Cats & Discipline Don't Mix.
Cats don't always behave the way we want them to. Sometimes they use the floor instead of the litter box. Sometimes they scratch our nice furniture. Cats have a mind of their own and that's not always what we want.
The biggest form of punishment I have known people to use are spray bottles. When the cat is scratching your furniture, you take a spray bottle and spray them. Most cats hate water and no one likes to be sprayed with anything. So of course the cat is going to learn it's lesson. It's genius, right?
Wrong. Punishing a cat does no good for the cat, or even for the human. Cats do not learn through punishment. They will not realize you are spraying them because they are doing something bad. All that happens when you punish a cat is make them scared. Fear will not change the certain bad behavior you are hoping to change.
If your cat isn't using the litterbox, it most likely has to do with the placement. Cats need privacy. But they also need easy access to it. If your cat is scratching your furniture, maybe get some or more scratching posts. Cats like scratching above their head, so make sure whatever you buy is tall enough so that the cat can stretch their arms while scratching. Sometimes it also helps to talk to your vet about your cats behavior. Bad behavior happens for a reason. Spray bottles will not solve the problem.
For more information, here is an article about disciplining your cat:
Cats & Discipline Don't Mix
The biggest form of punishment I have known people to use are spray bottles. When the cat is scratching your furniture, you take a spray bottle and spray them. Most cats hate water and no one likes to be sprayed with anything. So of course the cat is going to learn it's lesson. It's genius, right?
Wrong. Punishing a cat does no good for the cat, or even for the human. Cats do not learn through punishment. They will not realize you are spraying them because they are doing something bad. All that happens when you punish a cat is make them scared. Fear will not change the certain bad behavior you are hoping to change.
If your cat isn't using the litterbox, it most likely has to do with the placement. Cats need privacy. But they also need easy access to it. If your cat is scratching your furniture, maybe get some or more scratching posts. Cats like scratching above their head, so make sure whatever you buy is tall enough so that the cat can stretch their arms while scratching. Sometimes it also helps to talk to your vet about your cats behavior. Bad behavior happens for a reason. Spray bottles will not solve the problem.
For more information, here is an article about disciplining your cat:
Cats & Discipline Don't Mix
posted by kittycat25 at
1/23/2006
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1 comments
