I know you love your feline buddy.
But I also know that they can be annoying and infuriating with their snobby, poker-face look doubled with some bad behaviors.
You might feel like you are at your wit’s end since your cat just will not stop urinating outside their litter box, scratching on furniture, chewing on wires, jumping on top of counters or doing some excessively undesirable behavior.
You might want to instantly stop this madness, however, it is important that you realize that there are right and wrong ways to discipline your feline buddy. After all, your feline is still a part of your family and as much as you love her, you don’t want to punish her inhumanely.
So, here are some tips on how you can discipline your feline properly:
1. Train and Encourage Good Behavior
Cats are smarter than most people think and they have a good memory, making them highly trainable. At the same time, this also means that they know what they can get away with, repetitively.
Cats react well to positive reinforcement so they will remember when they get something that they enjoy. Cats like toys, food, attention or all three. So, choose a motivator which you can use to entice your cat to do what you want him to do, then provide a form of positive reinforcement.
Also, reward your feline with a special item only when training for a particular behavior. This helps add value to the reward and make it much easier to entice your cat.
2. Discourage Bad Behavior
Felines are much more receptive to treats and rewards than they are to punishment. However, you can discourage bad behaviors without hurting your cat by trying these few tricks:
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Use Deterrents
There are some felines that dislike red pepper flakes or citrus smells. And there are some commercially available sprays designed to keep your cats away from particular areas. Also, there are special sprays which taste bad and deter your feline from chewing on things.
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Shake a Noisy Can
If you tend to see your cat jump on the counter or someplace they shouldn’t be, then try to shake a can with some coins in it in order to startle your cat. Do this every time and your cat will start to think twice before jumping on the counter since it is always coupled with the loud, startling experience.
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Use Aluminum Foil or Double Sided Tape
If your cat tends to scratch things, consider placing an aluminum foil or double-sided tape on surfaces that you do not want your feline on or scratching at. Cats tend to hate these textures.
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Use Water Spray Bottle
If you’re about to hit your cat for misbehaving, consider getting a water spray bottle instead. No one, including your naughty feline, likes to be squirted with water. Try a quick spritz at your pet if they are doing something or they are somewhere they should not be.
Do it several times, and you will find that just reaching for the spray bottle will instantly deter the bad behavior.
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Give a Timeout
If your cat insists on misbehaving, you can try picking your cat and placing her in the bathroom or any other closed room without any people for at least 20 minutes. Most often, your cat will emerge from the room with a different attitude.
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Say Something
When you’re playing with your feline and start getting rough or aggressive, startle her with a loud “ouch” or other words to end the behavior. If she does it again, stop playing with her and leave her alone. Your cat will then realize that biting hard or scratching too much will cause her favorite person to leave.
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Redirect The Bad Behavior
Is your feline chewing on your furniture again? Try to divert her attention with toys or any other activities to keep him away from the naughty behavior. Sometimes, felines do naughty things because they are bored and not purposely being defiant.
They may only need some of your attention or partake in some stimulating activities to stop misbehaving.
3. Be Consistent
Consistency is key to disciplining your feline buddy. If you do not want him jumping up on the counter, then you need to discipline him every time he does it or he will start to think that it is ok to do it, sometimes not.
If you only discipline your feline one time or randomly, then he will not understand what he is doing wrong and will just keep on doing his bad behavior.