form of resistance such as a can of pressurized air, a loud hiss, cap gun, handheld alarm, or water sprayer.
Constant hissing, clawing, and biting from the meowing pet you adore isn't what you bargain for when you adopt a cat. Therefore, to stop all these aggressive behaviors, you should not yell at it and ensure to keep the small kids away from it as kids and cats do not easily get along. You should also check with your veterinarian to check if your cat has any health issues, and of course, provide a safe place for it.
There's an old wives' tale about using a spray bottle to divert a cat's undesirable behavior, but the fact is that she probably doesn't correlate being sprayed with the bad behavior. She is more likely to cease doing what she is doing by running away from being sprayed—and that is it.
Yes. But when a cat's pleasant mood abruptly turns negative, it could be due to health issues or their dislike for a new environment. Severe mood fluctuations can indicate anything, and only a veterinarian can tell for sure.
Cats are intelligent animals, and most of their actions are repeated because they are effective to them. The outcome of their actions may not be pleasing to us humans, but it makes sense to the cat. It irritates us when our cat eliminates on the bedroom carpet, yet it may work for the cat. She may decide that the bedroom gives security after being ambushed by a companion cat whenever she attempts to get to the litter box. Therefore, disciplining your cats requires extra caution, especially if you do not want your cat to become scared of you.