How to properly punish a cat: whips, gingerbread and other arsenal

4354Pavel

An affectionate and fluffy domestic cat may not always have good behavior. Yes, very often she brings joy, comfort and peace to the house, but sometimes behavior can go beyond all limits of what is permitted. Then there can be no other choice but to punish the cat. A pet may, for no apparent reason, tear off the wallpaper or sofa, refuse to go to the toilet in the litter box, attack people, scratch and bite. It is important to learn to distinguish an animal’s misconduct from a deliberate act, and then choose a method to punish the pet.

Cats are animals with complex characters. Therefore, undeserved punishment for a cat can result in further regular revenge of the animal. To make a disciplined and obedient pet out of your beloved cat, it will be useful to find out what training techniques you can use from this article. It is better to get acquainted with some of them practically.

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Tender beast

Kittens are fluffy little balls of love that cause nothing but affection... until you bring them into your home. Yes, they are funny and playful, but all cats are animals with character. So be prepared for their mischief and curiosity, which makes you climb the curtains to the ceiling or study the window sills with flowers. A cat feels like a full-fledged mistress in its territory, and if you want to set boundaries for it and dictate your own rules, you will have to do it not with force, but with cunning. Under no circumstances should you hit her.

Hitting a cat is not only a pointless activity, but also harmful. And not only because you can’t offend your pet. Living with her under the same roof will also become very difficult. A cat's sadness and resentment very easily turns into anger and rage. So, if a pet is beaten, such a parenting strategy will most likely lead to the animal growing up to be mischievous, aggressive and bullying.

How to make punishment more effective

The above methods have been proven to be safe and effective. But there are a few more life hacks in store for the most stubborn cats. They are designed to make our methods even more effective.

Be consistent

Consistency is important in punishment

You cannot ignore him today for constant attacks, and tomorrow suddenly postpone educational work. This will just confuse the cat.

Overall, this can be the most difficult part of the entire process.

Timely discipline

Punishment should take effect immediately after the fact of unacceptable behavior by the cat. If you wait 20-30 minutes or more, then you will simply be abusing the animal. So it simply won’t understand what exactly is happening.

Upbringing

You need to raise a cat correctly. First of all, keep in mind that she has no understanding of cause and effect relationships. If you punish her, hit her or shout, she understands only one thing - you are trying to offend her or harm her.

She will in no way connect your punishment with that piece of meat stolen from the table or a pile in a flower pot. All that you will achieve if you beat your pet for pranks is that the cat will not do such things in front of you.

Secondly, never forget how you appear to a cat: a huge and strong person with a loud voice and heavy palms. Imagine yourself in her place: a small, lightweight creature dependent on you. Imagine how she feels when you punish her. This will help you avoid hitting your pet even when you are very angry with him.

To punish a cat, you don't have to hit it; instead, use:

• Flower spray bottle . As soon as you notice that the cat is climbing the curtain again or has settled down to do its business in a flower pot, take a spray bottle and spray water on it. It won't hurt her or scare her too much. But the cat will remember that something unpleasant happened in this situation, and will not repeat it. The advantage of this method is that she will not directly associate the punishment with your person, and will not begin to be afraid of you.
• Products with an unpleasant taste or strong odor. If your pet explores the world and tries everything, it makes no sense to beat her for it. You just need to make her stop wanting to do it. Is your cat chewing on wires or plant leaves? Treat them with a special anti-gnat product, which is sold in pet stores.
• Harmless traps . To make it clear to your cat that she should not jump into certain places, you can put objects in them that the cat will definitely touch. For example, place a metal tray on the edge of a table, or empty tin cans on a cabinet. The main thing is that they are positioned unstable and fall when the cat gets to them. A loud, sharp noise will cause her an unpleasant sensation and an association with this place: subsequently it will cease to be so tempting for her.
• Noisy objects . If you notice your cat doing something wrong, you can scare it away. For example, throw an empty can or a bunch of keys in her direction. The main thing is not to hit her with these objects, but just create noise nearby.

Cautions

Another reason why hitting a cat is absolutely forbidden is its vulnerability. Namely :

• Cats are small and their bodies are fragile; if we do not calculate our strength, we can cripple them. Under no circumstances should you hit a cat on the head - this will cause a concussion with all the attendant negative consequences.
• You also need to be careful with the area where the spine meets the tail. For a cat, this is a very sensitive area, similar to our solar plexus - there are many nerve endings there. Hitting this place means causing very severe pain.
• Take care of your pet’s mental health - if a cat is frightened and beaten, it will get used to living in constant fear. This will cause many problems that are very similar to human ones. Scientists have proven that animals can also experience post-traumatic disorders, they can suffer from depression or panic attacks. But, unlike people, cats have no one to help them cope.

