Correcting Cats Bad Behaviour: How To Discipline Your Cat; Youll Be Happy; Your Cat Will Be Too!


At some time or another even the sweetest cat "misbehaves." Ironically, a cat's bad act is usually quite normal behavior for her, but may have a result humans don't like or want. Screaming at the cat or physically punishing her won't alter negative behavior. The best way to change undesirable behavior is to eliminate the opportunity and/or distract the cat to an acceptable alternative.

Immediacy is vital: even seconds late may be ineffective. You must do it as soon as the cat starts misbehaving.

Distracting a cat away from an act is not very difficult. A loud, unfamiliar noise will quickly get her attention. Some cat owners use a low growling sound, others imitate the grating sound of a game show buzzer. Keeping the sound low-toned and harsh is important, because you want to save high-pitched sounds for praise and reinforcement of positive behaviors.

One well-known way to distract a misbehaving cat is to give her a blast with a spray bottle. While this works, it has some drawbacks. First, you must have the bottle in your hand at the exact moment the cat is about to act in a way you want to discourage. Unless you follow your cat around all day with a spray bottle in your hand, this is unlikely to happen. The second problem is that this technique seems to lose effectiveness after a while with some cats.

The best way to extinguish negative behaviors is to remove the opportunity. If your cat obsessively scratches the side of your couch, place a loose blanket or hard acrylic panel against it. Both techniques remove her access to the satisfying feel of the fabric. If she climbs your curtains, shredding them as she goes, fold or pin them out of her reach unless you are around to stop her. If she has accidents only when you are not home, only give her free run of the house when you are there. When you go out, close her in a room with food, water, litter box, scratching post and a couple of toys.

Avoid, at all times, any form of physical punishment. It doesn't matter if your vet or the "cat expert" down the street suggests it; physically punishing your cat will do more harm than good. Some people feel that a "little" tap on the cat's nose with your finger is an acceptable form of punishment because you are only using one finger. Humane group experts point out, however, that if you look at that finger in proportion to a cat's nose - a very sensitive body part - it would be like someone hitting you on the nose with a rolling pin.

You can try gently pushing the palm of your hand into the face of the cat. This is best used when discouraging something like biting. Don't hit the cat, simply push its face back gently.

Inflicting pain has a negative affect on your relationship with your cat. Even the most outgoing cat will back away from your hands, even if they are only reaching out to pet her. If your cat is shy to begin with, physical punishment can have even more deeply negative results.

Keep in mind, too, what you are communicating when you swat your cat. Swatting is one of the main ways cats fight with one another. When you swing your hand at your cat, she very well may take it as a challenge to fight. Constantly provoking her can create a serious aggression problem.

Pet Medication Supplies http://www.pet-medication-supplies.net can help you get the best possible pet health supplies. Advantix, Arthramine, Cosequin, Frontline, Heartgard - find the best deals in pet medication for flea and tick control, arthritis and lyme disease. Upto 50% discount everyday on brand names.


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post (blog)

Researchers: Williamsburg colonists buried pets
Washington Post (blog)
A finding from the College of William and Mary may change attitudes about how colonists treated their pets. Laboratory analysis at the college has found ...

and more »


MyFox Chicago

Three charged, birds recovered after series of pet shop thefts
Chicago Sun-Times
The stolen birds are safe and three people been charged in connection with the thefts of exotic pets -- worth more than $5000 -- from three west suburban ...
Cops may have break in suburban bird theftsChicago Daily Herald

all 35 news articles »


Ohio pets' fate to depend on owners
Laconia Citizen
The bear's owner had lost his federal license to display the animal but legally continued to keep a menagerie of wild beasts as pets. ...
Days may be numbered for owning exotic animals in OhioDayton Daily News
Rules being tightened on exotic animal ownership in OhioYork Daily Record

all 8 news articles »


Fox11online.com

A hundred pets find new homes
Denver Post
The Humane Society of Boulder Valley had their second-largest adoption day ever today, placing 106 cats and dogs in new homes. ...
Michigan Humane Society Planning Mega MarchWDIV Detroit
Dog rescue case ends in happiness for rehomed petsAnimal Friends Pet Insurance
Bay Area Humane Society: Celebrates record-setting summerWisbusiness.com
Pleasanton Weekly -Times Herald-Record -The Jersey Journal - NJ.com
all 60 news articles »


Hints From Heloise
Washington Post
We highly discourage owners from being with their pets as they come out of surgery. The pet sees the owner and tries to move around and get to him or her ...

and more »


The downside of pet ownership
Toronto Sun
After 12 years of dog ownership, I have come to the conclusion that having a pet is great - until they come to the end of ...

and more »


Fayetteville Flyer

Macomb County to spay before adoption
Detroit Free Press
The $25 paid only for a trail of administrative work, she said, and the idea that the deposit practice was adding to pet overpopulation problems in an ...
Adopt a petNewsOK.com
Donna Prior's priorityMorgan County Citizen

all 10 news articles »



Zootoo.com

Don't forget pets when preparing for storms
Daytona Beach News-Journal
As I write this, Earl, a category 4 hurricane, is spinning toward the US East Coast with Fiona, still a tropical storm, ...
Preparing your pet in case of a natural disasterCulpeper Star Exponent
Emergency Prep for PetsZootoo.com

all 3 news articles »


Questions follow the death of beloved pet
The Detroit News
She didn't just lose a pet, she lost the hiking partner she built her life around and that shared her lifestyle. Through the grief came a question familiar ...


Google News




PetsFriends.com - the best dating site for singles who are pet lovers!

home | site map
© 2006