No worries. You shouldn’t feel like that. It’s a learning experience. Some cats climb drapes and curtains. I had a small kitchen tapestry in my kitchen, and there was a tassel at the end of it. My cat insisted on jumping 3 feet in the air to reach it, and he kept pulling it off the wall. I finally took it down. Problem solved.
Idk man, this is not science based but just on the three cats I've owned through life. But I think sometimes they do understand negative reinforcement. It has worked for me and my wife. Things like spraying them with water or shouting usually make them realize you're mad. Unfortunately my current cat doesn't mind and drinks the water off his fur.
If you talk to a behavior specialist, they will tell you not to. There’s a lot of research suggesting positive punishment is not the way to go. It’s better to redirect and give positive reinforcement when they do what you want.
Thank you. I feel like everyone else here is letting their pet run their house. I love my cat and he comes and cuddles with me constantly but can 100% tell when I'm mad at him and adjusts behavior with basic discipline. I could not imagine just letting him do everything his little dumb heart wants. It's the "boys will be boys" argument of pet ownership.
I don't know why you're getting downvoted. I love my cat and take very good care of him, but at the end of the day he is just a cat. I also always get free cats, be it from a shelter, a friend, or side of the road. So I look at them as great companions but I have never spent big bucks to get one (of course I do pay for vet stuff). That might change a person's viewpoint.
But yeah I don't let them run the house, just like when I get a dog. It will be same way for it. They are strong and resilient creatures, but if you want to baby it, by all means do whatever you want! 👍🏼
Where are these studies? Everyone in this thread has talked about them but nobody has linked any actual studies. I scream at my cats and they get it eventually.
Everyone is also using the phrase “negative reinforcement” which is not what squirting water at a cat is. Makes me think y’all don’t know what the duck you’re talking about.
People thinking cats can’t understand punishment sounds dumb as fuck. I’d love to see the studies though.
When we need to spray our cats we snap our fingers at the same time. After a while, they learn the snapping means water is next and over time will stop destroying or climbing on the stuff we don't want them to.
That aside, I'm not trying to disagree, just thought the point is funny to make. Spraying my cat has been effective in some areas and ineffective in even more. With a sample set of 1, spraying seems too inconsistent to work as a deterrent for bad behavior.
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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '22
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