Content
- Before scolding your cat
- It is better to teach than to scold
- The tip of when
- The power of No!
- Other effective reprimands
- violence is not discipline
- And if my cat is a stray cat...
Would you like discipline your pet and don't know how? It is normal for everyone to give you advice on how to teach a dog to behave well, not to bite his shoes, to take care of himself outside the house, not to bark... but what happens when it comes to a cat , this independent animal, suspicious, a little wild but affectionate and fun?
If you have a feline at home, I'm sure you've never wondered about how should you scold your cat. At PeritoAnimal we will give you the answer. Teaching a cat that something he's done isn't good is easier than you think, just be patient and follow these simple tips.
Cats are intelligent animals and if they have attitudes that are not conducive to living together, you can reprimand them effectively, making them understand you and not repeating these actions that can become uncomfortable. We know that cats have a special character and that without a doubt we can never compare them to dogs, but what we can do is understand their behavior and act appropriately to help them to live correctly and with a certain discipline at home.
Before scolding your cat
If you have a cat, then you know very well that it is a free-spirited animal, a little wild and very independent. However, like any other pet, the cat needs discipline and for that you must know the reasons for your behavior well. It may be that for you he is being a complete destroyer when he is simply carrying out the actions his instinct dictates to him.
The feline instinct, its habits and some of its attitudes may come from your wild ancestors, so they will hardly disappear, but that doesn't mean you can't teach your cat the basic rules of coexistence and make it comply with them. , at least while you're watching.
It is very important to be patient and remember that this is an animal. reprimanding is not mistreating and wanting to discipline your feline friend doesn't mean you like him any less.
It is better to teach than to scold
There are some typical actions that felines can take that are most likely the cause of your wondering how you can scold a cat. If you have one of these cases at home, the best thing is to understand the reasons for these attitudes and then correct them:
- Have the furniture destroyed: Cats scratch and file their nails quite often, it's an instinctive and survival action, as they do it to release stress and relax. If your cat destroys your furniture, it most likely needs a scraper and some toys, so find out first why your cat scratches the furniture and if you don't want to invest a lot of money, make yourself a fun homemade scraper for cats.
- bite and attack your hands: Cats can bite for many reasons, but if it attacks your hands we're sorry to tell you it's your fault. If you've been playing bites with your cat since childhood, what you've done is teach him that his fingers are prey, so what you have to do is correct this behavior. Find out why your cat bites you and don't scold him if it's something he learned from you.
- Use the whole house except the sandbox: The use of the litter box is almost innate in felines, this is because they instinctively need to eliminate any smell that might leave traces. However, there are times when this doesn't happen, so before scolding your cat, understand why your cat doesn't use the litter box and, enjoy and also see our article on how to prevent your cat from urinating at home . And for the more daring, we also have recommendations for teaching your cat to use the toilet.
The tip of when
When we talk about scold a cat, the "when" element is critical. As with other types of pets, the reprimand will be effective if it occurs at the exact moment the animal is eating this attitude. In other words, if you can't find your feline hands-on, forget about scolding him because he won't understand why you're scolding him.
If you reprimand your cat for something that something he did wrong has to be at the time the animal is doing the action, if a minute passes the effect will not be the same. The cat, like dogs, does not have the reasoning ability of a human being, so no matter how much you scold him, he won't know why he's scolding you for something he did 3 hours, 15 or 2 minutes ago.
Even though your little feline friend has done something really bad, like turning the house inside out, destroying furniture or leaving footprints in the kitchen, it's no use reprimanding him if it's not when he's doing it, so don't waste time like that. Your pet may be scared by your attitude and won't understand that you've done something you shouldn't.
The power of No!
Bearing in mind that the reprimand must be given at the exact moment of the act, what you must do is say a firm no to your pet. When you find your cat doing something it shouldn't, like climbing to the table or biting a piece of furniture, this is when you should impose discipline, but be careful, it's not about yelling or explaining to the cat why you shouldn't do what you're doing.Remember it's an animal and we don't want it to run away, it's about making it learn not to repeat this action.
To do this correctly, approach the animal and apply light pressure on its neck in order to lower its head. While doing this action say a firm no and let it go. Should hold the cat firmly but gently, should never hurt your pet, what you should do is mark him so he knows that what he is doing is not good.
Repeat this action as often as necessary and try to use the same strong, firm tone of voice. This way, the cat will understand not to do this, but remember to be patient, as this is an effective but long process.
Other effective reprimands
There are other methods you can use to educate your cat and make him understand that what he did is no good. These methods use feline weaknesses to associate something you don't like with a particular action. But keep in mind that you must be careful, as the priority is always take care and protect your pet, never torture or hurt him.
These methods are recommended in extreme situations, such as to control fights with other pets at home or to keep your friend away from dangerous areas such as balconies:
- Spray with water: Always have a water sprayer handy and spray a small amount of water on your water when it does something wrong or approaches a prohibited area. The animal will be frightened and little by little will associate the activity with the uncomfortable sensation of the water. It is important that the water shot is accurate, fast and, if possible, in the face, don't worry that this won't hurt your cat, even so, it's not something we recommend doing very often.
- bicycle horn: Cats like to do things secretly or covertly and have a very developed auditory sense, so loud sounds are not to their liking. Just like water, always keep a horn or bugle handy and when you see your cat doing something he shouldn't do, give him a touch that scares him a little and pulls him away from what he's doing.
Keep in mind that for these methods to take effect it is important that your cat does not know that both the water and the sound come from you. Cats are very smart and if they know you're doing these things they won't stop doing what they're doing. The idea is that the cat thinks that these unpleasant moments come from the sofa, table or balcony.
violence is not discipline
Never use violence with your pets, remember that cats are animals with a very special character and it may be that when you are watching it is a little angel and when you leave it alone, it goes back to the old days, it is its nature.
Regardless, mistreatment will not help improve your behavior, on the contrary, it can affect your relationship, as it may attack you to defend yourself and have a great distrust and fear of that person. With patience and the right actions, you can teach your cat the things not to do and can enjoy great company for many years.
And if my cat is a stray cat...
If you have adopted an adult cat that comes from the street, the subject of the discipline should be treated differently. Keep in mind that a cat who has lived part of his life on the street may have suffered from abuse on the part of humans, so when scolding him to teach him to live together, he must be very careful.
At PeritoAnimal we are in favor of helping our feline friends and, even more so if they are cats who have had a difficult life, so if you have decided to adopt a stray cat, we just have to congratulate them.
Taming a wild cat is not that complicated, we just have to be patient and to address the subject of discipline, first we must resolve other important issues such as the feline's safety and confidence in its new home.
Completely discard water and noise methods. Remember that a stray cat has suffered enough, so your new home can't have things that remind you of an unpleasant past. Once your cat feels good and has gained your trust, use positive reinforcement to improve your virtues.
