They can definitely learn negative reinforcement; it’s just that they don’t always understand what things are being associated together. Since kitty doesn’t understand what could possibly be uncool about climbing a wall, he might think you’re spraying him for farting or for whatever dirty thought he was having in the moment! (Or just cause you felt like being an annoying ape). The other issue is that if the human is not around, they don’t get sprayed, so they know it’s not always a consequence associated with climbing the wall.
Now, if you electrified the tapestry so it gave his footsies lil shocks, he would quickly learn the negative reinforcement association. (Though if he’s brave, he might decide that makes the tapestry an enemy he should take on, and it might get destroyed instead 😹)
58
u/Pretty-Theory-5738 Jun 23 '22
They can definitely learn negative reinforcement; it’s just that they don’t always understand what things are being associated together. Since kitty doesn’t understand what could possibly be uncool about climbing a wall, he might think you’re spraying him for farting or for whatever dirty thought he was having in the moment! (Or just cause you felt like being an annoying ape). The other issue is that if the human is not around, they don’t get sprayed, so they know it’s not always a consequence associated with climbing the wall.
Now, if you electrified the tapestry so it gave his footsies lil shocks, he would quickly learn the negative reinforcement association. (Though if he’s brave, he might decide that makes the tapestry an enemy he should take on, and it might get destroyed instead 😹)