Folk wisdom

There is a popular saying: pregnant women should not hit cats. And not only to beat, but in general to offend in some way. Of course, popular rumor says that this can affect the child's health, as he will have birthmarks or be nervous. In fact, this sign has a very realistic justification.

The fact is that during pregnancy, the cat’s owner abruptly switches her attention to the unborn baby. The expecting child receives all the tenderness and care that the cat previously received.

This causes jealousy and resentment in cats, because they only seem to be self-sufficient and independent, but in fact they really need our affection and are attached to us. Therefore, during this difficult period for a cat, any action that may offend her will have a very strong impact on her. Some cats may never forgive their owners after this - they will stop being affectionate and act as if they have been replaced.

Raising a cat by force

Representatives of the cat family are known for their extraordinary willfulness and pride. Sometimes cats show their character so zealously that it becomes unbearable. Many cat owners sometimes face serious difficulties in raising their animal.

One of the main mistakes in shaping a cat’s character is training by force. You can only hit the animal once, and it will remember it. Hitting a cat means hurting it. Pain, in turn, causes fear, and the owner himself completely loses the trust of the animal. Even worse, living in constant fear (waiting for a blow from a person) leads to disturbances in the cat’s psyche, and the animal becomes inadequate. Many people notice that as soon as you punish a cat for something with a blow or a loud scream, it begins to misbehave even more, completely ceasing to respond to comments. Do not take it to extremes, raise the animal competently from the first days of life.

Raising a cat with force and rudeness is not only physical pain for the animal, but also a serious blow to its pride. This way of forming a cat’s character will not lead to anything good; the relationship with the animal will simply come to naught.

Should you decide to punish your cat?

No matter how pitiful the cat makes, stand your ground

The dictionaries say that punishment is the imposition of retribution, as retribution for an insult or a wrongdoing. This is a negative incentive that leads to unwanted behavior in the direction of the offender in order to eliminate or reduce the occurrence of such behavior.

The main purpose of punishment is to ensure proper behavior . This is a form of discipline that can bring out the best in your cat. Oddly enough, the motivation for punishing your beloved furbaby is love in order to provide him with a better, happier life.

Building a cat's character without beating

Is it possible to raise an animal to be obedient without beating and screaming? Of course you can. The main thing is patience. First, understand that you will still have to punish the cat, but not by force, but by special methods. Otherwise, the animal may grow up arrogant and spoiled, which will cause you a lot of problems in the future.

To intimidate an animal when it commits any unwanted actions, use the following method. If you see that your cat is misbehaving (sharpening its claws in the wrong place, jumping on the table, etc.), arm yourself with a spray bottle. At the moment the cat commits a “crime,” spray the animal with water from a spray bottle, preferably in the face. This will not cause your pet pain or cause panic, but it will be a powerful warning, since cats really do not like water. Moreover, the warning will not come from you, but from a foreign object, in this case from a spray bottle. What do you get from this method? Good relationship with the cat and its exemplary behavior.

What lies behind bad behavior

Breakdowns in behavioral patterns always have a good reason. Since pets are unable to communicate verbally, they demonstrate their mood through changing habits and behavioral strategies.

Table 3. What is hidden behind bad behavior

Before taking educational measures, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for misbehavior

Boredom and apathy

Although most furry pets tolerate being alone well, they do not cope well with boredom. If no exciting events happen in the room during the day, they begin to amuse themselves. The consequences of games can be very disastrous - from scratched furniture to furniture thrown onto the floor.

The state of melancholy is typical for cats under 2 years of age and for representatives of active breeds - Abyssinian and Siamese.

Abyssinian cats need a busy daily routine more than others.

Possible solutions to the problem:

1. Buying another cat or dog.
2. Alternating new toys every day.
3. Purchasing a horizontal installation on which the animal can climb.
4. Placing pleasant surprises for the animal in the apartment - unaccounted for feeders, tennis balls or pieces of catnip.
5. Spending enough time with your pet every day in a playful environment.

Despite the fact that cats are smart animals, they lack the ability to concentrate on one action for a long time. Therefore, you should diversify your games.

A kitten should have a lot of toys

The relationship between color and character

According to one theory, there is a direct connection between a cat’s behavior and the color of its fur.

Table 4. Relationship between color and character

Ginger cats are considered homebodies